How long to your hens generally live?

[Nyxish]

i know they can live up to what? 7 years? but i was told 3 to 4 is more normal - is that true or what is your experience?

 

[Judy]

They can live about fifteen years, though most probably don't, for various reasons. They can even lay for most of those years, depending on the individual, though they're not likely to lay many when older, maybe only a few per year, maybe none at all. There's a lot of variation.

 

[donrae]

I've had hatchery birds laying in their 7th year. Not laying spectacularly, mind you, but laying. I'm not sure how much longer they lived as I rehomed them.

The biggest limitation to a birds life span is predators. Second is humans--how much we want to spend sustaining a non- or low- producing bird.

 

[Nyxish]

My birds are pets and i am a SUCKER, so they will very likely never have to worry about being culled for not producing - especially this, my first generation flock that i refer to as "The Babies" because yes, i am *that* dweeb.

So laying is great, because i don't actually eat many eggs, so selling them means they can at least offset the cost of feeding themselves during the summer... but i'm more curious about what is a general lifespan of an average hen? If they can live to 15 - squee! - but is that common? or more common the more protected/restricted their lives are?