How old is your oldest chicken?

[chicken4prez]

I've always wanted to know how old other peoples chickens got. I'd like to know how old your oldest chickens ever was and how old your oldest is in your current flock.

Mine is 8 years old.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

9

 

[chicken4prez]

9

Whew! What breed is she? Mine 8 year old is a BSL.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Whew! What breed is she? Mine 8 year old is a BSL.

She's a buff Orpington. I had 2 up until last week when her sister disappeared without a trace. She is still top hen despite having arthritis in her feet and back. She sits vigilant with any sick or dying chicken, so no one dies alone. She's a nice old biddy.

 

[driver]

My oldest is 6 1/2. She quit laying eggs this year.

 

[chicken4prez]

She's a buff Orpington. I had 2 up until last week when her sister disappeared without a trace. She is still top hen despite having arthritis in her feet and back. She sits vigilant with any sick or dying chicken, so no one dies alone. She's a nice old biddy.

That's good. I like my dying chickens to pass with their friends. My BSL has a broken toe that never healed but otherwise she acts like a normal crazy hen. All the others hens that came in her batch passed but she doesn't seem to care at all.

 

[chicken4prez]

My oldest is 6 1/2. She quit laying eggs this year.

Nice. I'm really sure if my hen has stopped laying or not because I still find her in the nesting box but maybe she's just pretending.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's good. I like my dying chickens to pass with their friends. My BSL has a broken toe that never healed but otherwise she acts like a normal crazy hen. All the others hens that came in her batch passed but she doesn't seem to care at all.

That is crazy old for her breed, many develop reproductive cancers and die young. Glad some of them make it longer.

 

[FrankieDoodle]

Mine is a buff brahma at around six yo.

 

[texsuze]

My oldest turned 7 in May; she's a BA and was the last of my original flock of day-old chicks. She is molting now but had been laying about once a week. Her sister, also 7, passed away in July.