Best tips for longevity?

[Emberhaven]

For those with hens laying 5+ years, give me your best tips for longevity and vitality!

 

[nuthatched]

Balanced diet, low in treats.
It also helps to Heritage type breeds that don't konk out after 2 years of laying.

 

[Perris]

Free range, in an environment with diverse things to forage in and on, real food, and living in a natural family group with roos and chicks hatched within the flock.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I have many older hens currently ages 5-8 years. They are free-range and so get lots of exercise including chasing grasshoppers and other bugs. In addition to grass and insects, they have constant access to layer pellets and oyster shell. They also get excess garden produce during the summer, and live mealworms that I grow for them during the winter. I deworm them twice per year, and they take frequent dust baths which control mites and lice. I spend a lot of time interacting with and observing them, and this helps identify potential health problems that can be treated in the early stages. Finally, I have LGDs that protect my chickens from predators. I live in a very rural wooded area, and could not safely allow my chickens out of a secure, predator-proof coop and run without having dogs for protection.

 

[gtaus]

I have found that keeping my laying hens beyond 2 years is not cost effective. If you have access to free food, then keep your older hens as long as possible. But I have to pay for my commercial feed. After 2 years, most of my chickens slow down on laying eggs to the point where it does not make sense to keep them for eggs. That includes both the hybrid and dual-purpose hen breeds I have had in my flocks.

My oldest laying hens are now 4 years old, but I seldom get eggs from them. They will be harvested before this winter. My long-term plan is to replace half my backyard flock of 10 hens every year, so that none of my chickens get a third winter.

I should add that I live in northern Minnesota and my chickens have to live inside the coop for about 6 months out of the year. My commercial feed costs are easily twice as much in the winter months while at the same time the egg production is about half, or less.

At one time I thought it would be great having laying hens for 6-8 years. If you want pets and don't care about egg production or cost of feed per egg, then go for it. But I soon found out that older hens that no longer lay eggs eat just as much feed as productive hens. If the economics of producing eggs is of a concern to you, I think you will have to replace your hens after that second year.