[wolverine]

Every web site is differant some say 5 years I just read one that said 15 years is avarage!!!!! I have 3 hybrids so will they be at the lower end of the scale? My girls will be 1 year old on in January.  I would like to think they have another 14 years but I very much doubt it.  that sounds daft
I wonder if people could post there oldest hens age + breed so I could get a good idea of realistic expectations
thanks   

[joyfull]

it does depend on their breed and to some extent the conditions they live in.

[GrannieAnnie]

Hybrids were developed for the commercial farms who as you know get rid at around 18 months, so they were bred for good egg laying over a short span.  3 years is average.  But I think Aunt Sally's oldest is 5 and a half now, and some of ours are in their 4th winter, but not many still laying.

pure breeds can live to about 15, but which ever breed it is, once they've run out of their eggs, they won't lay anymore!

And of course a lot depends on how healthy they are and how they are looked after!

[Crusty]

And of curse a lot depends on how healthy they are and how they are looked after!

To quote you literally that is is so true - with both pure breds & hybrids, the best, friendliest, most intelligent ones seem to die first, leaving the most unfriendly, stupid runts who've laid the least eggs to have a long 'retirement' (five years for some or our pure breds!) which they spend attacking our new, productive hens, and that's the way they repay us for all the care we lavish upon them, keeping them going to a ripe old age.

That's why (being vegetarians and not eating hens when spent) we now only keep hybrids, who've only survived on about 6 months max. after ceasing laying.

[joyfull]

Hybrids can go on living for a long while after they stop laying, they don't all die 6 months after they stop. As for eating the hens when they are spent - there is very little meat on a chicken that is bred for laying - to eat chickens you need to have a different breed that is either a dual purpose or a meat bird and then you generally cull these anytime between 8 weeks and 25 weeks of age.

[orchardlady]

The oldest hen I've ever kept was 8 she was a bog standard brown hybrid. However my Father in Law used to work at a big house in the village as their gardener and he claimed that he had one hen there that reached 15. I did see it and she really did look very elderly.

[GrannieAnnie]

And of curse a lot depends on how healthy they are and how they are looked after!

To quote you literally that is is so true - with both pure breds & hybrids, the best, friendliest, most intelligent ones seem to die first, leaving the most unfriendly, stupid runts who've laid the least eggs to have a long 'retirement' (five years for some or our pure breds!) which they spend attacking our new, productive hens, and that's the way they repay us for all the care we lavish upon them, keeping them going to a ripe old age.

That's why (being vegetarians and not eating hens when spent) we now only keep hybrids, who've only survived on about 6 months max. after ceasing laying.

Oooops!      Trust me to miss an 'O'!!

Hillfooter's favourite Light Sussex hen was 10 I think when she died, and like I said Aunt Sally has a hybrid over 5 years old. and I think she is still laying occasionally!

[TeaPots]

my current elder is an old partridge  silkie cockerel, But I have no idea how old he is, he was old when we got him 4 years ago. He is still the boss, and keeps his favourite ladies contended. He allows the younger cockerels to play with the other hens, though NOT his favourites. I think if/when he dies, we will see quite a bit of trouble amongst all the other cockerels.

My friend still has his original 2 Araucana hens, at 9 years old, and up until this winter, were still laying 5 eggs a week between them, though they do have a very long Autumn winter break (and always have had).  I have found that my hybrid lot  die suddenly aged between 2 and 3, for no obvious reason    The fox had a number of mine too, so apart from afore mentioned silkie, I dont have anything over 5 at the mo.

[Lindeggs]

I was just speaking to a local lady the other day whose bantam died recently at the grand old age of 15 years.  This wee bantam lived in the lady's house, and slept on a perch in the corner of the bedroom!