Hen Lifespan (text books vs "real life experience")

[Poppins2016]

We have ISA Brown and Light Susex hens (specifying as I know breed affects lifespan).

From the research I did before getting our hens, I know Light Sussex can live up to about 8 years and ISA Browns a little less, however I'm curious to see what people have experienced "in real life" terms...

I'm asking as I want to settle a debate with DH. He reckons we'll have to keep replacing our hens every couple of years whereas I'm more optimistic!

Between 5 and 7

It can really vary. My por DH wants a break from hens, due to taking on ex-batts, who really haven't lasted well. But they were caged before, so not in great condition on arrival.

On average, for hens bought at pol, maybe about 4/5 years?

depends what you want.
if you want eggs then rotation every year or every other year is best.
we had 10 hens and a rooster between us and neighbours.
each year we hatched one clutch (usually around 5-8 chicks) and kept the hens.
the boys & the oldest hens then went into the freezer...

keeping them for pets is different of course!

Our oldest hen, a Welsummer, is 10. She hasn't laid for the last couple of years, and irregularly before that, but she's still looking great and living her best life. We lost an 8 year old (hybrid, acquired from a neighbour when she was the last of theirs) this year.
If you want consistent eggs, I'd say that is a 4-5 year thing, so you need to top up your flock periodically

We keep ours until they pass on, so not egg-laying for the whole time.

My little ladies reached point of lay last autumn (we've had 5 of them for 16 months, did have 6 but lost one this summer due to illness). They're treated as sort of 'productive pets' so I won't be dispatching any, but will consider replacing 'as and when' at the end of their natural lifespan (whenever that happens to be)!
I'm aware this may mean some leaner egg production years, but we'll go with the flow as I don't want to end up with a huge number of birds (I want to keep the number practical for the space we have).

I'm glad to see my expectations (5 years ++) are reasonably accurate.
I enjoy watching them foraging in or destroying the garden (luckily we have the space to fence them into their own patch)!

🦊 not Withstanding, there’s too many variables to possibly know; Little Red Hen should have made old bones as a hybrid Rhode Island x, but dropped dead with no warning. Fancy schmancy white hen, with her blue eggs, just trundles on at 5 years +. Just enjoy them while they’re with you.

Keep an eye on the avian flu situation. But otherwise, it's all good. They are so much fun and not having to mow the lawn is a bonus.

Surely you meant eggspectations op?
Chickens are great for your mh ime!!

@Wombat49

Keep an eye on the avian flu situation. But otherwise, it's all good. They are so much fun and not having to mow the lawn is a bonus.

Haha, what lawn?! 🤣 ...very glad I can dedicate a decent area to them, I admit to underestimating the extent of possible destruction!

On that note... I've been using bark chips to cover the "dirt patch" but finding it a bit impractical (in terms of quantity) when refreshing is required.

A friend who used to keep hens recommended shingle as a long term solution as you can hose it down (I've also seen this solution at a National Trust garden), however I've read that some hens don't like walking on it and I'm also concerned that it would limit their ability/instinct to scratch and forage for bugs/worms/etc.

The area dedicated to them is about 50 metres square, so a fair amount of ground to cover...

Any recommendations?!

@Pumpkinsonparade

Surely you meant eggspectations op? Chickens are great for your mh ime!!

Eggcellent sense of humour!

I agree about the mental health aspect. They're wonderful to watch and engage with (a couple of mine are rather affectionate and they're all very tame). And really no more trouble than keeping other small animals like rabbits!

I love a good egg yolk!!

Cracking having a laugh!

Once heard ds chatting away. He was carrying his chicken Keith around our house showing her around! They often all came in. Miss my Ladies very much!

I love Keith the chicken! Ds hatched a hen last spring, and as a lockdown chick she spent a lot of time sitting on his lap while he was doing school work. This has given her a massive sense of entitlement, and she marches in to demand biscuits and likes to settle down on the sofa to watch telly with you.

I named 2 after my friend's dm and auntie. Friend was mortified but her relatives thought it was hilarious!! It gave her dm a boost when she had cancer tbh.
We had 11 and they all had fab names imo!!

@Pumpkinsonparade

I named 2 after my friend's dm and auntie. Friend was mortified but her relatives thought it was hilarious!! It gave her dm a boost when she had cancer tbh. We had 11 and they all had fab names imo!!

A farmer (who my mother worked for as a nanny) once named a dairy cow after her. Some might think it insulting but she was quite touched!

We had 4 from a preschool hatching programme. 2 lasted about 6 years, then the other 2 lasted until 8 years. Still laying eggs before they died.

We refer to all cows as Moo-riel -!!

Sheep are Baabara!
Really need to get out more!!

@CMOTDibbler

I love Keith the chicken! Ds hatched a hen last spring, and as a lockdown chick she spent a lot of time sitting on his lap while he was doing school work. This has given her a massive sense of entitlement, and she marches in to demand biscuits and likes to settle down on the sofa to watch telly with you.

My chicks lived in the dining room (in a cage) while they had to be kept inside with a heat lamp; my WFH set up was on the dining table, so my colleagues used to enjoy Teams calls with cheeping in the background!

My friend sent me this a couple of weeks ago..
She got up to this..
12 babies apparently!!

My hybrid speckleds never lived over 5.

Our leghorn girl was the oldest, just over 5. I loved her. She was an absolute double yolk machine! But I've heard that if they lay double yolks they tend to not live as long?

She was such a great girl but my god she was shouty, I can't say she's missed at 5am in the summer.

Has anyone else had a leghorn that barks like a dog?

@Pumpkinsonparade

My friend sent me this a couple of weeks ago.. She got up to this.. 12 babies apparently!!

How cute! There's something rather sweet and adorable about chicks when they're still in the fluffy stage... then they turn into pecky dinosaurs that rule the roost and beg for sunflower seeds and your best green veg 🤣

And heaven help you have a lie in and their breakfasts is late!!

My light Sussex lived to 7, she was a beautiful pet with a fantastic personality. She'd get herself onto my kitchen window ledge and knock for attention.

My oldest is a Silkie who is just over 8. She lays for about 3 weeks a year, and is a really noisy old girl!

Cross breed Warren types only lasted about 3 years but pure breeds seem to last longer, a gold laced wynadotte lived to 7-8 years and a Copper blue maran a bit longer, she even laid intermittently up until a few months before she died. I miss them, garden just not the same without them, lifeless, although traumatised when 🦊 killed my last one and i decided not to replace them. I may change my mind🤔🐔🐔