My Silver Laced Wyandotte hen died at the weekend. She was 8 years old and had been gradually fading over the past two or three months. First she couldn't get onto the perch, and slept in a nest box, and for the last two nights she couldn't even manage the nest box and I had to lift her in. She was still wandering about with the other hens and eating and drinking, but was obviously on her last legs.
The oldest hen I have at the moment is an Araucana who is nearly 9 and she is still laying, though not very often. I think she has laid about 30 eggs this year, but not bad for an old lady.
The oldest hen we've ever had was 13 when she died. She was an Old English Game bantam and dropped dead from a heart attack when my son chased her back into the run from the seed bed she had been digging up.
I was just thinking about commercial laying hens being killed before they are 2 years old.
What is your oldest hen?
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PLUMPUDDING
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Diane
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My oldest hen is a mere 4 1/2 - a rir/maran who still lays regularly.
She's just a baby then......hopefully will be around a a while longer.
Do you have a secret recipe that you feed yours? They sound like they have an excellent home and a very knowledgeable keeper.
She's just a baby then......hopefully will be around a a while longer.
Do you have a secret recipe that you feed yours? They sound like they have an excellent home and a very knowledgeable keeper.
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Chantal
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I had a pair of Red Jungle Fowl (Alex & Sweetie) who both lived to be over ten years old. Alex just fell off his perch one night and Sweetie was laying a couple of eggs a week up to the last week when she collapsed and just lay there looking pathetic. Being soppy I took her to the vet for the last rites 
However, they're long gone now and my current oldest is Selsey who's just three.
However, they're long gone now and my current oldest is Selsey who's just three.
Chantal
I know this corner of the earth, it smiles for me...
I know this corner of the earth, it smiles for me...
How nice to hear of your long lived hens, they are old faithful friends. About 8 weeks ago a dog got into the garden and killed 8 of my hens and a duck, several of them were well over 5 years and I felt so sad that their lives had ended in such an awful way. We've got some new ones now but some how it dosn't seem the same.
Hope you all keep enjoying your poultry,
Gracie
Hope you all keep enjoying your poultry,
Gracie
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oldherbaceous
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Dear Gracie, so sorry to read that a dog killed a lot of your poultry, how upsetting for you.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
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PLUMPUDDING
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So sorry your hens had such an awful end. They are lovely pets aren't they.
Accidents apart, it is quite unpredictable how long they are going to live, some which seem perfectly healthy suddenly die, and others go on for ages, even though they all get the same diet and treatment.
A few years ago I took a sick hen to the vets and he charged £17 just to look at it. They took its name and details, so if I want any medicine I just have to say it is for Daisy and I don't have to take the hen to the vet, just say what the symptoms are and pay for the medicine. Although I've only needed to do this once. It just reminded me of my insensitive neighbour, when I said I was taking the dog to the vets he said it would be cheaper to have it put down and buy another one!!!
My hens had a terrible scare on Saturday morning. I had just let them out and gone back into the house. I looked out of the window and a huge hot air balloon was passing over the garden, so low that the basket skimmed my silver birch tree. I thought it was going to land, but it went right over the orchard where the hens are and just managed to get over the houses behind us. The hens all dashed into their hut and were all on their perch when I went to make sure they were OK. They carried on making very loud alarm calls for the next hour and took another hour before they dared to come out again. Goodness knows what they thought it was.
Accidents apart, it is quite unpredictable how long they are going to live, some which seem perfectly healthy suddenly die, and others go on for ages, even though they all get the same diet and treatment.
A few years ago I took a sick hen to the vets and he charged £17 just to look at it. They took its name and details, so if I want any medicine I just have to say it is for Daisy and I don't have to take the hen to the vet, just say what the symptoms are and pay for the medicine. Although I've only needed to do this once. It just reminded me of my insensitive neighbour, when I said I was taking the dog to the vets he said it would be cheaper to have it put down and buy another one!!!
My hens had a terrible scare on Saturday morning. I had just let them out and gone back into the house. I looked out of the window and a huge hot air balloon was passing over the garden, so low that the basket skimmed my silver birch tree. I thought it was going to land, but it went right over the orchard where the hens are and just managed to get over the houses behind us. The hens all dashed into their hut and were all on their perch when I went to make sure they were OK. They carried on making very loud alarm calls for the next hour and took another hour before they dared to come out again. Goodness knows what they thought it was.