2 year old hens worth it?

[Henny101]

I’m a first timer for getting hens. I’m wondering if it’s worth getting 2 year old hens? Will they still be producing many eggs or will they be close to slowing down?

 

[21hens-incharge]

A lot depends on the breed and previous care they got.

Do you know what breed(s) they are?

My personal preference is to get them as chicks. That way I am not risking bringing a disease or parasites into my flocks. It also lets me be in charge of their care so I know how they were fed and in what conditions they live.

Some diseases once introduced to the property are there for many many years.

 

[3KillerBs]

I would not get 2yo hens as your first flock. They're probably being sold because they've slowed down laying.

It's very likely that the stress of the move would disrupt their egg-laying and possibly send them into molt -- during which they'd lay few or no eggs. After that, they'd be in the twilight of their egg-laying career and you'd get few eggs.

If you can't raise your own chicks try to find "Started Pullets" or "Point-of-Lay Pullets" instead of hens that are being cycled out of a laying flock because they've slowed down.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If your main interest is as pets, they might be perfectly fine for that. If your main interest is eggs, then you need to decide if their potential output is good enough for you. I'd say for 2 year olds I'd expect maybe 75% production compared to a 1 year old bird of same breed.

 

[nao57]

I think there might be an advantage by having them if you use it right! Here's why;

If you had maybe 2 older hens you could use those as your broody hens. They should have better mothering instinct activated compared to the younger hens! And then you could use these to make your own flock from their chicks, and by raising your own!

In some bird species, such as flamehair ducks (Mongolian Mergansers, etc) the older ducks have better mothering instincts than the younger birds. Its reasonable that many chickens would be like this also. (And other ducks.)

Its cheaper and funner to raise your own chickens.

...

Couple of things that may affect this;

You may not want all of your hens to be old.

You may want to get egg production as early as possible this year in preparation for all the trouble going around.

Often times the minimum ages quoted for egg production of chickens and ducks is wrong, because of growth hormones, medicaded feed, the sky being blue, etc etc. So you may want to account for this when planning how you will decide what to do and when.

 

[3KillerBs]

If you had maybe 2 older hens you could use those as your broody hens. They should have better mothering instinct activated compared to the younger hens! And then you could use these to make your own flock from their chicks, and by raising your own!

There's no guarantee that any given hen will ever go broody though.

 

[theoldchick]

Are you wanting chickens for eggs or for enjoyment? At two years old the hens are at the end of their top production capabilities. However, if they are healthy and active these hens can give you years of Chicken TV enjoyment.

 

[aart]

I’m a first timer for getting hens. I’m wondering if it’s worth getting 2 year old hens?

That's how I started.
Regrets were: they brought lice, scaly leg mites, and respiratory issues with them.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Depends if they are just 2 years old or nearing 3, LOL. My oldest hens will be 2 on 4/17 & just started their 2nd laying season at the beginning of February, so they have a lot more eggs to lay.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

As a first timer, if you decide to look for started pullets or point of lay pullets, be careful for folks selling birds advertised like this but you'll actually get older hens. I've read about this too many times on here. I wonder if they're being sold truthfully. Why are they selling?

Sometimes it goes perfectly but just be aware that it's not always that way. I'm super excited for you to embark on this amazing and exciting life with chickens!