Can chickens live to be 16 or 20?!!!!

[JacinLarkwell]

Oldest I've had get to be about 9-10, mostly males, and a few females. Most are far younger though when they die

 

[catsndogs4us]

I have quite a few 7 year olds including Silkies, Cochins, Salmon Faverolle, NH Red, RI Red, Speckled Sussex, Barred Rock and a few others. I think it can vary a lot but 20 seems pretty rare.

 

[Mrs. K]

If you want a pet that lives that long, you probably should pick another animal. There are animals that live that long, it is just setting you up for failure to want to do that, and then be heartbroken when it doesn't.

Sometimes I think chickens are not a great hobby for some people who get so attached to each bird, and suffer so badly when they do a fairly natural thing like die.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is another aspect of this too, quality of life. I have two dogs each 15 years old. Their quality of life isn't anything like it was 5 or 10 years ago. It isn't that bad but both are on drugs to keep it that way. I don't think either of them will last until the end of the year.

In my opinion, just because you can keep them alive doesn't make you a kind caring person. That's an individual choice each of us have to make on our own. It's not always an easy choice.

 

[Chicken poppy]

There is another aspect of this too, quality of life. I have two dogs each 15 years old. Their quality of life isn't anything like it was 5 or 10 years ago. It isn't that bad but both are on drugs to keep it that way. I don't think either of them will last until the end of the year.

In my opinion, just because you can keep them alive doesn't make you a kind caring person. That's an individual choice each of us have to make on our own. It's not always an easy choice.

Very true. Sometimes its up to us to decide if their life is worth living. There was a story of a 20 year old cat who was blind, had heart problems and was immobile. Just because they live long does not mean they are necessarily in the best of health.