Your Oldest Chicken?

[SteveBaz]

What is the average life of a chicken you think?
What is the average life of a chicken you owned?
Does age differ if its a family pet than production fowl, you think?
Any Pictures of your older hen/roo?
Do you think they really look old?
Was your oldest your favorite chicken / or one of your favorites?
Did you treat this bird any differently, How?

 

[NYREDS]

I have an 11 year old Brown Red Old English game hen. She was a big winner at the APA National several years ago. I think she laid 2 eggs this year. She's "retired" & will be allowed to live out her life here, that's her "special treatment". Ordinarily I don't keep non-productive birds around long.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I have a Buff Orpington that is about seven years old now. Seldom lays anymore, but still seems to be going strong. Several four and five year olds.

All looking pretty rough right now since they haven't molted yet or are in process.

 

[speckledhen]

Since I got chickens 6 years ago come January, my oldest will turn 6 yrs old then, but there are only two of the original ten remaining, a Buff Orp and a RIR. Neither are laying, but both seem to be okay at the moment. The RIR had issues with fluid retention, odd squat walking, then expelling weird things, but now, seems energetic and happy. The Orp just quit laying, no weird stuff, just quit. I hope she just ran out of eggs. NYReds, I hope those two will live to be as old as your OEG hen. I see that you do have a soft spot in you somewhere, eh?

Sunny and Reba were fabulous layers for years and have earned their places here forever, but as hatchery hens, they would be considered quite elderly.


Other than the last two almost-six-yr-old hens, I have several hens and a rooster who are about to turn 5 yrs old, some 4 yr old birds, some 3 yr olds and on down in age.

 

[sonew123]

My oldest are like Speckledhens 1 BO and 1 RIR. Turned 5 this year and neither have laid in over a year They have forever homes here since they are the elders and teachers of the groups Love them

 

[chicmom]

My oldest, dearest chicken is a Golden Buff hybrid, named Daisy. I bought her from the Meyer Hatchery along with two other chicks, and they were my very first chickens ever. Violet was taken by a predator their first summer, and Lily passed last winter. So anyhow, she's 4 now, and she quit laying about a month ago. I think I'll let her hang around. Couldn't bring myself to get rid of her or eat her.....

 

[Sjisty]

Chrissie is my first chicken (we lost Jack and Janet to a fox long ago). She is around 4-1/2 years old and is the best mommy to foster chicks. She rarely lays and when she does, she always goes broody right away. Her eggs are never fertile - she doesn't like the roos and won't let them near her! I haven't a clue what she is except that she's a bantam.

This is her favorite laying place, an unused extra large planter, and yes, we bring her in at night when she's broody because it's not in a predator safe area! She will live out her life with us.

 

[SteveBaz]

very cute stories you guys about your families!

 

[zeely]

i have a splash andalusian and a silver polish, both hens, who grew up together and will be 10 soon. the andalusian was laying a little in the summer but not in the cold weather. she's still the top hen of my flock and watches out for the polish.

here they are!

 

[Nicki]

I have three 9 year old chickens - a mille fleur OE hen (Popcorn), a Nankin hen (Nadine), and a Nankin rooster (Nate). The hens don't lay anymore, but the only one who acts old is Popcorn but she never has acted as perky as my other chickens - even when she was young; I never thought she would ever live this long!