Who can help?

[mike001]

This is a bit away from furry friends but sort of close to feathered friends. Someone just told me that the average lifespan of a chicken is two years. I thought I remembered some people having chickens for much longer than that though. Does anyone here have chickens or have any knowledge about this?

[Freedom]

well, I jsut did a google search. This is what I typed in: chicken life span. No quotes. Lots of hits. First one indicates life span is 3 to 5 years.

http://www.utmem.edu/compmed/Avian.html

Maybe they mean life span for those heading to the kitchen table? For them, yes, I do believe 2 years is the time frame.

[wombat2u2004]

This is a bit away from furry friends but sort of close to feathered friends. Someone just told me that the average lifespan of a chicken is two years. I thought I remembered some people having chickens for much longer than that though. Does anyone here have chickens or have any knowledge about this?

Chickens can live 10 to 15 years mate. I don't know who told you two years....that aint right.....I'm originally from a farm, and ours all lived to ripe old ages....yep.....about a dozen years.
Wombat

[critter crazy]

Chickens can live a very long time,Usually around 12-15 years, I know many chickens that are over 18 yrs old. What most people think of is the Laying capabilities of chickens, which is only around 5 yrs, but can be longer. Most people feel chickens are useless once they stop layuing eggs, so they kill them, or have them for dinner. Myself however, will have mine live their lives out here. Hope this helps.

[wombat2u2004]

well, I jsut did a google search. This is what I typed in: chicken life span. No quotes. Lots of hits. First one indicates life span is 3 to 5 years.

http://www.utmem.edu/compmed/Avian.html

Maybe they mean life span for those heading to the kitchen table? For them, yes, I do believe 2 years is the time frame.

Have to disagree with that one mate.....ours lived MUCH longer than that. But you know....it may have something to do with the particular breed.
Wombat

[critter crazy]

well, I jsut did a google search. This is what I typed in: chicken life span. No quotes. Lots of hits. First one indicates life span is 3 to 5 years.

http://www.utmem.edu/compmed/Avian.html

Maybe they mean life span for those heading to the kitchen table? For them, yes, I do believe 2 years is the time frame.

Sorry way off!! chickens live an average of 12-15 years, many live longer than that! That info is way off!

[mike001]

Thanks guys, at least I know they don't keel over after 2 years. I thought it sounded funny but not being into farming I don't know much about chickens.
I hope that person didn't mean the chicken was served for dinner after 2 yrs.
I just knew I would find some chicken people on here. Thanks for the site Freedom, I forgot about google.

[Freedom]

He he, this thread was being moved form one forum to another and I "lost" it. But I sent Mike a PM with another web site that said longer than that first one I cited. I had just pulled up the first hit on my google search.

By the way, during the Depression, my grandfather owned a chicken farm, they had over 25,000 chickens at one point in time. So I asked my Dad this question. His reply:

"Chickens' life span? Until the farmer gets hungry!"

[Karen]

Reminds me of an incident at Aunt Shirley's, one summer visit when I was about 9 years old. The ducks they had would lay their eggs anywhere in the pen, unlike the chickens that would nicely lay them in the henhouse. The duck eggs could be anywhere from in the haystack to just on the ground, so we (cousin Sue and I) had to climb over the haystack to get into the pen to look for them. Well, one day, the rooster, who had always been a bit cranky, decided he didn't want intruders, and flew at me as I climbed down. I got two deep puncture wounds in my leg from his claws, and went back inside to get bandaged up.

"Next time he does that, it's rooster and dumplings," said Shirley. "I'll probably hafta boil him all day, 'cause he's such a scrawny thing ..."

Well, we got a letter a couple weeks later. The next person the rooster picked to attack was none other than Shirley herself.

Lifespan of a rooster? Less than 2 hours after you attack the mistress of your fate!

Rooster stew, I believe it was, he sat in the slow cooker, as predicted, for a whole day before he was edible, but nothing ever went to waste at Aunt Shirley's!

[SunsetRose]

Yes, the age of 12 to 15 is correct.

You don't usually see alot of chickens that long because they are often killed long before that. They are slaughtered usually before they reach a year and even laying hens are disposed of after about 3 to 5 years.

My silkie chicken is roughly 4 or 5 years now.

[mike001]

Karen has also taught me that roosters attack...lol...Boy, guess I'm not meant to be a chicken farmer. I did hear of chicken and dumplings, but never rooster and dumplings.

[critter crazy]

Karen has also taught me that roosters attack...lol...Boy, guess I'm not meant to be a chicken farmer. I did hear of chicken and dumplings, but never rooster and dumplings.

actually mike most birds found in stores, are roosters. the hens are too valuable to eat, as they make more money by laying eggs. so Rooster and Dumplings would be moe accurate than Chicken and Dumplings.

And yes, roosters do attack, tis what they do. It is their job to Protect their flock from predators. I have many scars on my legs to prove that one!