How old do your hens REALLY get?

[StinkyAcres]

The least problematic breed with no losses we have are brahmas which are a year old now!

I bought Brahmas a couple years ago for that exact reason!

 

[KyloChicken]

From your description above I can tell that you are doing NOTHING wrong. Chickens are hearty and yet fragile at the same time. I have been raising chickens for the past three plus years and sometimes young chickens die and it is nothing that you did. I had a chicken with reproductive cancer and would lay only shell-less eggs the last few months of her life otherwise she seemed "normal". I was able to hold her when she took her last breath telling her what a great friend she was to me. One if my hens laid an egg and just fell down and died for "no reason". ( Sudden Chicken Death Syndrome) I had one get a respiratory infection and was dead in a day, (she was a pullet) and one of my girls was egg bound and died at the vet's. All of these ways of dying and none of it was anyone's fault. It can just be the nature of the chicken. I currently have four girls with three of them being from my OG flock. Those girls are still healthy and thriving. Still laying eggs. And still enjoying life. A friend of mine who had chickens before me said "alway remember that you are giving them an amazing life letting them be chickens instead of in cages and you are doing nothing wrong if one of them dies". I hope this helps. I know it helped me. You are doing great!!

Your response is making me feel so much better! thank you! I love your friend’s quote! It really does help to think about it that way!

 

[KyloChicken]

I bought Brahmas a couple years ago for that exact reason!

They’ve been so easy to keep healthy in comparison, it’s crazy! I’m making my goal to breed myself a backyard flock over the years that lays few eggs, stays healthy, and grows old!

 

[KyloChicken]

I currently have an Easter Egger who is going to be 8 years old in May. She is the oldest hen I've ever had and the reason for that is I don't free range anymore. I had a couple healthy 7-year-olds taken by foxes years ago.


This is generally correct. I always recommend getting breeds that were not meant to lay 300 eggs a year if you are raising for pets (my chickens are pets too). It's mainly the high egg production hybrids like the Golden Comet, Cinnamon Queen, Red Sex-link, Black Sex-link, etc., but also some dual-purpose breeds, like hatchery Orpingtons, that are prone to getting overweight. However, mixes like Easter Eggers ("Americanas") are generally very healthy and long-lived.

I’m getting some Easter egger hatching eggs and really hope that they’ll live long fingers crossed! over the next few years I’m just hoping to create a long lived healthy flock even if they barely have any egg production going on

 

[KyloChicken]

Had two 8-9 yo hens, they were taken by coyotes but still going strong. I think aqueous had a 16 yo wyandotte

That’s impressive

 

[KyloChicken]

Hybrids generally live for much less time than pure breeds, and hens which lay lots of eggs generally also have shorter lifespans due to increased risk of developing reproductive infections such as egg peritonitis.

Out of the hens I have had (all hybrid egg laying breeds) the oldest any have lived is 4. One had to be euthanized young as she developed chronic lameness and couldn't walk without being in pain, one got sick at about 2 years old, the vet said possibly from an internal tumor, one died just after she turned 4, due to a reproductive infection, and one is 4 and still living but is definitely going downhill and I expect she won't make it much longer. The others are still alive but they are young (about a year old or less). I was also worried I was doing something wrong when I saw online that the 'average chicken lifespan is 7-10 years' and I asked my vet about it and she said for hybrid laying breeds, developing illnesses is relatively common after about 2 years.

Genetics is a big factor in lifespan, so maybe if you got all your hens from the same breeder you could try somewhere else, but honestly I expect you have just been unlucky!

I also get very attached to my birds and I am very sorry for your losses, I know how hard it can be. I wish you all the best with the rest of your hens.

Thank you!

 

[NanaK]

I have several older birds.
11 yr old Buff Orp
3 10 yr old Cream Legbars (1 of them gave me 2 eggs recently!)
2 9 yr old mixes EE x Wyandotte and EE x Cream Legbar
2 7 yr old Black Copper Marans

I agree with the others in that you are doing nothing wrong. Not every bird will live a long life. I've lost young birds over the years too. Sometimes I knew the cause and other times I didn't have a clue. I just keep trying to learn all I can.

Don't get discouraged! Some things are out of our control. In time I think you'll have a few that make that "older lady" status.

 

[KyloChicken]

I have several older birds.
11 yr old Buff Orp
3 10 yr old Cream Legbars (1 of them gave me 2 eggs recently!)
2 9 yr old mixes EE x Wyandotte and EE x Cream Legbar
2 7 yr old Black Copper Marans

I agree with the others in that you are doing nothing wrong. Not every bird will live a long life. I've lost young birds over the years too. Sometimes I knew the cause and other times I didn't have a clue. I just keep trying to learn all I can.

Don't get discouraged! Some things are out of our control. In time I think you'll have a few that make that "older lady" status.

Thank you so much for your encouragement! Oh that’s a beautiful mix of old ladies 2 eggs at 10 years is amazing!

 

[NanaK]

Oh that’s a beautiful mix of old ladies

Thank you!

2 eggs at 10 years is amazing!

I told her she has earned her keep for 2024. She can just scratch around and look cute now!

 

[dirkandlorie]

How old do your hens really get? I have a mixed group of chickens (roosters, hens, and young ones) free roaming. At night they are locked into the coop and as soon as the sun is about to come up the automatic doors open and they are off.

The reason I’m asking: I get VERY attached to every single one of my birds. Ignoring the few that have been taken by predators we had what feels like too many hens die too young. All the people that I talk to tell me they barely ever loose a hen before they are old and go down due to old age. I’m either making major mistakes in my management practices or I don’t know what’s going on!

I know all my birds by name, can pick them all up easily (even the roosters) and can tell if someone isn’t feeling right! I have the impression that those breeds with higher egg laying numbers just either go downhill when they are about to start laying or after a few months of laying.

I spot clean my coop (12 feet by 12 feet) daily and completely clean it at least every 6 weeks. Droppings never accumulate. They free range all day, have access to mixed flock crumbled feed and water in various locations, have multiple options for oyster shell, dust baths, are getting dewormed regularly, and are checked upon daily!

I’ve just had to euthanize 2 birds again and I’m heartbroken! One was young and started developing neurological issues and the other had an infection in the reproductive system that didn’t respond to treatment. Am I doing something wrong? Or is this just what it is like for you as well? The least problematic breed with no losses we have are brahmas which are a year old now!

So please tell me! How old do your hens get?

My sex links and Easter egger are 10 years old, my Cochin is 11 years old. They have passed the age where I have to worry about the reproductive issues people talk about. I've never experienced that in my flock, but I don't feed them just commercial feed either. Noticed early on they needed more protein, so upped that to 22%. Also believe a diet of nothing but commercial feed is like feeding your kids nothing but processed cereal cuz it is "vitamin enriched". These girls have from birth had feed available 24/7, plus a pie pan filled with mixed greens, fruits and veggies. Free ranging daily to round out a diverse diet. I believe its what has enabled them to have long healthy lives. Hope this helps.