v2002brown Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 silly question but how long do chickens live for ive noticed alot of r.i.p and was bit concened weather it was foxes or just dying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 4-5 years.......sometimes as long as 8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luthien Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 A friend of my mums has different types of chickens (ex batterys and bantams) and shes just lost one (it died) it was 14 years old!! but they do free range on some paddocks and it prob was a pure breed, maybe a bantam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figlette Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 When I went to go pick up the little girls yesterday, I was able to take a tour of the farm. They had a 12 year old and a number in the 7-9 year old range. They were all medium birds and still laying, although the oldest girl only lays about once every week and a half. Amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I think the RIPs are a mix of everything, but here are the most common ones: 1. Fox attack. Some of us have no problems at all with foxes, others (often those living in cities, where foxes are used to people) have lost four or more chickens at a time A lot of RIPs in the sig is usually an indication of fox attack, especially if they are all the same date. 2. A certain very small proportion of chickens fall ill soon after you get them, from a combination of the stress of the move plus whatever minor illness the situation makes them vulnerable to: colds, tummy upsets, heat stroke, etc. I lost two chickens this way during a very hot summer. 3. Egg-laying hybrids in theory live 4-5 years, but the physical stress of laying every single day of their adult lives means that once they reach about 2 years old, there are a number of health problems, often related to their reproductive tract, that can finish them off: prolapse, egg peritonitis, etc. That's why ex-battery hens are available for adoption - they are disposed of once they reach a year old, because they have passed their peak efficiency (and of course their remaining lifespan is often quite short - albeit a lot happier!). Although we've had a flush of newbies in the wake of Hugh and Jamie's TV shows - which is very welcome! - if you check people's dates of joining the forum you'll see that quite a few members have been keeping chickens for three or four years, at which point it's pretty much inevitable they'll have had a few casualties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...