How long to keep chickens......

[Honeysucklefeathers]

I use filtered water from a farm pond. Cattle and horses don't have access to it. It is filtered thru a concrete block and sand system and we do use a water hose to get it to the chickens. I agree that hatchery chicks just aren't going to live as long, one reason I prefer not to have them.

 

[juliawitt]

Well, it was disheartening to read about hatchery chickens not being bred for longevity. I don't have a rooster, so my only option is hatchery chickens. On the upside, I have been giving my sickly dom an egg mixed with oats for the last several days. Yesterday, she was much more perky. Still urine looking poop, but she was more energetic and eating fairly well. No one else is having any symptoms. Supposed to be hot again today, so I will set up their wading pool and give extra cool water. My water is from a well and is really tastey. Not gonna worry about water from the hose, I've got no other option. More egg and oats for sick girl and hope she continues to improve. I leave for 4 days Friday, so I hope she is built up and doing well so I don't have to worry while I'm gone.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
The majority of my flock are hatchery birds and they are laying strong into their 6th year now...some are entering their 7th this winter. Production breeds~production blacks and reds~may not be bred for longevity, but the standard older breeds seem to be just as hardy and long lived as those not raised in a hatchery. I'd venture to guess that many of the breeders who sell chicks have hatchery bloodlines back a few generations....they can't ALL be from original, heritage bloodlines.

 

[juliawitt]

Still giving special treatment to our little Dom. Big improvement yesterday. She had her egg/crumble mixture, then she went out with the others to eat watermelon. She was almost as perky as the others. Her tail was up more and she did not have a nasty poop while I was watching. No one else is showing any illness. I am feeling better about my Dom....hopefully, she was just stressed from the high heat and the extra nutrition and special treats have fixed whatever was wrong. My fingers are crossed.....

 

[dainerra]

Not saying they can't or DON'T live a long time, just that isn't a consideration in the breeding of the birds. They are bred to mature and start laying quickly and every day. After a couple of years, the egg production goes down and often the health as well.
"farm birds" as my grandma used to call them growing up usually mature more slowly. They start laying later and average an egg every other day, except at the height of the season. They lay for YEARS.

It's a simple matter of genetics - you get what you breed for. Shoot, it's in the hatcheries interest anyway if you have to refresh your flock on a continuous basis, right?

 

[mikecnorthwest]

My 5 hens are 2 1/2 years old and I'll be swapping them out in about 6 weeks. I'm planning on buying 5 chicks this weekend and then putting them out in the coop in about 6 weeks. I have a friend who is going to take my hens and add to his flock. All my hens are healthy but I want to keep the egg production up, hence the swap.

 

[chicken grandma]

Quote:
Doing a fecal test is a GREAT idea because there are many types of worms that are treated by several types of wormers. I would never just give a wormer randomly. I would always check to see if it is needed and then give the appropriate wormer. A fecal test is cheap and you will save money in the long run by not giving wormer if it is not needed and also by giving the right wormer if it is needed.
My hens usually live to 5 years old. Most get there without much trouble, but yes, with age comes health issues.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I feel really bad that you're going through this, when you're trying so hard to take such good care of them.

It does sound like there's something wrong in your flock, but I just don't know what it could be. Since they're different breeds, it doesn't sound like a genetic issue would be likely. I'd consider having a necropsy done, to try to find out what's going on with your flock.

I don't know what types of diseases could contribute to an early death, without showing much sign. Organ failure could be a possibility, but I'm not sure what could have contributed to that. Different toxins in the environment or a contaminated feed could do it. That's all a long shot, though. It would be something that wasn't normally a problem.

Is there any way they've gotten too many electrolytes? I know a couple of times, when people accidentally mixed their electrolytes too strong, their chicks died from it. The instructions were written more for a large poultry operation, where you make a stock solution with water and then added a certain amount of that stock solution to more water after that. If you gave extra electrolytes, even at the correct dosage, for a long time, I wonder if that could have been a problem for them? If they already had organ weakness from something else?

I really hope someone comes along that has some additional ideas for you. Hang in there. At least they are enjoying life while they're with you. Commercial chickens have even shorter lives and they aren't having the great life your chickens are. You've saving some other chicken from that life, even if not all your chickens have lived to be ancient little hens.