How old do chickens usually live to be?

[Willow's Meadow]

 

[PunkinPeep]

I have heard of hens that live to be as much as eight years old.

But i don't think they usually do a whole lot of laying after 3 or 4 years. Thus they are often sold or sent to freezer camp after about 3 years of age.

 

[bock]

I have a 6 year old EE right now and she is still going strong.

 

[DaveD]

I heard they can go into the teens, but like the other person said, they wont be laying all that time
-David

 

[pnp4kidz]

I don't know much for certain about chickens, I'm a newbie,
but I do know that I have a roo and two hens that are at least 6 years old, and the old girls are still layin!
they take winters off now, and start late, but lay a nice egg.
I am trying to hatch some right now, we shall see!
they are Coo Coo MArans.
the roo is Freckles, his hens are Speckles and Dots...

 

[6chix]

I have a Buff orp and Black Austrolop hens and a GLW rooster that are all turning 10 this year. We don't get a lot of eggs from the older girls but we love them like they are family

 

[canyoncritters]

I have a 6 year old silkie roo that still breeds and produces really well, my mom had a phoenix/aracauna x rooster that was 13!! He was going strong too, unfortunately he was attacked by a bernese mountain dog that always breaks loose and gets onto her property. Needless to say, he had to be euthanized.

We still wonder how much older he could have gotten if that didn't happen to him. In my experience the roos tend to outlive the hens though, something to do with their vigorous nature I'm sure.