Most of my hens are regular (my definition 4-7 eggs per week) layers up until about 4 years of age. My oldest chicken was dumped in my yard. Based on her condition and my experience I guessed that she was between 4 and 6 years old when she was dumped in my yard. I have had her about 3 years. That would make her between 7 -9 years old. She is quite elderly but in excellent health and was a fairly regular layer until this year. She is a speckled sussex.
One of my Polish hens who is going to be 5 this spring has begun laying again (daily) after almost a one year hiatus. I also keep all of my chickens until thier death. It's doable if you maintain your flock size at what you can afford, adding only one or two layers per year. I have found that with good management many of my ladies have been productive flock members for most of thier lives. Another thing to keep in mind is that not all birds live to old age regardless of how they are kept. Accident, illness and the unexpected all take differeent ones at different times. Just because you have 10 now doesn't mean they will all live to be 10 years old or older. I use the old girls for gardening, and my yard stays pretty low on bugs. Another thing ...and maybe someone should study this, but I have very little problems with fighting, picking, bullying etc, in my flock. I sometimes wonder if the long term social hierarchy in my pens has anything to do with the harmony between my chickens?
