how can you know the age of a hen?

[tadkerson]

Birds, yellow legged, that are under a year old have nice yellow legs. Birds older than two years have dull yellow legs. Even if they are fed corn they will have dull yellow legs. A female that is older than three years or so will have fat on her when compared to younger birds. You can feel the fat on the older females. An old bird (5 years or so) will have yellower legs ( birds with corn in the diet) and have fat on the body.

Birds that are three years old will still produce eggs. The production will be down to 50-60 percent of what was produced the first year. It depends alot on the breed and the strain of bird ( production vs non production).

Tim

 

[mooSa]

Just to be sure, the methods of checking a chickens age are not always accurate or correct. am I right?

and some chickens don't have the nail that grows above the foot, i think its called a spur.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Roosters have spurs; most hens don't, but there are a few breeds where the hens have spurs.

 

[mooSa]

ok thanks, what about having rough bumpy dry legs at a 1 year or less? i mean it can happen, no?

 

[saddina]

Quote:
There is but the problem with this is once they stop laying they re-pigment up. I think with enough knowledge of a breed a person can get an idea of how old a hen is, but there's no one "here it is" mark to seek out. It's called the "Bleaching Sequence" and in SGTRC it's in layer management (pg 117 in my copy).

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
There is but the problem with this is once they stop laying they re-pigment up. I think with enough knowledge of a breed a person can get an idea of how old a hen is, but there's no one "here it is" mark to seek out. It's called the "Bleaching Sequence" and in SGTRC it's in layer management (pg 117 in my copy).

That's probably where I read it at. Thanks for finding the reference for me.