How long to backyard chickens live

That all changed with the introduction of broilers from the US. Breeders in the US took to the task of creating a prolific egg laying breed and succeeded magnificently! Birds started to be cross bred to produce prolific laying hens or utility breeds good for eggs and the table.

This busy period in search of the ultimate hen brought forth fine specimens such as the Rhode Island Red and Delawares. There are still many good utility dual purpose hens out there on the market for those of us who wish to have the older, more long lived varieties.

These older varieties were overlooked in favor of raising birds that could grow quickly with minimum input, but breeds such as La Bresse and Sussex are starting to make a comeback in backyard flocks.

Unfortunately, the genetic pool of many of these traditional old breeds is critically endangered these days. If you are interested in finding endangered breeds- head over to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Heritage breeds tend to grow and fill out a bit slower than their counterparts. The hybrid chickens will start laying sooner, but in general will slow down quickly- around years of age.

Heritage layers will continue past that number, although production will be slower and more sporadic. Many advances in caring and treating several diseases, understanding the methods of infection, and the introduction of good bio-security have improved the overall health of poultry in recent years.

However even with these advances it still remains true that hens living in less cramped quarters with good nutrition, fresh air and plenty of space, will live longer than chickens crammed into large production houses. The current outbreak of Avian Influenza has the production houses in a quandary.

However, this does not mean that the backyard chicken keeper can let their guard down, although you may be starting from a better place as far as space and more individual care goes. In previous articles we have talked about biosecurity of your flock.

Good handwashing, maintaining a closed flock, tending to older flock members before tending to the quarantine pens and wearing appropriate clothing if visiting or being visited. As more and more harsh diseases and parasites are discovered and cured we can expect the average lifespan of our backyard chickens to move closer towards 8 years or more!

In all of history, not just poultry history, there have been tremendous strides made with the application of cleanliness and sanitation. Eventually, these higher standards translated into better care, housing and feeding of most livestock. Chickens finally got their own coops, feed rations and bedding! Their living quarters were kept cleaner , nutrition improved and the general wellbeing of the hen improved dramatically. And with this their lifespan in recent years has dramatically increased from less than 4 years to anywhere from on average.

The guesswork has been taken out of the process and we can be sure our birds are receiving all the nutrients they need to produce eggs, chicks and maintain their health. This feed ensures that our chicks grow up to be strong healthy hens who not only lay well, but who also have a strong core which enables them to live longer.

Of course, taking an animal to a veterinarian is an expensive proposition and many people simply cannot afford that option. The wellbeing of the bird is of paramount importance, so you must always remain attuned to the possibility of distress and pain in the bird.

Some breeds are savvier than others, and then there are some birds who are just plain smarter than the rest of the flock. For example, some chickens are a bit more conscious of their surroundings, especially in the free-range environment.

These birds keep a watchful eye out for predators , stay close to the safety of dense brush, and never stray far from the flock. On the other end of the spectrum, you may have a hen that is completely aloof and will wander into the open with a hawk flying overhead.

When it comes to the intelligence and savviness of a chicken, whether you have smarty or not is partly within the breeding and partly the luck of the draw. But there is something to be said for the intelligence of certain chickens. Smarter birds tend to avoid death-by-predator for much longer than a hen laser-focused on grubs.

Variables such as: the breed, living conditions and cleanliness will all affect the life expectancy of your hen. Overfeeding aside, the nutritional value derived from the commercially manufactured feed helps to give a great start to chicks and helps maintain hens throughout their lives.

The conditions in which a hen is kept will ultimately contribute to her long-term health. A hen kept in a clean, dry, warm coop with adequate food and water will live longer. Longer than the neighbor that is kept in filthy conditions, with marginal nutrition fending for herself.

Bird breeding can be tricky with breeds that have a small genetic pool. Oftentimes birds are interbred excessively to the detriment of the species as a whole. Diligent breeders who bring in new stock from unrelated lines try to increase the gene pool and create some diversity within the breed.

As we paid such little attention to their welfare and health issues. Thankfully much progress has been made about the study of the humble chicken. As a result, diseases and wellness issues are now much better understood. As the keepers of the flock, we can do much in first aid for our hens. The longer you keep chickens, the more practice you will care for their feet, including bumble removals.

You can usually take care of minor things at home before they become larger problems that may require more extensive care from a veterinarian. These are hardy, prolific egg layers and talkative birds. There are 2 lines of Rhode Island chickens. Another heritage hen with a good genetic profile. A delightful chicken created for high production. As a hybrid that can produce an egg per day, they can literally lay themselves to death.

They are prone to reproductive tumors and other problems. If they live to 5 years, they are considered old. The fluffy backyard favorite! Orpingtons are a heritage breed , so they tend to have longer life spans than hybrids.

However, although they lay colorful eggs and many people buy them just for the colorful eggs, they were never meant for high egg production. Generally, you should expect hybrid breeds to live between 2- 4 years; this will vary from bird to bird.

We can place the average age around 8 years. Landrace chickens are particularly hardy, self-sufficient. The oldest hen ever recorded was Matilda, who made the Guinness Book of Records at 16 years old. As a general rule, hens with good housing, food, and care should thrive and express their natural behaviors. When they are healthy and well cared for, their immune system is in great shape to fight any possible disease threats.

How old are your hens? Let us know in the comments section below…. I have a Jersey Giant, she is 6 years young and going through a hard molt. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi Judith, Great to hear from you. Is your Giant still alive. Thank You. She is in good health and still lays an occasional blue egg. I have one girl, Candy, from my first flock of eight. I got them in She is still as sassy as she was when I got her as a chick. She makes her own rules. Candy moved into the barn with the goats about 8 years ago. Obstinate, headstrong girl. My girls are good layers each will miss one day a week the 3 that I have are spoilt and come to work with me for show and tell to our senior residents.

We have one hen left of a flock of 5, she is now 7. Hi there. 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! Older hens still are great bug catchers, they still make tons of nice manure for the garden - and they often make far better broodies and mothers than younger hens.

I notice that Charlotte is far more aware of her surroundings when my flock free ranges than some of the younger chickens - older hens tend to be better at watching for predators and teaching younger flock members how to protect themselves and also showing the young ones what is good to eat and what's not. So how long can I expect Charlotte to live? Well, with a little luck, for many, many more years to come.

Predators are the biggest threat to backyard chickens' longevity, with domestic dogs being the 1 killer. Sadly, dogs and other predators such as foxes, hawks, weasels and raccoons take more chickens' lives than illness or disease. So a chicken that is kept safe from predators is going to have the best chance at living to a ripe old age. In addition, I highly recommend giving your hens a break from laying through the winter. Adding artificial light to chicken coops to force hens to lay has been linked to such issues as egg binding and vent prolapse, as well as ovarian cancer.

With any luck and barring any genetic issues, your chickens should live for years, with some chickens being reported to have lived for years! Of course keeping your chickens healthy with strong immune systems is of utmost importance as well as keeping them out of predators' clutches if you want to enjoy them for a very long time. Charlotte has enjoyed a life free of antibiotics and medications and hasn't had a single health issue in her entire six years!

She enjoys daily treats , including oatmeal in the winter , lots of herbs and natural feed supplements and plenty of space to exercise and stretch her legs. This means that because they lay eggs less often, they experience less strain on their body. Plymouth Rocks Plymouth Rocks live surprisingly long lives eight to ten years.

Their long lifespan can mostly be attributed to their good and varied genetics. They are naturally hardy birds that can endure many temperatures and are unlikely to develop many illnesses.

Orpingtons Orpingtons are another very well known and loved breed. They are a heritage breed so their lifespans will naturally be longer than the average chicken. 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.