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

[speckledhen]

I couldn't take seeing her blind and crippled any longer so at 12 years and 5 months my hubby did the thing I dreaded. The last couple of nights she had an empty crop, I like to believe we just helped her fly home. RIP Sweet Ginger Mama n Grandma to many a chick.

Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. I'm sure you did what was best for her quality of life. I hate like anything to lose a pet we've had for that long, but the fact that she was still with you at that advanced age is a testament to your excellent, loving care. I had a Ginger in my original flock, still remember her fondly. I wish she'd lived as long as your Ginger.


My Black Ameraucana, Gypsy, who will turn 9 years old in November, has given us 6-7 eggs in the last three weeks. That girl is my heart.

Snapped a few pics, but it's rather dark in there, storm coming in, so pics are a tad grainy.

 

[speckledhen]

Snapped a couple of pics today of the Old Hens group.

 

[robhuncor]

Snapped a couple of pics today of the Old Hens group.

They're looking good, Cyn!. It's a testament to your wonderful loving care.

 

[speckledhen]

They're looking good, Cyn!. It's a testament to your wonderful loving care.

You're sweet Robin. I think it's even more than the care, which we have really tried to provide all their lives, certainly. Most of them have good genetics (though there's little explanation for Caroline, my oldest hen, who is a hatchery gal), but it's also a low-stress existence, IMO. They are used to being very safe at night, never had a predator get into the coops. A clean, dry coop that is not vulnerable to invasion by predators might contribute. And no rooster in there to deal with for these ladies, either.

Gypsy still lays periodically, as does 9+ yr old Amanda. Panda, Snow, Becca and Caroline haven't laid in a long, long time, though I think Snow, the splash Ameraucana, laid more recently than the others, sometime in the last year or so. Emily and Tiny are in there for reasons other than their ages (6+), so they still lay. Emily has slowed way, way down. Tiny is probably the best layer in that group.

 

[speckledhen]

I think I'm about to lose my last Orpington hen. Dusty, my blue Orp, is the last one of my late Suede's girls. She's about 8 1/2 year old, hasn't laid since he died in Sept 2012. She has lost sight in her left eye, now completely closed, but she is listless and let me hold her today, not anything like my Dusty at all. She has always been a true Blue Orp drama queen. But she didn't go out with her group today, stayed laying on the floor next to the nest boxes. Little Xander is laying with his head against hers on the roost so he acts like he knows something is wrong.

What is wrong with Dusty is old age, plain and simple. She's always been healthy; didn't have any eye trouble until she ripped her comb and it hung over her left eye, throwing dirt into it and irritating it all the time. She's never even had bumblefoot. From the time I got my first hens, I've always had Orpingtons. If I lose Dusty, I won't have even one left.

Beautiful Dusty (after her self-dubbing attempt)

 

[robhuncor]

She's so pretty. I know the sad process of waiting as an old one's life quietly ebbs away. Thinking of you.

 

[speckledhen]

She's so pretty. I know the sad process of waiting as an old one's life quietly ebbs away. Thinking of you.

Thank you. Dusty raised two sets of chicks but when she was done with them, she'd literally chase them down and try to kill them, traumatizing the poor things. The first ones were at only 3 weeks, the next set (which I allowed, thinking the first time was a fluke) lasted until 5 weeks. But, she has been my heaviest hen other than big flaming red Meg, also Suede's lady.

Sweet little Xander has presided over the deaths of those hens one by one. I feel bad that I gave him hens with expiration dates way earlier than his but he's a good little guy for these big ladies and he really prefers them. He's stern with Rowena and Wendy but he never is mean to Dusty. She is his queen. He's going to really grieve over her, I'm afraid. He's 3 years old and has been with her since he was about 17 weeks old.


ETA: yeah, something's up. Xander, who normally charges out the door when his pen is opened, refused to leave Dusty, who was slow to get up even when DH kept calling him to go out. She did eventually go outside and Xander is sticking close to her.

 

[nhammer]

We received Olga from a farmer who raised chickens as hobby and because he was over the poultry at our county fair. When I picked out Olga, she was already a hen, at least a year old. I believe that was 2007 which puts her at least 10 years old. She was always skittish and was not one to let anyone hold her. But in her old age as she is not as mobile as she once was, she has relented and now will sit quietly in my lap. I have to put her to bed and get her out of bed each day and put her by food and water as she struggles getting around. She doesn't seem in pain, I hesitate to euthanize her if she is only old. She has proved to be one of my most hearty birds. Having survived 2 dog attacks and recovered well. She'll be missed when she passes on.



May-2007

July-2016

 

[speckledhen]

@nhammer if she is not having issues, no reason to put her down just for being old. I have one hen, who at 9 1/2 years old, is crippled from arthritis (one leg is useless) but she still is 2nd in command in the Old Hens' Group and even lays periodically. She has a zest for life still and as long as she does and is healthy other than her bad leg, she will just live out the rest of her life in peace.

Chickens do get arthritis and it affects them like it does us, to a degree. I have several hens who have at least one arthritic hock joint and limp for awhile after having sat for a time, then they work out the kinks and loosen up and the limp is less pronounced. Most are over 8 years old.


Oh, welcome to BYC!

 

[limited25]

Speckledhen, are all of your older breeds heritage chickens? We have a flock of production reds (have only had them for a year and a half, but wondering what age we can expect them to live. So far none have been sick and they are our family pets. They are Production Reds (sold as RIRs). Did read this entire thread but don't remember if you only have heritage birds or not. Your birds are amazing.