what is the life span of hens.

[Mickey Lou 04]

Right there with you. I really like my EEs so I thought I might head to Ameraucanas. I need to be careful of the comb size due to how cold it is here. My GC never had a consistency with their eggs either. They have super personalities though, I just love their charisma.

I love my EEs don't get me wrong but if I was going that direction I'd support the Standard bred americaunas. I have been trying to get some but the ones I got were EEs too!

My Blondies (golden sexlinks) are people sweet but are bird bullies. Great beginner birds but I would like to get set up where I wouldn't have to buy chicks from anyone and have my own stock. Then I could maybe focus on the purpose of the bird with good producing life spans.( not that I get rid of them after they stop producing, what can I say they are pets too.

)

Sorry I may have gone slightly off topic. I lost track of what I was saying, what can I say?

 

[sepaditty1]

So, are certain breeds always production birds? Or does it depend on the hatchery? Which breeds are natural, God made, chickens?

 

[Teri Metcalf]

We especially like Easter eggers because they generally seem to have friendly dispositions with one another and with people. And they seem pretty hardy. The oldest free-range Easter egger is almost 5 now, and she still occasionally lays an egg for us. Her name is Henrietta, and she actually belongs to our neighbor but she usually comes over to visit during the day time. I think she's down to about one or two eggs a week now. Anyhow, she likes to go into our little henhouse and meditate for an hour or two.

 

[Kelsie2290]

So, are certain breeds always production birds?  Or does it depend on the hatchery?  Which breeds are natural, God made, chickens?

In general,
If they are from a hatchery, even if they aren't listed specifically as "Commercial" but are listed something like "Our Best Egg Layers" etc, they are going to be commercial type birds bred to lay a lot of eggs (500 seems to be the standard) in the typical commercial cycle, which generally includes replacing them around 2.5 years old. These usually include the White Leghorns, RIR, and the various Red Sex Link crosses. Many popular breeds from hatcheries are also headed this way as hatcheries primarily select birds on who lays a lot of eggs for their breeding stock, Buff Orps, BR, a lot of the hatchery EEs/Ameraucanas etc. Remember a hatchery is a business and needs to make money, and they need chickens that lay as many eggs as possible in as short a time as possible. They are not selecting chickens on the basis of a long life, or for laying for a longer period of time, even if the # of eggs winds up the same.
Your most "Natural" chickens would probably be your wild jungle fowl types, they lay a couple dozen eggs a year.
You are probably going to want to look into "Heritage" birds, in many cases they maybe the same breeds that are found in hatcheries, but they have been bred for and selected for different things. (iow, a Heritage White Leghorn is going to be quite different from a Commercial White Leghorn). These usually come from private breeders. The American Livestock Breed Conservancy's link and definition is below.

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/
ALBC's newly released definition for Heritage Chickens: Standard breeds of chickens as defined by the American Poultry Association that are naturally mating, long-lived, and slow growing.
According to the definition:
The Heritage breeds must reproduce without the assistance of artificial insemination. While artificial insemination is not currently used for commercial chicken reproduction, it is very possible for chickens to follow the same path as industrialized turkeys, which are now reproduced exclusively using artificial means.
Heritage hens should actively reproduce for 5-7 years and roosters for 3-5 years. This is unheard of in commercial production where hens and roosters are used for breeding for a single generation before being dispatched as less than efficient.
Heritage Chickens are also slow growing by modern commercial standards, taking 16-18 weeks for Heritage Chickens as compared to 6 weeks for an industrial breed to reach a dressed (packaged) weight of 3 pounds.
According to the ALBC, chickens have been a part of the American diet since the arrival of the Spanish explorers and since that time, different breeds have been developed to provide meat, eggs and pleasure.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Mickey Lou--yes, exactly APA Ameraucanas would be fun! I think out of my flock my biggest bird bullies would be the Welsummers and then the GCs, and consequently if there is a hen fight it is usually between these two breeds.

Sepaditty1--probably the most natural chicken you'll find today is the Red Jungle Fowl (I think that's what it's called) that still roams about wild in Asia LOL!! But to your question. Production birds are going to be mostly hybrids of two chicken breeds known for great production of eggs or meat. Some of them are Red Sex Link, Black Sex Link, Golden Comet, Cinnamon Queen. I'm not into meat birds but I think some of those are called Broilers or Cornish Crosses--but again, I'm no expert with meat birds. I believe every hatchery has a standard hybrid egg layer and meat bird--these are usually the cheapest/best bargain birds too. What I think you are looking for is Heritage breeds. Delawares, Speckled Sussex, Australorp, Rhode Island Red, Leghorn, Wyandotte, etc.

Teri Metcalf--I love my EEs too. I have one especially spoiled "princess" named Peeper that thinks she must be hand fed her food instead of eating out of the same bowl as everyone else LOL!! Oh, and

 

[Mickey Lou 04]

In general,
If they are from a hatchery, even if they aren't listed specifically as "Commercial" but are listed something like "Our Best Egg Layers" etc, they are going to be commercial type birds bred to lay a lot of eggs (500 seems to be the standard) in the typical commercial cycle, which generally includes replacing them around 2.5 years old. These usually include the White Leghorns, RIR, and the various Red Sex Link crosses. Many popular breeds from hatcheries are also headed this way as hatcheries primarily select birds on who lays a lot of eggs for their breeding stock, Buff Orps, BR, a lot of the hatchery EEs/Ameraucanas etc. Remember a hatchery is a business and needs to make money, and they need chickens that lay as many eggs as possible in as short a time as possible. They are not selecting chickens on the basis of a long life, or for laying for a longer period of time, even if the # of eggs winds up the same.
Your most "Natural" chickens would probably be your wild jungle fowl types, they lay a couple dozen eggs a year.
You are probably going to want to look into "Heritage" birds, in many cases they maybe the same breeds that are found in hatcheries, but they have been bred for and selected for different things. (iow, a Heritage White Leghorn is going to be quite different from a Commercial White Leghorn). These usually come from private breeders. The American Livestock Breed Conservancy's link and definition is below.

http://www.livestockconservancy.org/
ALBC's newly released definition for Heritage Chickens: Standard breeds of chickens as defined by the American Poultry Association that are naturally mating, long-lived, and slow growing.
According to the definition:
The Heritage breeds must reproduce without the assistance of artificial insemination. While artificial insemination is not currently used for commercial chicken reproduction, it is very possible for chickens to follow the same path as industrialized turkeys, which are now reproduced exclusively using artificial means.
Heritage hens should actively reproduce for 5-7 years and roosters for 3-5 years. This is unheard of in commercial production where hens and roosters are used for breeding for a single generation before being dispatched as less than efficient.
Heritage Chickens are also slow growing by modern commercial standards, taking 16-18 weeks for Heritage Chickens as compared to 6 weeks for an industrial breed to reach a dressed (packaged) weight of 3 pounds.
According to the ALBC, chickens have been a part of the American diet since the arrival of the Spanish explorers and since that time, different breeds have been developed to provide meat, eggs and pleasure.

This is very well put. I am trying to currently trying to switch my flock to heritage and non commercial birds. As my 3 year old sexlinks healths are going down the drain where a my other birds the same age are not losing their vigor yet. If you want long lives birds I would try a breeder. Usually you can get hatching eggs as the cheapest route.

 

[sepaditty1]

Wow, guys. Thanks for the information. I had no idea! This is my first summer with chickens, but I'm totally hooked. Today I was thinking about quitting my job so I could be home more and tend more chickens! But, hubby wouldn't go for it, so for now, I'll make do with my small flock of 10.

I did order some EE chicks from a mostly local breeder here in SC.

I'm really enjoying learning so much about chickens. I have been dubbed the Crazy Chicken Lady. But, hey, I've been called worse.

 

[Teri Metcalf]

To Peaches Lee, that's funny. Henrietta, the EE who is now almost 5, also expects special treatment. After I put out food scraps or sunflower seeds for all the girls, Henrietta sometimes follows me into the garage, expecting her own personal serving. And of course, I oblige. She has me well-trained.

 

[Sjisty]

I have mostly Brahmas, and am finding they live pretty long lives. Our main rooster, Rocky, had what I think was a stroke over the summer. He is almost 8 years old. He is now in a coop/run with a hen, Hope, who was mauled by a stray dog a month or so ago. She is recuperating from some pretty severe wounds and they are good company for each other. Rocky is not able to mount a hen, so he won't hurt her.

I have probably 12 Brahma hens that are all 6-ish years old. I also have a couple of Jersey Giants that are the same age. My only bantam hen, unknown breed, is going on 8 years old, still laying every day when she's not broody. They all still give me eggs, although the oldest only give two or three eggs a week now.

 

[slatts]

Have a older gentleman neighbor who claims his barred rock hen is 20. She looks it too. He has specific memory of the last time he started pullets, about a dozen BR' back in 93. He said he had most of them until 2000 and gradually lost them all except this one by 2002. I think he may be pulling my leg but he doesn't have any reason to. I'm thinking its possible that someone added her to the flock or she came over from another farm and he thinks its one of the original ones.