# How long do your hens live?



## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I was wondering if some members would be willing to post what breed of chicken they have, and how long they usually live for. 

I was also wondering what tends to be the most common cause of death.

Thank you!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

My Rhone Island Reds lived to about 7 years.
The Barred Rocks lived about the same.
I have a WelSummer that is going on 10 and still laying 4 eggs a week.
The Banty Brahma/Leghorn mix is about 7, still laying 6 eggs a week.
My Marrens are 6 and still laying 6 to 7 eggs a week between the pair.
My rooster is leghorn/Banty Brahma, he is 12 years. 

The most common cause of death around here is death by raccoon...


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

I've had chickens about 4 years I think. I only have one left of the original six. She is a white plymouth rock. Still laying, as far as I can tell. We haven't had much luck. We've lost quite a bit to dogs, a handful to hawks, 2 to illness, 1 to who knows what she was just dead in the pen. A few to opossums. The opossum kills were especially unpleasant to find. Over the years we went from free range, to open topped pen, to closed top pen, to closed top pen with lights all around it. We haven't had anything killed in a few months. I do miss seeing them run around the yard, but it wasn't worth it.


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## Cissysgoats (Sep 7, 2014)

We have three Americana's (could be spelled wrong) that are about 8, still lay eggs on occasion and are feisty as ever. 

One Barred Rock who is 6 and one Cochin who is about 9.

We lost our 2 Rode Island Reds last year when they were both 6. Really not sure why they died.


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## camooweal (Jun 27, 2015)

I had Silver Spangled Hamburgh's for many a year and quite a few of them lived to be ten years or more. 

camooweal


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## SeventeenFarms (Dec 10, 2013)

Have had quite a few different common breeds - most lived 7 to 10 years and had a natural death. One, a black sex link, lived to 13. Other than natural death, hawks and racoons.


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

I have had several that made it close to 10 but as they slow down they seem to become the favorite targets of my local predators. The ones that have died of unknown causes have all been fairly young, but I don't use antibiotics and I figure that Nature is weeding out the weaker ones.
So far *knock on wood* I've never had any major disease outbreaks - just an occasional one or two that fail to thrive for some reason.

My working girls (standard egg layers) tend to live longer than my silkies. 'Not that the silkies are unhealthy - just that they're so tame, accident-prone, and especially vulnerable to predators since they can't fly at all or see above themselves due to their fluffy crests.


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## Niginewbie (Oct 28, 2013)

My oldest hen is about 4 which I guess is fairly young. I've lost a couple chickens to a dog but that's all. I mostly have Araucanas. They go broody so often I like to pick up a couple brown egg layers from the feed store each year so I still have eggs coming in. Plus the different egg colors are fun!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I'm not sure if our diet is correct, but our hens seem to slow down around 2 or 3 years. Some got egg bound and just recently, one was listless and "off" with a pale comb and just went downhill. We added oyster shells to their grain.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If you get your chickens from a hatchery, they don't lay well past 3 years. If you get them from a good breeder, they will lay longer.


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