Caring for older layers?

[DelphiniumBlue]

Hello,

I have a couple of sweet girls who are getting a little on in years, a Black Autralorp and a Silver Leghorn, ( I think - she's a bit of a mystery breed). They are about 7 years old. We got them as pullets and we weren't sure exactly how old they were when we got them.

These birds have become pets and I'm not interested in culling them. I'm wondering if folks have some good tips about how to care for older hens. Is there anything specific I can do to help them live out their days in the best health possible?

They still lay an egg every few days I think - it's a little hard to tell who is laying which eggs among my flock. I have noticed we are getting more thin-shelled and broken eggs lately, and I think these are coming from the older ones.

Then, today, I saw the Silver Leghorn waddling about the run. She looked really uncomfortable, poor girl. As I watched she laid a shell-less yolk, followed by a rubbery looking piece of shell, which unfortunately the other chickens gobbled up before I could get in the run to stop them. (Gross!)

I have oyster shell out for them. What else can I do to support my older hens? I'm worried that a thin-shelled egg will break inside her or she'll get egg bound?

 

[333113]

I haven't really done anything different for my older hens, and some have lived as old as 15.
A shell-less egg is a sign of stress at any age. An older hen can end up at the bottom of the pecking order, which is stressful, especially if there are a lot of hens.
I keep my older hens in smaller groups, two or three, next to but not in the big cage, because that's easier on them.
You might try watching to see if she's getting picked on. Also, if she's still waddling, you could try isolating her for a couple of days to let her recover from whatever is bothering her. She will still have to work out her place in the pecking order, but perhaps from a better place. A couple of places to hide in the pen is a good alternative to separate cages, and you will probably see almost all the hens occasionally take advantage of them. Don't laugh, but I got a dog carrier at Goodwill for $5, took the door off permanently, and put it in the pen. It's a favorite place for hiding, laying eggs, and perching.

 

[Gargoyle]

If she's walking funny, start by checking her feet carefully. Look for any injuries. Also might as well check for lice or mites at the same time.

My local farm&fleet carries this:
https://www.mannapro.com/products/poultry/adult-poultry-care/golden-girls-senior-crumbles

 

[aart]

Then, today, I saw the Silver Leghorn waddling about the run. She looked really uncomfortable, poor girl

Have seen some really odd behavior when a softie is coming down the pike.
As long as she is not walking oddly all the time, she's probably fine.

My local farm&fleet carries this:
https://www.mannapro.com/products/poultry/adult-poultry-care/golden-girls-senior-crumbles

OhMy.......wonder what's really different about it, other than the marketing part?

 

[Shadrach]

I've got some senior hens here. The eldest is at least 9 years old and the next eldest will be 9 years old next month.
Both live free range with their groups. I keep small groups with separate coops.
The 9 year old Marans is still the boss of her group. Last year she laid maybe 10 eggs. So far this year she has laid one egg which was about one tenth the size of her normal eggs. I was a bit concerned but apparently this is how some eventually stop laying altogether. It's almost like the reverse of a pullets first tiny egg.
The elder bantam hen did much as you describe in your post. She sat for an unusually long time and laid a shell less egg not quite formed. Unfortunately she caught a dose of coccida and I was very concerned about her. Yesterday she laid her first egg since her illness and it was tiny but properly formed, she shell not quite as hard as it should be. Otherwise she seems well and free ranges with her group. She's the boss in her group.
It is actually quite hard to get accurate information on what happens to ageing hens. These hens will live out their lives here until they die of natural causes or become so frail that they can no longer manage to feed and defend themselves.

 

[elmo]

Take a look at your coop and run and think about what you can do to make life easier for the older hens. Are there some lower roosts for them, or maybe ladder roosts so they can get up onto the main roost more easily?

You do have to watch for egg laying problems. We have a flock of 9 and ten year olds, and the last few years two of them have had prolapses. Now I check bums twice a day. If I catch it quickly enough and can push the tissue back in, the risk of the tissue becoming necrotic is lower. Prolapses do tend to recur, so I know to watch these two hens carefully.

Since our hens are bantams, I now bring them into our indoor bird room on cold nights. I figure they've earned the most comfortable retirement I can provide for them.