Official BYC Poll: How Old Is / Was Your Oldest Chicken?

[CoBeeChicks]

For this poll, we are curious to see the age ranges of our members' flocks as well as get an idea of the "lifespan" of the older chickens in our community.

How Old Is / Was Your Oldest Chicken? Place your votes above and feel free to share his/her exact age and your experiences in the comments section below.

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(Check out more Official BYC Polls HERE!)

 

[CoBeeChicks]

Here is my OEGB teaching her peachick that she hatched to eat mealworms. I think she was 6 or 7 in this video and lived to be 10 or 11.

I had a hen, don't know what breed. I bought 15 of day-old chicks from the pet food store. She lived 10 years and the last year of her life she went broody. She was laying eggs until then. I gave her some duck eggs and she hatched them. Very good mom and an excellent layer, I wish I knew her breed.

 

[Fishychick]

My oldest was a 9.5 year old rooster (mother Delaware, father Easter egger).

 

[helicopterchickenmom]

Lacey, our oldest, is unknown but somewhere between 8 or 10 as best we can guess. The people we got her from were uncertain of her exact age. She chose to run away and live in our yard almost 4 years ago, so we became chicken parents literally overnight when her owners said we could keep her. She laid a dozen or so eggs last year spaced out with days between, then she began what appears to be perpetual molting. One section then another and another. The pin feathers on her bottom never seem to fully open. I've wondered if this is due to age. She didn't do this before last Summer. We are waiting to see if she lays any eggs this year. She needs the full hours of sunlight to lay. Has never laid in the Winter. We don't use a light in the coop. Our other chicken, Cagney, is 4 and still pretty much an egg machine. Misses a day here and there.

 

[PhoenixinNevada]

I have a one legged Phoenix Rooster at about 12 or 13 years old right now, free range, so hes escaped a few coyote breakins, hawks ect. Old one legged we him lost his leg getting caught in wire.
He has more lives than any cat. Hopefully i can get him his own small coop this year throw a hen in with him as the other roosters have outcast him.

 

[Crzy Chi Lady]

My oldest chicken is 10 years old. He has watched hens come and go. He’s a Bantam and he’s still has chick appeal.

 

[BarbaraJean67]

Lacey, our oldest, is unknown but somewhere between 8 or 10 as best we can guess. The people we got her from were uncertain of her exact age. She chose to run away and live in our yard almost 4 years ago, so we became chicken parents literally overnight when her owners said we could keep her. She laid a dozen or so eggs last year spaced out with days between, then she began what appears to be perpetual molting. One section then another and another. The pin feathers on her bottom never seem to fully open. I've wondered if this is due to age. She didn't do this before last Summer. We are waiting to see if she lays any eggs this year. She needs the full hours of sunlight to lay. Has never laid in the Winter. We don't use a light in the coop. Our other chicken, Cagney, is 4 and still pretty much an egg machine. Misses a day here and there.

Cagney & Lacey! I love the names.

 

[Nksg75]

We have a group of hens/1 rooster that are nearing the 7 year mark.
They are all still going strong, and one eyed Willie(rooster) is still in charge!
We hatched them at home from an eBay auction.

 

[cluckcluckhens]

Hi everyone

We moved to the pnw and hubby wanted chickens. Our first was talker she didn't have room to walk around so hubby went to get our first pullet. Australorp Rooster second. We had 12 in 2012. Our Gold Laced Wyandottes lived longer than any of the first crew we had. SLW seemed not to live as long. Anyway, I have two of the orginals we got in 2012 and I call them the goldies. They are 8 right now. Come October of this year the two turn 9 years old. They loved to lay on the eggs all the time and never could stop them. They are good mothers to our new pullets that mama Astralorp hatched last year. They get treats second and both Rooster and cock has to have them first so they don't confront each other. To keep them from doing this I give them something to get them from wanted to fight. Goldies would help mama Australorp with her chicks last year. It was so cute and Wyandottes I read make good mothers. Wyandottes get the pick of the feed right away when I fill it up. That is one of them as my avatar. She is lighter in color than the other one.

Wyandottes are great

 

[lifein1840]

I have a 10 year old buff Orpington named Buttercup (by my grand daughter). She is laying 2 or 3 eggs a week right now - sort of comes and goes with her. Normally I don't keep chickens over 2 1/2 or 3 years old but Buttercup has become the peace maker of the flock and surrogate momma for chicks being bullied. She's a cool old lady!