I bought two old Sex link hens (gold) from an egg farm (They were in wooden batteries) in Laos and I assumed they would stop laying because of the move; different feed etc. I was amazed that they laid the next day in the little bamboo cage they overnighted in. I then put them in the circular bamboo cage in the run so the other chickens could get a bit used to them. They continued to lay - lay 4 or 5 days and then take 1 day off and repeat. This continued for 3 more months and they finally started to molt and stopped production. They adapted immediately to life in the run when I released them after 3 or 4 days and did everything a normal hen would do. Dust bathing, eating greens, scratching for food, going up to a nest basket and getting down, cackling, etc etc. They were very dominant right from the start and the only thing they lacked was a mating response to the rooster. He did not let that stop him and after a while they got used to him. I really recommend these birds for eggs. They were very friendly too and followed me around in the run. They had a sharp eye for whatever I was carrying and would sometimes jump up and try to peck at the jar or dish.
Hens that are over 4 or 5 years of age may continue to lay some eggs, but they often have poor hatchability as their ova are too old. Roosters can also be too old to be fertile. If you are not going to dispose of less productive birds (oldies etc), then I suggest you get a bird that will lay fewer eggs per year, but for a longer lifetime.
