Is this BR hen old?

[oliviad51]

This hen stays in the coop a lot and will scratch around in there. Im wondering if she is old. Im not sure if she still lays, I haven't seen her in a nesting box lately but Im not outside all day so I wouldn't know. We got her from an auction about a year ago, so I don't know how old she is. Maybe these pics will help?

(I didn't know where to put this..mods, feel free to move it if its in the wrong place)

 

[laughaha]

Nice bright red comb and wattles, looks healthy and not ancient. Is she moulting (if so she may have stopped laying for that). Don't know much about older chickens yet (as my oldest are about 3 yrs old, but I've read that they can lay (sporadically) for a really long time. I like to keep my older hens around for the WOW factor of the large eggs. If not laying and freeranging, she isn't eating much feed. You could always lock her up in a dog kennel in the coop to see if she's laying.

 

[oliviad51]

Her back is pretty much 'featherless'. I guess its from moulting and the roosters. Its not that big of deal to me, I was just curious to why she always stayed in the coop. She is a perfectly fine hen, nothing wrong with her. Maybe she is scared of the roosters jumping on her. I have 5 roosters & 26 hens, I need to give away 1 or 2 of the men.

 

[Lollipop]

In spite of the red comb and fuzzy pics, she does have the cobby looking kegs of an old hen. You can feel the bones under her vent to see if she is laying. If she is, the bones should allow 3 fingertips to be placed between them. If only one or a tight two fingertips can be placed between the bones, she isn`t laying.......Pop

 

[soap&eggs]

i dont mean to make light of your question....but what is your ideal of "old".??? i have some hens 14 yrs old. recently lost rooster would of been 16 yrs old & up until he died fathered many babies. hatcheries( i was told )..consider a 2 yr old hen ..old..believing after that age cost of feed out weighs egg output.losing profit.. those hens end up as stewing hens in groc stores....some of my older hens are the very best broodies...might not get many eggs from these girls but number of chicks they hatch & raise out is priceless... as for staying in coop..i do have a few of those also. why they do it ?? auction buying is always tricky..around here folks mosty sell at auctions birds with problems.might be all she did at other owners farm also.?

 

[oliviad51]

i dont mean to make light of your question....but what is your ideal of "old".??? i have some hens 14 yrs old. recently lost rooster would of been 16 yrs old & up until he died fathered many babies. hatcheries( i was told )..consider a 2 yr old hen ..old..believing after that age cost of feed out weighs egg output.losing profit.. those hens end up as stewing hens in groc stores....some of my older hens are the very best broodies...might not get many eggs from these girls but number of chicks they hatch & raise out is priceless... as for staying in coop..i do have a few of those also. why they do it ?? auction buying is always tricky..around here folks mosty sell at auctions birds with problems.might be all she did at other owners farm also.?

Very good point, I didn't make myself clear. I was just wondering if the reason why she stayed in the coop all the time was becasue she was getting old. Not a particular age, but just getting up there. Sorry if that didn't make any sense, I was trying to explain the best I could. Im glad to hear that some of your chickens stay in the coop also. Now I know that there's not something wrong with her.​