So I have a Isla brown rescued from the egg farm she is currently 13 ish years old and as tough as a pit bull.. My barred rock will be 11 yrs old on April 1st. Her legs are a bit arthritic, but she is hanging in there! Still has a great appetite and personality.
I believe she stopped laying at 9. There are many people here that have stated anywhere years. You are right in that range, do you want to raise new chicks again? Kindly Claire. Last year they decided the big coop was too much and took to sleeping in the smaller coop with a low ramp. I also have three Aracauna x White Leghorn sisters just shy of 9 years old. One laid a nice blue egg just a couple of days ago. My two La Fleche girls are now 7 years old but suffer with arthritis diagnosed by the vet.
I think Marsh Daisy is really a beautiful breed. I would like to ask you a few questions. Is the Marsh Daisy a good forager? Have you or do you know someone who has or had roosters Marsh Daisy? I heard they have heart problems, can you confirm that? Thank you in advance. She was 8 years 4 months old. Just lost one of my 5 Easter eggers.
Only 3 years old. No apparent reason. Family broken heart. Worried about the other 4 girls. Anything I should do? I just lost my easter egger bantam Myrtle. She was only 3 years 4 months old. Seemed healthy, happy and fine. Very sad. We have also lost a few, on as recent as yesterday. Not sure the cause. The flock is only about 4 years old. We lost another one about a month ago. I have an average size white chicken that lays brown eggs ,cant remember her breed but she is 12 and gives me 6 eggs a week.
I love her dearly. I use a flimsy metal 6 ft. I make sure she is locked up before it gets dark. Her name is Little Red and she has had a good life but I am in tears and there will be a fluffy feathery shaped hole in my heart for some time.
You obviously adore her and gave her a great life. She was lucky to have you. My Rosie is 7 years old and is my oldest surviving girl.. We have 6 hens and one rooster. We got four of the hens as chicks from our local farm supplier, and they will be turning 7 in May. Our rooster came with them. Two of our hens came from a local farm who needed to place their chickens, and we are unsure of their age.
Every once in a while we get an egg from someone. We love our chickens because they keep our property clear of ticks, which other people in our rural area seem to complain about.
We must be doing something right with our birds! We have mostly a mix of various breeds, both hybrid and heritage. This breed is generally very relaxed and tolerates cold and hot weather well. As long as they are taken care of this breed could easily live eight to ten years. Leghorns Compared to other popular breeds the Leghorn has a relatively short lifespan. This is because they are a production breed that has been bred as an egg layer.
You can expect them to live about four to six years. Wyandottes Wyandottes are well known to be excellent birds. They have a calm and enduring temperament and are seemingly unbothered by usual chicken stressors like constant handling and confinement. They also lay eggs but only about eggs a year. Both of these factors contribute to their long lifespan of six to twelve years.
In fact they are often used as a commercial egg layer. Due to the amount of eggs they produce these chickens have a relatively short lifespan around two to three years.
Australorps Australorps are Australias most popular breed. They are excellent egg layers but can also be kept as dual purpose chickens. You can expect them to live to about six to ten years in a healthy and caring environment. Cochins Cochins are well known for their fluffy appearance. They are prone to some health issues such as obesity and parasites. However outside of these issues Cochin chickens are fairly healthy and will live a whopping lifespan of about eight to ten years.
Easter Eggers Easter Eggers are technically not an official breed. This is a name given to hybrid hens that lay eggs in colors such as blue, green and pink. Because they are a hybrid they are genetically more diverse and robust than the average breed.
This contributes to their long lifespan of eight to ten years. This is because certain breeds have been bred for production. Over many years these breeds have been selectively bred to either lay more eggs or gain more mass.
Overall this has produced certain breeds that do not live as long because their genetics have been bred for production. For meat production chickens, they are raised to a point of peak maturity then harvested at the optimum time for quality meat. Certain production meat chickens like Cornish Rocks only have a lifespan of around six months.
Some tips, as Morning Chores notes , include:. It's one thing to build a fortress for chickens to feel safe inside, but a chicken's lifespan is also tied to its life quality. Housing plays a major role in that. Chickens need enough space in their coops to avoid being trampled by their nervous neighbors. They also need a temperature-controlled environment. Having a roof over one's head to protect against snow and rain is always a good thing.
But what happens when it gets sweltering hot under that roof? Likewise, a coop needs heating in bone-chilling winter. Even dust and dirt add up, causing respiratory issues for birds kept in tight quarters.
Just like seeing a doctor on the regular can help humans lead a long, healthy life, so too can a veterinary visit add to a chicken's years. The trouble is, it isn't always easy to find a good vet for chickens. As pets, chickens still lag far behind dogs and cats. For most vets, the most exotic patient to scamper in the door would be a hamster.
Hence, you have to look far and wide for a little professional help in times of medical distress. Often, chickens will pay for that dearth of medical assistance with their lives. Housing, living conditions and access to medical care are key factors in determining whether a chicken will go the distance. Not to mention the very important distinction between a heritage hen and its hybrid counterpart. But genetics can be subtle. And whether a bird that isn't bred for the dinner table lives an extra year or two may come down to its breed.
Here are a handful of the most popular kinds of chicken:. Chances are you've seen a Rhode Island Red. Since it first showed up in America back in back in — the product of a Malay rooster and a local chickens. Heck, it's the state bird of Rhode Island.
As the name suggests, these birds are clad entirely in dark red feathers. But being considered both an egg-layer and meat provider means these birds don't exactly enjoy the longest lives. Still, a Rhode Island Red allowed to live out its life will typically scratch out more than eight years, according to the Happy Chicken Coop. These gloriously named chickens dominate the egg-laying industry. And, as high-volume producers, they're prone to all the health vulnerabilities that brings.
Even if they don't fall victim to a tumor in the digestive tract, they're unlikely to reach their full natural lifespan. These pretty speckled fowl are also good egg-layers. But they haven't experienced quite so much genetic tinkering.
In fact, they're still considered heritage hens — which helps ensure they don't fall under the commercial yoke, and the attendant premature death that brings. As a backyard chicken, a Wyandotte can live anywhere from six to 12 years. As prolific egg-layers, however, they can also fall prey to the intestinal issues that come with the job.
Who says chickens get no glory? I still have one one of her "litter mates", a Welsummer, who survived an attack from our neighbor's dog when she was 2, and still lays a couple of eggs a week.
She walks with a limp from the attack, but is otherwise healthy. I also have 2 hens that are Both are still laying, although the Chantcleer has never laid a lot of eggs. She is beautiful, however, and beloved by my granddaughters.
I have sadly lost several of my girls to foxes, a dog, and a raccoon. So sorry about Sally. Loosing to a predator is always more difficult for me, than illness. I do enjoy your weekly newsletter.
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