My garden today, when we brought these girls home last September they were virtually void of feathers and had deformed beaks. They were around 18 months old (chickens can live 5-7 years) but had reached the end of their useful egg laying lives so were destined to become chicken pies. Here, at home with us, they still lay virtually every day (and destroy the garden but we'll overlook that bit), they will have a home here until they die from old age.