Black Copper Maran age?

[Zeeb]

Aloha my son picked up two hens (supposedly about 1 year old, seller said black copper marans) here on Maui Craigslist and to me they look like old hens but I don't know the breed very well. I've had Polish, Rhode Island, Red Star, and Golden Comets. Please let me know what you think, they're much larger than my RI and I just think their combs are so huge compared to most chickens I've had. Let me know if anyone can help determine the age. They haven't laid eggs and I've had them a week. I know people say they lay really late compared to other hens but..The pure black one's comb is so big it lops over and the copperheads is larger than the picture depicts I had difficulty getting a good picture they were darting under my palm trees. Mahalo for any help you can offer.

 

[cavemanrich]

In my experience with chickens,,, It is not a possibility to tell the age of a hen by their looks. Most sellers that want to sell a hen can easily lie to make the sale. They do not guarantee egg production. ..
Often times, when chickens are sold, and get to new coop, will hold off for a while until they resume laying eggs. There is a reality to consider though. If these were laying regularly, then the move to your coop would still have produced an egg the next day,, (the egg in the pipeline).. Then the stress of the move could have slowed or stopped laying for a period of time.
All chickens do take breaks from egg production during a year cycle. There are some exceptions, like White leghorns, and sexlink chickens that are EGG-MACHINES.
The way a chicken looks,,(condition) is based on how well it has been cared for.
I keep my chickens as pets,, and they looked good all the way until their end. My oldest was 13 years old, and looked same as young.
Can you guess the age of this chicken??

Spoiler: answer

11 years.

Looked same as when was 1 year old.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Most of the time when hens are moved to a new place they're not used to they stop laying for up to a month to adjust. Can I see a better picture of the first one? Looks a little like a rooster.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Looked same as when was 1 year old

Really! That old? I was guessing 3 years

 

[cavemanrich]

Really! That old? I was guessing 3 years

My oldest that lived 13 years is the Silver Sebright 3rd chicken down from top in center.

 

[Zeeb]

Most of the time when hens are moved to a new place they're not used to they stop laying for up to a month to adjust. Can I see a better picture of the first one? Looks a little like a rooster.

Yes she kind of looks like a rooster but her back feathers are upright and there are no cascading feathers.

 

[Zeeb]

My oldest that lived 13 years is the Silver Sebright 3rd chicken down from top in center.
View attachment 2154873

Awesome I see you have a Polish, I had a few and they disappeared. I'm not sure if one of my neighbors took them or the mongoose got them.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Awesome I see you have a Polish, I had a few and they disappeared. I'm not sure if one of my neighbors took them or the mongoose got them.

Were they free ranging? Polish generally are snatched by predators when free ranging because they can't see under all those head feathers.