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

[speckledhen]

Aw, sorry for your loss. Six-and-a-half is a good long life for a hybrid layer, though.

 

[speckledhen]

Alice passed away today, hung on much longer than I thought she would; She had such a strong heart. My flocks are down to 29 birds, 5 of which are roosters. Of the 24 hens left, 8 are 9 to 12+ years old so more of this to come.

On a brighter note, Tiny the Terrorist, same hatch group as Alice, so she's ten yrs old as well, laid an egg today. She just keeps cranking them out a few times a year.

 

[Waves]

Thank you! i'm sorry for your new loss..
i admire you for having lot of older hens. It's my dream: that my chickens die only from age. It's so difficult..

 

[speckledhen]

I think Panda will be next. She is 12+ years old. She has been losing weight recently. For the last couple of days, her color has been purplish and today, she is breathing so hard, as if she can't catch her breath. Panda is the only progeny of my beloved late Barred Rock rooster, Zane, and my Blue Ameraucana hen, Charlotte. Charlotte also was Gypsy's mother and Riley's as well; Riley was another Barred Easter Egger who died of egg issues around 3 years of age.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, I was right. We just lost Panda. She was on her feet today, but not breathing well. We heard a commotion in the barn about 7:15 p.m., went out and she was gone. Definitely just old age at 12+ years.

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

I'm sorry for your loss. She was so pretty!
12 years is a long time for a chicken... a long, full life. I hope that at least some of my birds last that long -- especially my sweet guinea rooster, Spook.

 

[Waves]

Go and run in the green green grass, little Panda, bring your beauty in the eternal garden little girl

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you, that's a nice picture. I sure miss her today. When you have a hen for over 12 years, it's like losing the family dog. I'm happy that she was still ambulatory and didn't have a really bad day. Loved that girl. She was one of three chicks that grew up together-my lavender bantam Cochin hen, Shadow, and my Gold Laced Wyandotte, Vada. Vada died just over a year old of egg issues. Shadow lived to be about 4 1/2 and that left Panda to live on for 8 more years after that.

 

[Shadrach]

Thank you, that's a nice picture. I sure miss her today. When you have a hen for over 12 years, it's like losing the family dog. I'm happy that she was still ambulatory and didn't have a really bad day. Loved that girl. She was one of three chicks that grew up together-my lavender bantam Cochin hen, Shadow, and my Gold Laced Wyandotte, Vada. Vada died just over a year old of egg issues. Shadow lived to be about 4 1/2 and that left Panda to live on for 8 more years after that.

84 plus how many months in human years. I calculate the first year as 18 of ours but the rate isn't linear. After year 1, I think the ratio of 7 to 1 is about right. Makes one wonder when one reads of so many chickens dying in their 20's and 30's from sickness rather than predation.
I spend more time with the chickens than I do with any human or other animal so I can empathize with the death of an 84 year old friend.

 

[speckledhen]

Makes one wonder when one reads of so many chickens dying in their 20's and 30's from sickness rather than predation.

For one thing, it's just plain sucky genetics of hatchery hens. They develop ovarian cancers at alarming rates and have other reproductive malfunctions. When you eliminate that last issue, you have hens living much longer lives.