One question I get asked a lot is, "How long will your chickens live?" As you know, my chickens are more than just egg layers—they’re my pets. While they provide us with delicious eggs, they bring so much more joy to my life!
I’ve had my current flock for over 5 ½ years, and I’m incredibly attached to many of my birds. So, when people ask about the average lifespan of a chicken, it always makes my heart beat a little faster.
How Long Do Chickens Typically Live?
A chicken’s lifespan generally ranges from 5 to 10 years, but there are a lot of factors that can influence this, including their living environment, diet, genetics, care and even the pecking order. I’ve been lucky to have a healthy flock, which I attribute to good genetics and using Strong Animals Chicken Essentials. While I’ve lost a couple of chickens due to natural causes, most of my flock has thrived.
Roxanne has a personality you won’t forget!
Factors That Impact How Long a Chicken Lives
Not all chickens live the same length of time. Each breed has a different lifespan, depending on genetics and purpose.
Hybrid Breeds: Some breeds, like the ISA Brown, are bred to be egg-laying machines. This takes a toll on them, and their average lifespan is around 2-3 years.
Dual-Purpose Breeds: Breeds that are used for both egg and meat production generally have a slightly longer lifespan, unless they’re raised solely for meat.
Heritage Breeds: Heritage breeds, like Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks and Brahmas, are slower-growing and more genetically sound. These chickens often live 8-10 years and are great for backyard flocks.
Landrace Breeds: Landrace breeds, such as the Swedish Flower Hens, live the longest—often over 10 years. These chickens develop naturally without human intervention and have strong genetics and immune systems, making them highly adaptable. However, these breeds are rare and not always easy to get your hands on.
My Backyard Flock: A Blend of Breeds
In my backyard flock, we have many different breeds. We have multiple heritage breeds and some hybrids. I don’t own any landrace breeds, but I’d love to get some Swedish Flower Hens. My sister actually ended up with a Cornish Cross Hen, who we thought was a Leghorn rooster as a chick. Haha! She named her “Doug” which is so confusing, but she really thought she was a rooster. Doug happily lives with all of her other laying hens and is 4 years old! This is not very common, but super fun.
How Long Do Chickens Lay Eggs?
Chickens’ egg-laying lifespan is also dependent on various factors, including genetics. Typically, chickens start laying eggs between the ages of 16 to 24 weeks. Once they start laying, hens can continue producing for 5-10 years, with the highest production taking place during the first two years.
During the peak years, hens lay an average of six eggs weekly, accounting for a total of almost 300 eggs a year, depending on the breed! As time passes, this number gradually decreases each year.
However, it’s not unusual for a hen to continue producing well into their life. For example, those Plymouth Rock chickens we talked about earlier can lay eggs for 8-10 years!
What Influences a Chicken’s Longevity?
Bottom line, I really feel like the lifespan of a chicken boils down to some of the same things as humans. Genetics, diet, lifestyle and environment play a big factor in us as well. However, chickens are a prey animal so they have to deal with predators and pecking order on top of all the other areas.
But, if we were just talking about the perfect chicken, with the perfect set-up, the average chicken will live 5-10 years. I’m savoring every moment I have with Happy, Roxanne, Reba, Tinkerbell and the list goes on and on! These girls stole my heart from the first peep.
My chickens aren’t just our egg providers…they are our pets and we love them so much! Taking proper care of them is an honor we take very seriously.
Until next time,
-The Wing Lady
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