Ode to Old Hens... Pictures of the Seniors in Our Flock

[Huggerlady]

This is Ginger who is 12 years old this spring (2016). She is currently grandparenting 18 chicks and doing great. She's almost blind. She nuzzles n swishes me, so adorable. Does anyone else's hen show so much affection?!

This is Pepper, she is 10 years old this spring (2016). I took this on her bday and it looks like she has a birthday hat on. She's with the flock and one of the tops. We recently installed watering cups/nipples and she was the first to figure it out.

 

[speckledhen]

@Huggerlady welcome to BYC! Congrats on your senior ladies! Shows they are well cared for. My original flock would have been over 10 years old this past January but they were hatchery stock and most died from reproductive malfunction/cancer early on. The oldest was 6 1/2 when she passed on, so she did fairly well.
Most of mine are super affectionate, but some are more "mind my own business" types, varies with the bird.

 

[robhuncor]

Quote:
So sorry - I know that feeling, watching them go.

I just lost one of my beautiful white silkie roosters that I hatched 9 springs ago. There were 4 originally, all roosters, but for a bunch of years now it's just been "Pointyhead" (funny tuft of feathers on head) and "Other Guy", the most beautiful one. They came from a show line of bearded silkies and were so gorgeous and gentle. Just a couple of weeks ago, Other Guy began to weaken. I often had to clean out their nares because those cavernous nostrils collected dust! So I cleaned him up and gave him extra TLC but he gradually faded away. I think it was just old age. So sad. But Pointyhead is still looking great. I need to get some pictures. I just got a new phone/camera so will try it out. I also need to post a pic of Barnie Green who just turned 13! in February. She still looks the same as ever - she's amazing. She came during my Eggbid days when I used to get started pullets of different breeds from all over the country. Barnie (a Barnevelder with a green band) came to me when she was 7 mos. old in 2003 - I just looked it up (again!) in my chicken diary. I can never believe how old she actually is.

 

[speckledhen]

So sorry - I know that feeling, watching them go.

I just lost one of my beautiful white silkie roosters that I hatched 9 springs ago. There were 4 originally, all roosters, but for a bunch of years now it's just been "Pointyhead" (funny tuft of feathers on head) and "Other Guy", the most beautiful one. They came from a show line of bearded silkies and were so gorgeous and gentle. Just a couple of weeks ago, Other Guy began to weaken. I often had to clean out their nares because those cavernous nostrils collected dust! So I cleaned him up and gave him extra TLC but he gradually faded away. I think it was just old age. So sad. But Pointyhead is still looking great. I need to get some pictures. I just got a new phone/camera so will try it out. I also need to post a pic of Barnie Green who just turned 13! in February. She still looks the same as ever - she's amazing. She came during my Eggbid days when I used to get started pullets of different breeds from all over the country. Barnie (a Barnevelder with a green band) came to me when she was 7 mos. old in 2003 - I just looked it up (again!) in my chicken diary. I can never believe how old she actually is.

Yea for Barnie Green! She's turned into a classic. Maybe we need a Barnie Green tag for her, like they do on old Camaros, LOL.

It's interesting how some just keep on and on and on and others peter out all too soon. I feel June lived a good, long, healthy life. She was with Dutch, son of Hawkeye and Lexie, originally, then when Isaac was old enough to have his hens, she was his. And she was his favorite all that time, too, though he also had a soft spot for Maretta, who was a lookalike to her, both being EEs with wheaten-ish coloring. Good old gal, my Junie.

It's also funny how my Caroline, my buff Brahma, is my only hatchery hen left, and my oldest of all hens here. She hasn't laid in at least two years, has that terrible pendulous crop that, if she doesn't get regular massages/pushes, the food will sit low and turn into sour crop. She just went through a long, hard-to-fix bout of that recently, and I thought we'd lose her, but nope, she's better and kicking butt again (not that she ever really stopped). I feel that if it were not for her pendulous crop, she would live to at least ten years old, but the crop is hard to manage.

I know about the nostrils getting packed with dirt. It's a wonder than more of them don't have that, with their heads down, digging like they do. Caroline's one side is so plugged that I can't fix it. She starts to turn dark if we attempt to work on it, so I guess she'll have to just breathe out of the other side.

 

[speckledhen]

Here was the scene a good part of the day, June sleeping on the roost with her entourage holding vigil underneath her. I can leave her in with her group because no one would dare pick on her in that group. Though this is not the group I call the Old Hens' Retirement Home & Hospice, these hens are almost as old as the ones in that so-named group. Georgie, my Delaware, is over 7 yrs old now herself, and she will take over for June. She pretty much already has.

 

[robhuncor]

Barnie taking a dust bath. (I need to learn how to use my new cell phone camera) She looks pretty good for 13! She hasn't laid an egg in years and was never very good at it when she was young. Maybe that is what has kept her going.



9 year old Pointyhead in a high wind today. It was gusting 40-50mph - he looked so funny.



This is Curious - 9 year old Ameraucana. She's getting blown in the wind too. She's been laying eggs again lately - lovely shaded blue.

 

[robhuncor]

How is June, Cyn?

 

[speckledhen]

How is June, Cyn?

I didn't go out there yesterday, DH handled all the chores in the rain. He said she was off the roost, walking around with everyone, but he admittedly is not as observant about the minute details of their behavior. At least I know she's still on her feet. Maybe she'll pull a Gloria Jean and fool us, coming back from the brink, but my gut says no, not at her advanced age. Time will tell.

 

[mellcrowl]

Unfortunately I had to get rid of my girls when I left for college (chick fever is real this time of year), but I will have to get a pic of my boyfriend's EE when I go home. She is 13 as of this year and still laying here and there. I'm surprised by how healthy she is, even at her age she still keeps up pretty well with the other girls which are in the 7-8 year old range.

 

[speckledhen]

Unfortunately I had to get rid of my girls when I left for college (chick fever is real this time of year), but I will have to get a pic of my boyfriend's EE when I go home. She is 13 as of this year and still laying here and there. I'm surprised by how healthy she is, even at her age she still keeps up pretty well with the other girls which are in the 7-8 year old range.

Wow, 13 is a very advanced age for any hen!


I have noticed that Gloria Jean has been going on the nest and did not produce an egg. After today's session, I decided to check her. She seems to be bloating up again, darn it. She and Maretta are 5 years old now, as are the original Stukel BR hens, Ida and Wynette. I will not treat her. Hopefully, her body will take care of it like it did last time, but that rarely happens more than once.