Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: daisy1990 on July 16, 2010, 19:54

Title: life expectancy of hens and laying years
Post by: daisy1990 on July 16, 2010, 19:54

How long do free range hens normally live and how many years do they typically lay eggs?
Daisy

Title: Re: life expectancy of hens and laying years
Post by: GrannieAnnie on July 16, 2010, 22:46

Hi Daisy, are you talking hybrids or pure breeds?

Hybrids were developed for the commercial farms and as they are usually spent at 18 months, they only have a life expectancy of 2 years, but with a good home they can last 4-5 years.  However because they only have a certain number of eggs inside them which are laid nearly every day for the first 18 month-2 years, they soon run out.

Pure breeds however can live a lot longer 12 years isn't unusual and because they don't lay very much (if at all) in the winter, their egg laying years are longer.  someone said the other day that chickens can live for 30 years, but I've never heard of one lasting that long.

Title: Re: life expectancy of hens and laying years
Post by: Aunt Sally on July 16, 2010, 22:51

My two hybrids are 3 and 5 years old and still lay about 5 eggs each per week but they live in the lap of luxury ::) 

Title: Re: life expectancy of hens and laying years
Post by: GrannieAnnie on July 17, 2010, 00:02

They are 2 very spoilt, but very happy chookies Auntie!!!  :D :D

Title: Re: life expectancy of hens and laying years
Post by: daisy1990 on July 17, 2010, 08:06

Thanks both of you we have one which is a Moran (I think that is how it is spelled) and two which the farmer had no idea about so could be anything.  They too are living in luxury.  We bought a coop and run said to be big enough for six, but we felt they looked liked caged birds so have now erected 50 meters of electric fencing and they now share that area with two rescue rabbits.  This is out first experience with hens but we love it!
Pygmy goats next I think!

Great site for advice (I have taken lots already!)
Daisy

Title: Re: life expectancy of hens and laying years
Post by: Aunt Sally on July 17, 2010, 16:27

Quote from: GrannieAnnie on July 17, 2010, 00:02

They are 2 very spoilt, but very happy chookies Auntie!!!  :D :D

They are moaning at the back door now.  "Waaaaa waaaaaa waaaaa".   They know they get something nice to eat at this time of day and they have a very good notion of what the time is  ::)

Title: Re: life expectancy of hens and laying years
Post by: joyfull on July 19, 2010, 13:35

I have a cuckoo maran and she is 3, she lays about 5 eggs a week except when she is broody - which she often is  ::). At the moment she is a broody mum to a guinea fowl keet, along with her daughter (a silkie cross) who is broody mum to two keets  :)