how to tell the age of a chicken?

[11langenkamp_w]

How do you tell the age of a chicken?

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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look at their driver's license

sorry, I don't know for sure. I'm not sure if you can tell, unless you know who you're buying them from, and if they are honest enough to say. I have a roo who I think is two years old - but I really have no clue. I wouldn't know what to look at to tell, or if you even CAN tell just by looking.

not much help, am I ?

meri

 

[digitS']

Are you concerned about them laying?

If that is the reason, you can look into the subjects of "culling" and "laying hens." There's information online thru the Cooperative Extension Service - use "site:edu" for a google search of the terms.

Steve

 

[Omran]

Yesterday by a chance an older man and his wife came by my house to let me look at some of thier electric tools, and while the women was in my garage she seen my SLW hen in a gage and she said to me this hen is still young may be less than year old, I said yes mam that's corect! and then she told me look at the legs of the chickens and you might be able to guess how old a chicken can be.


Omran

 

[Mahonri]

Cut the feet off and count the rings.



JUST KIDDING!

 

[The Chicken Lady]

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I was just going to say measure their wattles.

j/k

 

[paddock36]

You guys are just

 

[silkiechicken]

You can usually guess ages pretty well within the first 8 weeks of life within a few weeks, then within a month or so up to about 8 months old... but beyond that... it can be hard to tell a 2 year old from 4 year old bird or older. The conditon of their legs and feathers can vary once they get over a year or two old, as a freshly moulted 5 year old bird who isn't laying often can have a better "condition" than a 18 month old bird just before moult and has been laying all year long.

 

[CityChook]

My Dad was trying to explain to me how to feel their pelvises and you could gauge their age and whether or not they are close to/laying. It garnered an eye roll from me (I know precisely how old they are....), but he seemed to know what he was talking about...

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

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