🐔 Hens 8+ Years Old - What Contributed to Their Longevity?

[BurbCoop]

This thread is a spinoff of this discussion: In your flock, what is the average lifespan of your hens?

If you have (or have had) a senior hen eight years or older, what do you think contributed to her long life?

Please share anything you think made a difference; diet, housing, breed, how often they laid, how you managed predators, or anything else you believe helped.

Here are a few helpful prompts to guide your post:

• How old is she now (or how old was she when she passed)
• What breed(s) is she?
• Where was she purchased or sourced (self-hatched, hatchery, breeder, feed store, rescue, etc.)? If self-hatched, was she raised by a broody hen or incubator/hand-raised?
• Is she still laying? If not, when did she stop?
• What was her egg-laying frequency like during her prime years?
• Has she ever been seriously ill or injured?
• What’s her diet like (commercial feed, kitchen scraps, supplements, etc.)?
• What is her water setup like (type of waterer, how often it’s cleaned or changed)?
• Does she free-range or stay in a run? Is the run enclosed, partially covered, or fully open?
• How often do you deworm or treat for parasites? What treatment do you use?
• What’s your climate like?
• Do you provide heat in the winter or any other special accommodations?
• What are the coop conditions like (space, ventilation, cleanliness, etc.)?
• What has her flock size been like over the years?
• Has there ever been a breeding rooster in the flock?
• Where is she in the pecking order?
• What is her general behavior or personality like (e.g., calm, dominant, friendly, skittish)?

Photos welcome! Let’s celebrate your older gals and learn what might help other keepers give their flocks long, healthy lives.

 

[Rose the Legbar]

I have a younger flock currently (oldest is 3) and have already had a multitude of hens who have died to to natural causes (2 reproductive issues and ones eye had an injury it never healed properly from). My oldest hen is doing good and it would be awesome for her to live long. I would love to hear other people’s chicken stories

 

[dirkandlorie]

Oh my goodness! I love that you started this thread! I hope we can find some common denominators that helps us all keep our chickens healthier happier and longer!

 

[MBBuffs]

This a great idea and I can’t wait to read up on everyone’s successful practices. My two buff Orpington’s passed at 4 and 5 years old. They were my first chickens (they were my children’s COVID pets, but I ultimately cared for them the most) and I miss them very much. I want to learn more and get better at caring for them before I get new chicken friends.

 

[dirkandlorie]

My first flock was 2 EE, 2 black sexlinks, and 2 gold sex links. All these girls lived to 9 1/2- 10 1/2 years old. I added a rescue cochin a year later. She just turned 13. Added 2 more EE, 2 cuckoo marans and 2 barred rocks approx. 4 years later. They are 7 years old now, almost 8. I just added 6 more chicks, who are 13 weeks now and I want them to live as long or longer than all the rest! All of them were raised as day old chicks( except the rescue), bought from Stockdales. I believe they get their shipments from Mt. Healthy hatchery in Ohio.
My coop size, 14x14, run 12x12. Open air style, hardware cloth over under and around, so run door is always open for them to come and go as they please.They get to run around in the yard every day that's weather permitting.( I have 5 acres, but all have pretty much stayed in about 1/2 acre. Seem to prefer the orchard. ) Sand in the coop for easy cleaning, deep bedding in the run. Run and coop have solid roof. Food and water in both coop and run 24/7. Water containers rotated daily. Clean waterer brought from house to coop, the waterer in coop moved to run, the waterer in run brought back to the house to be cleaned. The coop and run are cleaned daily. Never been more than 13 chickens in there at any time, so never crowded.
All the girls laid well (again, except the cochin. Such tiny little eggs from such a big girl! Lol) EEs, probably 5 a week. Sex links 6-7 a week. Marans and Rocks, maybe 3-4 if I was lucky, and that cochin maybe 1. Egg laying, if memory serves me correctly, slowed down gradually after their 4th year across all the breeds. The EE and the cochin did stop laying completely, but sex links laid eggs all the way up to their death, not often but still have one once in awhile.
I keep flipping back up to the top of the page to make sure I include all the things you suggested. Very thorough list of suggestions. So if this sounds disjointed, that's why.
Feed: Purina all flock of chick crumbles, whichever is available when I go to TSC. Oyster shells and crushed egg shells on the side. Available 24/7. I prepare 1 pie pan for every three girls daily. Each pie pan is mounded with
wet mash in the middle, surrounded by a big handful of mixed greens, topped with diced apples, blueberries and assorted veggies fro m my garden.

 

[dirkandlorie]

Sorry, tablet needed charging before I could finish. Those greens are a mix I grow here also. Mustard, kale, romaine, collards, chard, beet greens, amaranth, radish leaves, nasturtium, and sweet potato leaves. I freeze it for the winter too, so they still get good stuff then. I drizzle it all with a thyme vinaigrette. If you're saying that sounds like a good salad, you're right, that's the same salad I make for me each week. A big bowl in the fridge for me, and a big bag all prepped and in the fridge for them for the week.
I think climate is the only one I've missed. We can get in the negative temps, but usually 20s for lows. Winter temps usually only last a month, month and a half before temps start getting better. The high temps are gruesome, will definitely be in high nineties and hundreds with high humidity. The girls have always had a oil filled radiating heater in the coop in the winter and a fan in the summer. They also have a wading pool to cool off in during hot weather.
Omg, this turned into a book trying to get all those suggestions in, I'm so sorry.

 

[BurbCoop]

Name
Tiny

How old is she now (or how old was she when she passed)
9 years (original flock member)

What breed(s) is she?
Buff Orpington

Where was she purchased or sourced (self-hatched, hatchery, breeder, feed store, rescue, etc.)? If self-hatched, was she raised by a broody hen or incubator/hand-raised?
Big-R - Farm Supply (sources from Hoover’s Hatchery)

Is she still laying? If not, when did she stop?
No. She stopped laying around year 2 and took on the role of head hen. She started laying again for a very short run years later, then shut egg production down once and for all.

What was her egg-laying frequency like during her prime years?
Petite light brown eggs every 36-48 hours. She was never a daily layer like many of our EEs or other hatchery hybrids.

Has she ever been seriously ill or injured?
No injuries or illnesses. She has always been susceptible to scaly leg mites, we’ve had to treat her numerous times over the years. No other flock members have ever had them.

What’s her diet like (commercial feed, kitchen scraps, supplements, etc.)?
Depending on current flock members; commercial grower, all flock, layer feed (primarily Nutrena NatureWise Hearty Hen)

Fresh chicken-safe leafy greens and herbs, straight from the garden or excess ingredients.

Mulched grass clippings and weeds. (backyard lawn is fertilizer and chemical free to keep things pet-safe)

Free choice oyster shell and grit (the grit is really not needed with our current run setup)

What is her water setup like (type of waterer, how often it’s cleaned or changed)?
Multiple water stations in the run, and small waterer in the coop at night, changed out daily.

Occasional electrolytes and probiotics in the waterers.

Does she free-range or stay in a run? Is the run enclosed, partially covered, or fully open?
Free range in backyard up until a few years ago, large fully open run now. Plenty of objects and stimulation throughout the run, rotated about once a year.

How often do you deworm or treat for parasites? What treatment do you use?
She has only been dewormed once due to another flock member showing possible symptoms.

What’s your climate like?
Colorado Front-Range: Wild temperature and weather swings can include wind, rain, hail, snow, summer heat, and negative temps in winter. (sometimes all in one day )

Do you provide heat in the winter or any other special accommodations?
The coop is equipped with a flat panel heater on a temp switch to turn on at 23 degrees, however, we’ve not used it in years, even in negative temps. The coop is well insulated for both heat and cold.

What are the coop conditions like (space, ventilation, cleanliness, etc.)?
The coop was designed with up to eight hens to live comfortably. Eight hens is the allowable limit where we live.

The coop is well ventilated without creating drafts across the roosts.

Poop board cleaned and shavings replaced weekly. Main coop floor and nesting boxes cleaned every 3-4 months. Deep litter on main floor.

Thorough cleaning and disinfectant with vinegar and water every 6 months.

If the hens have been locked in the coop due to severe weather, a thorough cleaning can happen sooner.

What has her flock size been like over the years?
3-7

Has there ever been a breeding rooster in the flock?
No (just one cockerel that was re-homed immediately after initial crow)

Where is she in the pecking order?
Head hen

What is her general behavior or personality like (e.g., calm, dominant, friendly, skittish)?
Calm assertive (she doesn’t like, and corrects any drama in the flock)

Additional Notes/Comments
Tiny had two sisters, Big Momma and T-Rex. T-Rex died suddenly at around a year and a half. She was a super sweet and friendly hen, but she had a genetic heart issue.

Big Momma had to be re-homed for excessive broodiness and causing too much drama in the flock. No doubt in my mind that hen is still going.

Tiny was the runt of the initial three Buff Orpingtons, thus the name. She was substantially smaller than the other two.

We’ve had other flock members make it to 7 years, though they were hatchery hybrids and died of severe reproductive issues.

Current flock members, in addition to Tiny, are all 4 years and under.

 

[BDutch]

All the factors you name are important except one. Deworming is not necessary if your chickens live on healthy soil and have enough space.

• How old is she now (or how old was she when she passed)

My oldest is 11. I have 2 who are 10 yo.

• What breed(s) is she?

Dutch

• Where was she purchased or sourced (self-hatched, hatchery, breeder, feed store, rescue, etc.)? If self-hatched, was she raised by a broody hen or incubator/hand-raised?

Ini mini my oldest was not bought from a price winning breeder but from a hobbyist. The two 10 yo (Black and Pearl) are both descendants from Dutch bantams. They were hatched and raised by another Dutch bantam I had, bought from the same hobbyist. The cockerel couldn’t stay bc of the noise. The mother (and broody) was predated at the age of 6.

• Is she still laying? If not, when did she stop?

Ini mini probably stopped laying last year when she was broody. I doubt if she laid an egg this year.
Black and Pearl are still laying. Their laying season is getting shorter every year.

• What was her egg-laying frequency like during her prime years?

My Dutch laid 4 -5 eggs a week in their first year. Their first winter break was only 2 months. When they became older it slowed down a bit. Black and Pearl still laying an egg every other day. More significant is the shorter laying season. They stopped laying before the end of the summer and started this year again in April.

• Has she ever been seriously ill or injured?

Ini mini was not fit for a month or so this spring. I thought she was getting old rapidly. But she recovered and is looking better and more active again.
Black was injured last year. I suspect she was chased and landed too hard after her flight (laterally ). A neighbour 5 houses down the street found her on a garbage bin. She couldn’t walk anymore, nor could she lay down. I put her in a nestbox with chick food and water. She recovered slowly. After 6 weeks she acted normal again.
Pearl had a dirty but when she was younger. I had her in the bathroom for a few days. But she was unhappy in there. I wiped the dirt away with a wet cloth. She healed after 2 weeks.

• What’s her diet like (commercial feed, kitchen scraps, supplements, etc.)?

Organic chick feed in winter. Organic layer pellets in summer. Now I let them choose what they want to eat.

The chickens free range in the garden almost every day for at least 2 hours in summer and 1 hour in winter. This month they eat as much fallen cherries as they like. After they are set free they fanatically hunt and scratch for insects, worms, maggots and sometimes bigger meat like snails and frogs.

They get all kind of kitchen scraps, but no meat bc we very rarely eat meat ourselves. Never very much.

At the end of the day they get mixed grains and sometimes a little mealworms.
If they have to stay in the run all day, they often get fresh grass clippings.

• What is her water setup like (type of waterer, how often it’s cleaned or changed)?

• Two hanging bottles with a nipple. Changed once a week/when almost empty.
• A water container. I empty the rim daily. Changed/refill when its almost empty. About weekly in winter. In summer more often.
• An open ceramic bowl. Throw the water out and fill up again daily in summer. Every other day in winter.

Clean when it’s getting dirty or green (algae) on the inside.

• Does she free-range or stay in a run? Is the run enclosed, partially covered, or fully open?

Free range ^^
The run is covered with strong netting.
There are 3 berry bushes and a Portuguese laurel in it.

• How often do you deworm or treat for parasites? What treatment do you use?

Never deworm.
I use diatomaceous earth as prevention against parasites. In the sand-bath against lice. Treated the inside of the coop with DE ‘paint’ against red mites.

• What’s your climate like?

Mild. Around freezing in winter. From 20-30°C in summer.
Extremes are -20°C and 37°C.

• Do you provide heat in the winter or any other special accommodations?

No. Only cover the some of the ventilation openings.

• What are the coop conditions like (space, ventilation, cleanliness, etc.)?

3 small coops. Lots of ventilation.
Cleaning the poop area and nest boxes every other week.

• What has her flock size been like over the years?

Started with 4. After that alway between 5 and 9 adults. With chicks max 17.

• Has there ever been a breeding rooster in the flock?

I had a cockerel a few times. Cant keep them bc my neighbours object to early crowing.

• Where is she in the pecking order?

Ini mini was second until Pino (the mother of Black and Pearl) died. She became top hen after that. But started to share that position with Black soon after. She is loosing her top position now but is still respected.

• What is her general behavior or personality like (e.g., calm, dominant, friendly, skittish)?

Friendly. Calm, talkative not noisy. A great caring mother and foster mother.

Ini mini and Black.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Personally I think it's mainly genetic luck of the draw if birds get into these upper age ranges, since I have a very mixed flock and use the same husbandry for the whole group, but some birds make it to 3 or 4, and others to 8 or 9.

I currently have one 9-yr-old Welsummer. She was purchased at 7 weeks old from a feed store lot. She's currently laying (got an egg today!) but her laying cycle is short and spotty at this point and the eggshells are poor quality so she needs calcium supplements during her short laying season. She's never been a great layer, very average on that front, which has probably helped with her longevity.

No serious injuries, she is missing all her butt feathers from picking years ago and they no longer grow back, but it doesn't bother her in the least. She also appears to have broken a toe at one point many years ago but it doesn't really affect her.

Diet is same for the whole flock, a combination of fermented whole grain grower or starter mash, and dry layer pellets. Very minimal treats and some garden trimmings when I have them, but that's mostly in late summer when the garden is being cleared out.

Water is a nipple waterer that gets filled 1-2x a week. I don't clean it beyond blasting it with a hose, never had algae issues.

Flock mostly stays in the run with very limited free range time in afternoon. The run is netted, no roof.

I've dewormed her once, maybe twice? in her life, only when roundworm was verified in the flock. Treated for Northern fowl mites once, she had the worst of it and got rather anemic but recovered well.

Moderate climate. I do not provide heat or any weather proofing in winter, a little snow won't kill them. During heat waves I'll put out a few extra dishes of water and she does like to stand in them more than the other birds.

Coop is set up for 4 sq ft per bird, 1 linear ft per bird on roost, but I do have more than usual air volume (very tall walls) and extra ventilation, about 2 1/2 sq ft per bird. This allows me to freely use well aged Western red cedar chips and cedar in the build without respiratory issues. I do a full clean once a year.

Flock size has varied wildly because I grew my flock slowly. The 9-yr-old is my remaining original bird. I'm on my 4th round of additions. Currently at 10 birds but I built for 12. Never had a breeding rooster, and my old lady is fairly high in the pecking order but mostly removed from all the drama - too old for it, too good for it, and the others leave her be. She's friendly with humans and tolerated being picked up and will communicate to let you know that she needs a human elevator ride down off a roost, or a ride out to free range, or a ride back from free range.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Not my chickens because I can’t seem to stay in one place long enough but my mom has had several 8+ chickens. I have no idea how so I am thinking it is genetics. I also don’t know the breeds because she has a very mixed flock but it is not uncommon for her to keep birds long past their sell-by date lol.

Her coops are insulated because they’re in a cold northern climate and have terrible ventilation. If the birds are lucky she opens a little window. They have big runs with spare to no vegetation. Runs are covered with netting in constant need of upkeep. Predator load is high. She never deworms. She often has problems with scaly leg mites which she treats. She was feeding all-flock but has been feeding them high protein scratch for a while now. As their main feed. She used to mix the scratch with the feed. Basically all the chicken keeping no-nos. And her birds either get eaten by something (rarely) or they die of an isolated mystery illness (probably a little less rarely than predation). Otherwise she feeds them rent-free til they die of old age. I have given her numerous birds over the years (probably two dozen)-some I don’t even remember until she reminds me and then I am baffled the thing is still alive.