How many years will my chickens lay eggs??

[jadeflower999]

Hello! I have a Rhode Island Red and a Silver laced Wyandotte and I was wondering if anyone can tell me how many years they will lay eggs for? I just spoke with a lady who was saying the Red will "lay out" in a year, is this true?? Mine are 6 mos and just starting to lay.
Any advice would be helpful, Thank you!!

 

[jojo54]

 

[cw]

i dont think they will lay out in a year the ol man up the road is selling older hens for 5.00 bucks a piece and there are some rir
i think they will die before they quite copletely laying (something gets em)

 

[pixie74943]

 

[cw]

wow this is kinda funny it seems like at this stage of there life them stop laying would be the last thing you would worry about,
is there a reason your asking, have they slowed down because of winter,
it sounds like that lady knows no more about chickens as she does roket ships or me spellin

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

In general, chickens lay most robustly for two years. That is why commercial egg farms will tend to rotate in new pullets every two years, sending the older ones to auction. Or, my cousin who has a small farm will buy new chickens every year and then rotate out half her flock, the older hens, at that time. So she always has new hens and then year old hens, and when the older ones reach two years, she brings in new ones. Does that make sense?

But for a small farmer or someone keeping chickens as pets, you would probably see a drop off in egg production after a couple years, but they still lay. i read about someone on this board with a 13-year-old chicken that was still laying.

i haven't been keeping chickens too long, and my oldest hen is about 3 years. She hasn't laid in a while, but that may just be because it's winter. In any case, she has a home here forever. But i did just add 4 pullets to that pen, as i do like having plenty of eggs.

 

[CHICKENBOY 1]

i've had rir before they lay longer than two years but slw lay out in about two years.

 

[jadeflower999]

Thanks everyone! I'm not to worried about it, my chickens are mostly just pets anyway, but I was just curious. Especially after what that lady said about them laying out in a year. I have never had RIR's before..