In your flock, what is the average lifespan of your hens?

[Mother of Chaos]

I'm also curious about whether there is even such a thing as "production" BOs outside of the hatchery stock. To my understanding, proper orpingtons aren't meant to be crazy egg-a-day machines like mine were.

I certainly hope that there aren't, for the very reasons that you describe, but I'm pretty doubtful that hatcheries source their hens from breeders who are pursuing excellence. Or at any rate, maybe the breeders are offloading those who don't meet their standards, and we are getting the descendants of these weaker chickens.

 

[Apis mellifera]

I can't believe I have a couple hens that turned 9 this year. They can be a pain sometimes always getting under my feet, but I did get attached to them. Free ranging and a varietal diet in the winter I think keeps them going. Most here would disagree, but the all flock feed with a side of oyster shell and everything else is a treat that's often repeated is a poor long term diet.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

3 to 5 years for mine; I have a varied flock of hatchery hens. I'll be naming my birds that have passed, not my living birds which are all under 3 years of age.

Mostly EE. Plus:
Australorp (a coyote got 4 of 5)
Dominique
Speckled Sussex (1 remains of 4)
Brown Leghorns
Buff Orpingtons (culled due to broodiness)

Most stopped laying* after their 3rd year and were butchered for the freezer.
* not just seasonal, they didn't pick back up again and I had to make room for new chicks.

 

[dirkandlorie]

The black sex link is a dual purpose hybrid, established around 1950, and not a modern commercial laying hybrid.
This and providing them everything they need explains why your hens ate getting older than the laying hybrids they have developed for factory farming today.

And the gold sex links too?
You are so much more knowledgeable about these things than I am. I'm hoping you're going to say they're not production breeds also, as I just bought 3 more of them. Love how smart and personable this breed is.

 

[BurbCoop]

Current average is about 6-7 years. Our head hen is 9 now. She quit laying around year 2 and took on the rooster role, so maybe that has played into her longevity.

We too had a couple of hatchery hybrids that developed serious reproductive issues later on. While they made it to 4 and 7 years respectively, their issues seemed to be genetic.

 

[BDutch]

And the gold sex links too?
You are so much more knowledgeable about these things than I am. I'm hoping you're going to say they're not production breeds also, as I just bought 3 more of them. Love how smart and personable this breed is.

Such information is available on the internet. If you do a search you find several websites with info about such breeds. Dailychickens seems to have good info. Unfortunately they say the gold sex link are high production for eggs and their lifespan is 4-5 years.
https://dailychickens.com/gold-sex-link-chicken/

 

[dirkandlorie]

Such information is available on the internet. If you do a search you find several websites with info about such breeds. Dailychickens seems to have good info. Unfortunately they say the gold sex link are high production for eggs and their lifespan is 4-5 years.
https://dailychickens.com/gold-sex-link-chicken/

Thank you

 

[Pukkits]

We lost a buff orpington last fall at 4.5yrs to cancer. We tried treating for EYP for a few days just in case, but the vet was fairly confident in his feeling a mass. He's one of the few vets locally that specializes in birds, so I trust his expertise. He told me that in his experience, most all of the hens he sees over age 4 have cancer, usually reproductive. It doesn't always kill them, but it's started somewhere in their body.

Humans have bred chickens for many, many years, but if we think about it it's probably only been in the last hundred years or less that we've desired long lived birds. Historically, humans wanted egg layers, then used the bird when egg production drops. I'm sure many hatcheries still breed for maximum eggs, not for healthy, long lived birds.

Interestingly, domestic rabbits have the same issue. Historically bred for production, not health. Also super active reproductive systems that get cancer fast. Spaying or neutering a domestic rabbit takes their average lifespan from 4-5 years to 8-10 years.

I'm currently battling suspected EYP in our 5 year old barred rock. Like many other posters in this thread, reading about 8-9 year old hens makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.

Question for readers: what's your climate like? Do folks with longer lived birds live in less extreme climates?

Our climate is high desert. Dry, but seasonally can go from 110F to -10F. Our oldest bird is 5.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Historically, humans wanted egg layers, then used the bird when egg production drops. I'm sure many hatcheries still breed for maximum eggs, not for healthy, long lived birds.

For the commercial egg industry, I'm sure they breed for maximum egg production. For the rest it's about mass chick production. I'm not knocking it because they are filling a need and provide many jobs. But if you want quality birds that have longevity and lay to a ripe old age, you're better off doing some research and looking for a good breeder.

"In the U.S., over 600 million chicks are hatched each year in the egg industry, with many of these being sold as baby chicks for raising poultry. The sales of baby chicks are on track for a record-breaking year, with previous records indicating more than 11 million birds sold in 2023 alone."

 

[dirkandlorie]

We lost a buff orpington last fall at 4.5yrs to cancer. We tried treating for EYP for a few days just in case, but the vet was fairly confident in his feeling a mass. He's one of the few vets locally that specializes in birds, so I trust his expertise. He told me that in his experience, most all of the hens he sees over age 4 have cancer, usually reproductive. It doesn't always kill them, but it's started somewhere in their body.

Humans have bred chickens for many, many years, but if we think about it it's probably only been in the last hundred years or less that we've desired long lived birds. Historically, humans wanted egg layers, then used the bird when egg production drops. I'm sure many hatcheries still breed for maximum eggs, not for healthy, long lived birds.

Interestingly, domestic rabbits have the same issue. Historically bred for production, not health. Also super active reproductive systems that get cancer fast. Spaying or neutering a domestic rabbit takes their average lifespan from 4-5 years to 8-10 years.

I'm currently battling suspected EYP in our 5 year old barred rock. Like many other posters in this thread, reading about 8-9 year old hens makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.

Question for readers: what's your climate like? Do folks with longer lived birds live in less extreme climates?

Our climate is high desert. Dry, but seasonally can go from 110F to -10F. Our oldest bird is 5.

My temps can go from negatives to the hundreds. Hot horribly humid hundreds. Has not affected longevity. My best guess, and its only a guess, is that diet has more to do with it than anything else. Chickens need a wide variety of foods in their diet. Do you think processed feed might affect their bodies, the way its detrimental to ours?