How many yearrs do chickens lay eggs?

[LaFleche]

This would depend on the breed, genetic diversity in parent stock, overall living conditions, regular health control and treatment if in need (worms and scaly leg mites!) etc.

I have hens that still lay regularly wonderful eggs for about 7-8 month per year at almost 10 years and 7,5 years, 6, 5 etc.

But I do not have any commercial hybrids whatever their fantasy names might be. Those often only last about two years and then decline mostly due to issues of their reproductive system or renal problems.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

As others above have said, it depends on breed, on individual chicken, whether you want to restrict your answer to "productively", and the minimum you consider per week as "reliably".

In general, the Commercial Egg laying Hybrids (the various RSL and BSL) lay very large, vary frequently frequently the first year (are culled commercially around first molt, based on my readings on the internet), continue laying well into their second year, and by year three have stopped laying anything like their first year (though perhaps comparable to other breeds) and have increased frequency of reproductive problems. I've always liked the "Golden Comet" name - like a comet, they blaze bright and burn out fast.

Flip side is big old birds like my Dark Brahma. They don't start laying till much later (mine around 7 months), they don't lay near so frequently (better than half as often as the Comets, but not better than two days out of three), and they continue to lay for many years. Because they began laying infrequently, noticing a fall off in egg production is a bit more subtle, but it occurs, if on a more gentle glide slope.

Personally, I've no plans to keep a bird beyond second molt, and likely, will keep no birds past first molt after the current batch (still doing some back crosses to reinforce some of the traits I want out of my starting flock).

As your needs and desires for your flock likely vary from mine, my practice should not necessarily be your practice in managing your flock.

 

[New Chick In The Backyard]

I wonder if the myth about the death layer is true.

What is this???

 

[New Chick In The Backyard]

This would depend on the breed, genetic diversity in parent stock, overall living conditions, regular health control and treatment if in need (worms and scaly leg mites!) etc.

I have hens that still lay regularly wonderful eggs for about 7-8 month per year at almost 10 years and 7,5 years, 6, 5 etc.

But I do not have any commercial hybrids whatever their fantasy names might be. Those often only last about two years and then decline mostly due to issues of their reproductive system or renal problems.

What do you use for worms? I think Ive got the mites under control but I'd love to know what you use and what/how you feed them. I wanna hear from you! ha ha. Thanks.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

What is this???

Something about how they'll lay every day of theorblife once starting

 

[LaFleche]

What do you use for worms?

Flubenol 5% (Flubendazole).

I'd love to know what you use and what/how you feed them.

It is more than 20 years now that I switched to raising and feeding my chickens organic, feeding them twice a day.

Sprouted barley and wheat, dried field peas (pisum sativum), millet, oat flakes, sesame and flax seeds, adding some sunflower seeds and walnuts from our own trees in winter.

Germ oil to bind the selfmade premix to the grains. Premix consisting of: Brewers yeast, black cumin grist, calcium phosphate, oregano powder or fresh and other herbs.

Organic natural yoghurt and curd cheese.

Their own eggs: scrambled or boiled and crushed with the shells mixed with grated carrots, broccoli etc.

Venison carcasses raw and chicken carcasses cooked from our kitchen .


They forage on more than 3.000 m² of grass with lots of trees and bushes and in our orchard.

The broodies and chicks have their own coops and secure outdoor enclosure, which adds about 360+ m².

The inhabitants in total are 3 roosters with 25 hens and 18 chicks.

 

[New Chick In The Backyard]

Flubenol 5% (Flubendazole).


It is more than 20 years now that I switched to raising and feeding my chickens organic, feeding them twice a day.

Sprouted barley and wheat, dried field peas (pisum sativum), millet, oat flakes, sesame and flax seeds, adding some sunflower seeds and walnuts from our own trees in winter.

Germ oil to bind the selfmade premix to the grains. Premix consisting of: Brewers yeast, black cumin grist, calcium phosphate, oregano powder or fresh and other herbs.

Organic natural yoghurt and curd cheese.

Their own eggs: scrambled or boiled and crushed with the shells mixed with grated carrots, broccoli etc.

Venison carcasses raw and chicken carcasses cooked from our kitchen .


They forage on more than 3.000 m² of grass with lots of trees and bushes and in our orchard.

The broodies and chicks have their own coops and secure outdoor enclosure, which adds about 360+ m².

The inhabitants in total are 3 roosters with 25 hens and 18 chicks.

WOW I wish I could afford to feed my babies like that. Kudos! Thank you for the reponse.

 

[New Chick In The Backyard]

Flubenol 5% (Flubendazole).


It is more than 20 years now that I switched to raising and feeding my chickens organic, feeding them twice a day.

Sprouted barley and wheat, dried field peas (pisum sativum), millet, oat flakes, sesame and flax seeds, adding some sunflower seeds and walnuts from our own trees in winter.

Germ oil to bind the selfmade premix to the grains. Premix consisting of: Brewers yeast, black cumin grist, calcium phosphate, oregano powder or fresh and other herbs.

Organic natural yoghurt and curd cheese.

Their own eggs: scrambled or boiled and crushed with the shells mixed with grated carrots, broccoli etc.

Venison carcasses raw and chicken carcasses cooked from our kitchen .


They forage on more than 3.000 m² of grass with lots of trees and bushes and in our orchard.

The broodies and chicks have their own coops and secure outdoor enclosure, which adds about 360+ m².

The inhabitants in total are 3 roosters with 25 hens and 18 chicks

Flubenol 5% (Flubendazole).


It is more than 20 years now that I switched to raising and feeding my chickens organic, feeding them twice a day.

Sprouted barley and wheat, dried field peas (pisum sativum), millet, oat flakes, sesame and flax seeds, adding some sunflower seeds and walnuts from our own trees in winter.

Germ oil to bind the selfmade premix to the grains. Premix consisting of: Brewers yeast, black cumin grist, calcium phosphate, oregano powder or fresh and other herbs.

Organic natural yoghurt and curd cheese.

Their own eggs: scrambled or boiled and crushed with the shells mixed with grated carrots, broccoli etc.

Venison carcasses raw and chicken carcasses cooked from our kitchen .


They forage on more than 3.000 m² of grass with lots of trees and bushes and in our orchard.

The broodies and chicks have their own coops and secure outdoor enclosure, which adds about 360+ m².

The inhabitants in total are 3 roosters with 25 hens and 18 chicks.

They will eat cooked chicken? I feed my dog chicken breasts a lot of the time, from the store, and one day a hen came around visiting and my dog had left a little chicken in his bowl and without thinking I tried to feed it to the hen and she acted like it was very unappetizing, shook her head, and suddenly I realized what I was doing and felt a little bad. I figured she didn't eat it because of what it was. Lol.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I really hope this isn't true.

I hope this doesn't mean that after buying 10 hens they are only going to lay for a few years and still be my pets but lay no more eggs? If so I really didn't do this the right way. Seems like you should buy a few chickens every few years. What have you experienced? Any info?

My chicken breeds:
Coronation Sussex
California White
Barred Rock
Silver Laced Wyandotte
God Laced Wyandotte
Lavendar Orpington
Ameraucana
Australorp
Blue Copper Maran
and my ISA Brown which I just recently found out could possibly only live a short 18 months.

Yeah, I will have to agree that the best thing to do is start with a few and add a couple more every couple years. You should get eggs for more than a couple years, laying just slows down.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I've always liked the "Golden Comet" name - like a comet, they blaze bright and burn out fast.

I know this is just happenstance, but I have a "Golden Comet" named Jessamine who is a rescued hen from an abandoned FFA project (the kid started the flock as a freshmen, kept it at the school farm, then ditched it when she graduated - left them in DEPLORABLE condition). Girlfriend is laying huge eggs at 5-7 days a week, and she's about 6 years old now. Love this bird! She's a hot mess due to some weird feather nutrition deficiency issue that the vet thinks might be related to amino acids, but she's feisty, curious, and friendly.

Here's "Jess the Mess" during a rough molt: