I know there has to be a huge variation between breeds, but on a average how long (old) do chickens lay. I am new to this wonderful addiction and am doing this for eggs, and pest control. I will probably be keeping them as pets until they die. Are there any certain breeds that lay for a longer duration? I have three 8 month old black copper marans. One manx rumpy, two polish, a silver laced wyandotte, a buff chantacler and a mystery hen which are all about 12-15 weeks old.