Easter Egger- Longevity questions

[LarissaCluck]

Anyone know how long Easter Eggers tend to live for or lay for?

Just curious. Helga is several years old I believe. The banties are laying like crazy (I'm in socal), as much as every other day, and she has laid just 3 eggs in a month

I'm still learning about chickens and inherited these. How long do chickens lay for? At what point can I expect them to be in "old age"?

(Sorry if this thread out to go elsewhere...)

 

[donrae]

I have some from mcmurray that are coming into their sixth year and just started laying again after being off for the winter

 

[LarissaCluck]

Wow, great! I didn't know chickens could live so long

So maybe Helga and I are in it for the long haul then

 

[Illia]

Chickens in a natural life can live far over 10 years old.


Easter Eggers can vary, really. Mine from Murray McMurray wouldn't last beyond 1 yr, the last one I culled at 2 yrs old to find she had internal laying going on, meaning she could've passed away anytime soon if I didn't "aid" in her passing. It depends on how the hatchery you got your EE bred their birds and what your own birds have going on. Two of mine had deformed backs, one had internal laying, but a couple others seemed perfectly fine. Quite a few I've heard from others end up with prolapsed vents, and quite a few live beyond the average 4 years (for production layers, that is the average)

 

[PepsNick]

You never really know- I mean, really, it depends on the bird, not the breed.

EE's to me aren't the most dependent as far as laying- tend to take breaks often or lay weird eggs. I have to raise the protein intake of my flock because of my EE.

I haven't heard of them in particular living around a certain time.

 

[phasianidae]

My oldest hen, a New Hampshire, will be 4 in June, but the reason there arent any older is because thats when I got my first chickens.

My EEs are 3 and a half and still laying well.

 

[TurtleFeathers]

I have 8 EE's that range in age from 1 year to 8+. The oldest, Clara, came to me 2 years ago, and I was told she was at least 6 at that time, possibly older. I was also told she was an Ameraucana, but I doubt it - she's very similar to a blue wheaten, but I just call her an EE.

I had a feeling that Clara couldn't see real well when she first came here - about 6 months later, I realized she was probably totally blind. She's adapted quite well tho - she uses her beak to "test" things as she walks, and as long as I don't rearrange her surroundings, she gets around quite well. One of my other EE hens, Gretta, is never more than 2-3 feet away from her, and I've seen Gretta actually "leading" Clara around obstacles, and they love to dust and sun bathe together.

Clara still faithfully lays about 4-5 extra large blue eggs a week from spring thru fall, and takes the winters off, just like the rest of my EE girls.