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

[Saaniya]

We’ve had chickens for 4 years, all came from TSC. After weeding out the roosters, we ended with 4 hens. (We just got chicks again this spring, so I’m talking about our OG girls.) Over the years, we’ve lost one at about 1.5years to a heart attack, another to ascites at just under 4 years old, and another 4 year old is starting to have problems that make me think we won’t have her too much longer.

This made me curious what the average lifespan is in other’s flocks? I’ve googled and it said like 8 years…I’m just wanting real world answers. I know there are some chickens who live very long lives but I wonder - are they the minority? Just curious. What is considered “old age” in chickens?

I really really want my tootoo teetee to live 30y but the best I can let them stay safe but still at 5 year age teetee caught sour crop infection and died and soon after tootoo.died in depression exactly after 1 year
Teetee lived 5 years
Tootoo live 6 years

I swear if teetee stay alive tootoo and he will cross 8-9 years they were so healthy and happy

 

[BDutch]

The climate where I live (Netherlands), is very mild bc of a warm gulf-stream and the influence of the sea. Winter temps around or above freezing. Maybe 2 weeks continuous frost. Summer temps between 20 and 35 °C in the afternoon. Grass isn’t turning yellow every summer. The leaves start to fall in November. We have lovely blossoms and new leaves in March and April.

^^

@ BDutch What kind of climate do you live in?

 

[Pukkits]

Why do you want them to live such long lives? I keep a flock of chickens. I love healthy happy birds, I love to hatch with a broody hen, I enjoy providing food for my family. While I feel bad, when one dies, I rather expect some to go each year, sometimes it is surprising who it is.

I like a multi generational flock, and I expect birds to move in and out.

Mrs K

I appreciate your question, as it helped me think critically about how I'm feeling about chicken aging. I think I'm probably extra emotional about it right now, dealing with Becky the barred rock's infection.

An excellent point. To clarify, I don't need my chickens to live long lives. I think when I read of others commonly having birds numerous years older than my oldest hen, I wonder if I'm doing something wrong in my animal husbandry. I'm far from a perfect chicken keeper, but if there's things I can do to encourage my birds to have happy, healthy lives, I want to learn them. Chickens are egg producing livestock for us, but I think we blend it a bit with "pets" as we didn't choose a breed for production when we bought more chicks, we chose for friendliness and laughter we get from orpingtons. Our orpingtons and Becky usually make me laugh daily. They are exceptionally silly. In exchange for eggs and joy, I just want to be sure I'm not missing a critical piece of their care.