# Chicken Age?



## SamanthaB (Nov 15, 2013)

I have a lovely Sussex hen who I know has ended her laying career. I keep her as a pet because she has a wonderful personality. She's energetic, friendly, will fight dominant hens. She tends to roam around a 5 acre area without tiring; she's completely healthy...

Getting to the topic at hand, a friend of mine gave her to me a few years ago and told me she was 4 years old at the time, if that's true then she is 8 years old currently, and in this picture. 
So the question remains, how can you tell a chickens age? Not whether they are old or young but an approximate (or exact) number.


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

Don't you know, you should never ask a girl her age! Haha! 

Happy to hear the older hen is living the easy life!

Do you have other hens she hangs out with?


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

I don't think there is a way to tell exact age on a chicken. She's a beautiful girl.


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## SamanthaB (Nov 15, 2013)

odieclark said:


> Don't you know, you should never ask a girl her age! Haha!
> 
> Happy to hear the older hen is living the easy life!
> 
> Do you have other hens she hangs out with?


Yes she does seem to find it quite rude when I go poking around her body looking for possible signs of age.

There's a few other hens that are well past their laying days, but I've had them for 6+ years I just find it difficult to get rid of them so easily, that and I named them... I also have a rooster who is actually very polite to the older girls and leaves them alone, he's massive though, he weighs almost 11 pounds, so she steers clear of him.
Then there's 2 Cornish x hens that were supposed to go to the butcher, my mother didn't get the dimensions right when she was building the crate for all of the hens, so these 2 ended up as the lucky ones in the bunch since they would have been squished. I decided to keep them and see how they grow since they were the smaller out of the bunch, they're currently a year old, and the older hens like to hang out with them for some reason.


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## SamanthaB (Nov 15, 2013)

MylieD said:


> I don't think there is a way to tell exact age on a chicken. She's a beautiful girl.


That's too bad, but do you think a blood test or something like it would do the trick, not to say that I would spend the money on something like that, but out of curiosity?


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

SamanthaB said:


> Yes she does seem to find it quite rude when I go poking around her body looking for possible signs of age.
> 
> There's a few other hens that are well past their laying days, but I've had them for 6+ years I just find it difficult to get rid of them so easily, that and I named them... I also have a rooster who is actually very polite to the older girls and leaves them alone, he's massive though, he weighs almost 11 pounds, so she steers clear of him.
> Then there's 2 Cornish x hens that were supposed to go to the butcher, my mother didn't get the dimensions right when she was building the crate for all of the hens, so these 2 ended up as the lucky ones in the bunch since they would have been squished. I decided to keep them and see how they grow since they were the smaller out of the bunch, they're currently a year old, and the older hens like to hang out with them for some reason.


Wow! 6 plus years! Gee, we have never had a hen live so long!!!:dancedgi:

Perhaps, as we have mostly kept higher production -egg layers, ours live 2-3 years,....6? Wow! Leghorns have been our sons favorite layer, but they don't live that long.

I am shopping for some new ones now, and hope to get some chicks soon! Hoping to get the new ones so as they start laying by fall.


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## SamanthaB (Nov 15, 2013)

odieclark said:


> Wow! 6 plus years! Gee, we have never had a hen live so long!!!:dancedgi:
> 
> Perhaps, as we have mostly kept higher production -egg layers, ours live 2-3 years,....6? Wow! Leghorns have been our sons favorite layer, but they don't live that long.
> 
> I am shopping for some new ones now, and hope to get some chicks soon! Hoping to get the new ones so as they start laying by fall.


My hens and rooster get a 30 acre farm to do as they please, I don't keep them in a coop or enclosed area so maybe that's the secret... :thinking: I don't know...
Do you only have leghorns? My mother and I have been considering them for a bit because we've heard that they were fantastic layers.


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

No, not just leghorns. However they have been a staple in our flock for the past 6 years. Our son got us started at age 13, after the egg scare...researched and concluded from what he learned that leghorns were the BEST! Basically, I find this to be true, as they are amazing layers! However, I feel they can be less hardy overall, as over the years I felt we did lose some..,vent prolapse, which is more common in heavier layers, bumblefoot, and just some unexplainable deaths at early ages! Those that live past that, are truly amazing! We have 2 of 12 left now from 2013 that lay yet nearly every day! Larger or extra large eggs! Fabulous! But, only 2, mind you! We have a brahma bantam, who is probably as old or older, was a rescue by a friend, in a roundabout, on a county highway... Cute as can be! She lays a small to medium sized brown egg nearly every day as well! Actually, her egg can be hard, size wise to compare and compete with the 3 buckeyes, and the one Delaware we have, that are about one year old. She lays better than she should, a little hen with personality-and then some!..., a good size egg-almost daily!?! Leghorns, from sunnyside hatchery in beaver dam, WI are so reasonable! Anyhow, must go, keep in touch! I feel I am rambling and didn't answer your questions!


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