I have an eight year-old hen, Hannah Banana and she laid an egg today. Yes, I know this seems impossible, but she did. I have seven chickens here in Palo Alto, so I thought she had stopped laying years ago. Being a "back-yard" suburban lady, all my chickens are my pets and they die from old age or disease. I protect them like crazy. Hannah Banana is my sweet heart and I didn't care that she got old, but she is very healthy--she runs around, eats, cleans herself and appears to be as healthy as the two-year olds. Occasionaly she sits on the nest and even gets broody. However, today I saw her sitting on an empty nest while I was in the chicken yard doing my routine chores of cleaning out the water resevoirs, food dishes, etc. When I finally finished she got up from the nest and there was an egg! I know no one else was in the coop!!!! It was hers. Amazing. Any comments from others out there? Geri in Palo Alto
I know a woman with a ten year old hen that still lays 4-5 times a week. Crazy, but I guess it does happen!
Wow---a ten year old. That's fantastic. I love Hannah Banana and worry about her. It's great to hear this. Thanks.
Listen to this. My hen has changed her egg color! My white leghorn always laid white eggs, of course, but one day she started laying brown like all the other different breed hens! Like you, I would not have believed it if I hadn't been there myself.
A lady I talk to sometimes had a hen for 18 years, and shortly before the hen finally died, she laid one final egg. The lady kept it, of course.
These are amazing stories. Changing egg color and an 18 year old chicken???? I thought they didn't live past about 12 years. Great stories.
O.k. I thought I was crazy but my white leghorn has also started laying light brown eggs! Yes, she is DEFINITELY a WL, not a white rock or any other breed. We used to get an XL white egg almost daily and all of a sudden, we weren't seeing anymore white eggs. Just the brown eggs which we thought were from just our Wyandotte, Orpington and RIWs. We had thought she just stopped laying. Anyone else ever have this experience or even ever heard of this happening with a White Leghorn?
I have two 11 year old Old English Game hens that still lay a few eggs regularly. Kind of an interesting story about them. I sold all my Large Fowl Old English to Superior Hatchery a few years back. I always regretted selling them all & wished I'd kept a few. When Superior went out of business & sold off their stock I contacted them to see if they had any Brown Red Old English available. At first they said no but they called back later & said they found 4 hens in a pen out back, no males but just the 4 hens. I said I'd take them knowing I could find a male. When I went to pick them up I was surprised to find them all wearing NY Pullorum bands-they were 4 of my origional hens. I checked my records against their band numbers & found they were 10 years old-now 11 & still going strong.
