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

[robhuncor]

Barnie Green at 11 1/2 years old. She will be 12 next Feb. which is the month I got her already feathered out, not when she was hatched. This picture was taken at the beginning of summer - she's moulting now but still going strong. Barnevelders are not the best layers and Barnie Green always had a short laying period every year. She gave up laying totally years ago which probably keeps her in good shape! Also, she loves to sleep - she's always the first one on the roost at night, always in the same spot for all her life. This habit saved her life years ago when 2 dogs broke into both my chicken runs and killed over 30 of my hens. It was a catastrophe that scarred me for life! ( I gathered up the bodies in a wheelbarrow - total nightmare.!) But that's another story. Barnie Green survived because she was safely ensconced with 2 of her buddies high up on the roost.
As soon as she's looking herself again, feather-wise, I'll take some new photos. She does not look or act her age!

 

[speckledhen]

Barnie Green at 11 1/2 years old. She will be 12 next Feb. which is the month I got her already feathered out, not when she was hatched. This picture was taken at the beginning of summer - she's moulting now but still going strong. Barnevelders are not the best layers and Barnie Green always had a short laying period every year. She gave up laying totally years ago which probably keeps her in good shape! Also, she loves to sleep - she's always the first one on the roost at night, always in the same spot for all her life. This habit saved her life years ago when 2 dogs broke into both my chicken runs and killed over 30 of my hens. It was a catastrophe that scarred me for life! ( I gathered up the bodies in a wheelbarrow - total nightmare.!) But that's another story. Barnie Green survived because she was safely ensconced with 2 of her buddies high up on the roost.
As soon as she's looking herself again, feather-wise, I'll take some new photos. She does not look or act her age!

That's fabulous! I've been around chickens all my life, my grandfather had a farm, but I didn't have my own flock until 9 years ago--military folks can't have chickens, of course. I hope eventually, I have one live as long as your hen. And I'm so, so sorry about your tragedy! Good for her, surviving that awful day!

 

[robhuncor]

That's fabulous! I've been around chickens all my life, my grandfather had a farm, but I didn't have my own flock until 9 years ago--military folks can't have chickens, of course. I hope eventually, I have one live as long as your hen. And I'm so, so sorry about your tragedy! Good for her, surviving that awful day!

I've also been around poultry my whole life. I grew up on a small specialty farm, in suburban NY, that raised chickens for eggs and turkey's for the holidays, mostly for NY City customers. We were just renters but farming is in my blood and from the earliest time I can remember, I knew I had lucked out! My sister & I helped out around the farm, especially when the turkey's were processed. We were small enough to climb into the wire runs and herd them toward the gate. As a child, It did not bother me at all to watch hundreds of turkeys being butchered. I worked with the adults, picking pin feathers. I also watched the farmer butcher all the hens over 2 years old as it was thought their laying days were done at that time. All of that didn't bother me as a child. After we moved off the farm, when I was in college, I lucked out again. My parents bought a house with room for some chickens and a pond nearby for my ducks. In the 40 years since then, I've managed, except for a few unfortunate years living in town, to always have some poultry. It was amazing to find out that chickens had personalities, and their egg laying days were definitely not over after 2 years. Some of my over 7 yo Ameraucanas are still laying now and then.

This is Snowflake, my 10 year old EE girl who just died a month ago. I rescued her at 5 years old and had her another 5. She was laying eggs earlier this year! They were a very distinctive shaded blue, very dark on top then fading. I loved her eggs, they were a work of art. She had the biggest head of any chicken I've ever known!



.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: Your Snowflake was beautiful, so sorry for your loss. They are amazingly intelligent (some more, some less, just like people) and they become firmly entrenched into your heart. My Gypsy, the black Ameraucana, at 7 years old, still lays in spurts, a nice extra large greenish-blue egg. Snow, the 6 1/2 yr old splash, lays on rare occasions, a smallish very light blue egg. Nora, her blue sister who died this year, laid the deepest blue egg ever to be laid here, but they were so tiny, they were almost bantam size later in her life. My EE hen, June, was recently laying, though her breaks are longer in between sessions now. No, they definitely are not finished laying at 2 years old, they're just getting started!

 

[robhuncor]

When we have old chickens, we have to learn to deal with the losses of old friends. I still have trouble with it. I'm just so glad when mine die of old age and not some sad illness or a predator attack!

 

[speckledhen]

When we have old chickens, we have to learn to deal with the losses of old friends. I still have trouble with it. I'm just so glad when mine die of old age and not some sad illness or a predator attack!

You are so right about that. But, then, even old age can be hard on us, too. My beautiful Blue Orpington rooster, Suede, died of old age in Sept. 2012. I remember the first sign, a weak crow in July. I put it down to the heat, but he never got his deep soulful voice back. Over the next two months, he lost more and more weight and become weaker and weaker and finally, he died in my arms. It was not disease, he'd simply come to the end of his magnificent life, way too soon for me. I sure miss that guy. He was so loved not only by me but by many BYC members, who have his progeny to this day, especially my dear friend, Ladyhawk (Cetawin on BYC).

If you didn't know Suede, this is my big blue turkey, as I sometimes called him. This one hurt, a lot. Now, my sweet as pie Delaware rooster, Isaac, is the same age Suede was when he passed away and I dread the day I lose that one, too.

 

[jerrey]

Barnie Green at 11 1/2 years old. She will be 12 next Feb. which is the month I got her already feathered out, not when she was hatched. This picture was taken at the beginning of summer - she's moulting now but still going strong. Barnevelders are not the best layers and Barnie Green always had a short laying period every year. She gave up laying totally years ago which probably keeps her in good shape! Also, she loves to sleep - she's always the first one on the roost at night, always in the same spot for all her life. This habit saved her life years ago when 2 dogs broke into both my chicken runs and killed over 30 of my hens. It was a catastrophe that scarred me for life! ( I gathered up the bodies in a wheelbarrow - total nightmare.!) But that's another story. Barnie Green survived because she was safely ensconced with 2 of her buddies high up on the roost.
As soon as she's looking herself again, feather-wise, I'll take some new photos. She does not look or act her age!

she looks nice just the way she is what do you feed your chickens

 

[ThePRfan]

Oh god.I have favorites.seems liek when they get old they pass.LittleRed cinnamon Buffy.I love you much!Hop eyou live long!~

 

[robhuncor]

You are so right about that. But, then, even old age can be hard on us, too. My beautiful Blue Orpington rooster, Suede, died of old age in Sept. 2012. I remember the first sign, a weak crow in July. I put it down to the heat, but he never got his deep soulful voice back. Over the next two months, he lost more and more weight and become weaker and weaker and finally, he died in my arms. It was not disease, he'd simply come to the end of his magnificent life, way too soon for me. I sure miss that guy. He was so loved not only by me but by many BYC members, who have his progeny to this day, especially my dear friend, Ladyhawk (Cetawin on BYC).

If you didn't know Suede, this is my big blue turkey, as I sometimes called him. This one hurt, a lot. Now, my sweet as pie Delaware rooster, Isaac, is the same age Suede was when he passed away and I dread the day I lose that one, too.

Wow - he was gorgeous! When they have wonderful dispositions as well, it's so hard to lose them. How nice that there are a lot of his descendents still around. Do you have any of them? Are there any as beautiful and charismatic as he was?

 

[robhuncor]

she looks nice just the way she is what do you feed your chickens

As well as layer pellets, they get greens from my garden that I grow especially for them and all our kitchen scraps and left overs. Chickens are omnivores and I give them anything they like and will eat. They also free range the yard and garden a lot, under my supervision. I once had a fox run up and grab a hen right in front of me, and I was holding a rake in my hand! I was so stunned, I was slow to react & he got away with her. Now I patrol around the whole time the girls are out and I don't let them out as much as I would like but I can't take it if anything happens to them.