Unless you know exactly when your hens were born, it is difficult to determine their exact age. We can’t simply ask them how old they are, so we have to make educated guesses based on their looks and behavior.
Like most animals, a chicken’s looks and behavior gradually change as they age. It is the visible evidence of these life stages that helps us determine a hen’s age. Young birds are the easiest to spot because chicks don’t have all of their adult feathers yet; they start out with a fluffy yellow covering called down. They wear this attractive yellow coat for the first week or so of their lives.
After the first couple of weeks, chicks gradually molt their down and small feathers begin to grow to replace it. A baby chicken can be considered a chick until it sheds all its down, which usually takes around 12 weeks.
So, if a chicken still has some down, chances are it is 12 weeks old or less, although some breeds may take a while longer to shed all their baby fluff. But, generally, the more down, the younger the bird.
Determining the age of a chicken can be tricky business. With no ID cards or driver’s licenses for our feathered friends there’s no definitive way to know exactly how old a chicken is just by looking at it. However there are some clues we can look for to make an educated guess on a chicken’s age. Let’s take a closer look at how to estimate a chicken’s age.
Newly Hatched Chicks
For chickens you’ve hatched yourself or purchased as day-old chicks from a hatchery, you obviously know their exact age from day one. These tiny balls of fluff typically weigh around 1.3 ounces when they first emerge into the world. Baby chicks grow extremely fast, so if you’re raising chicks their increasing size will quickly start to give away their age.
Teenage Laying Age
One obvious clue a pullet (young female chicken) is nearing maturity is when she starts laying eggs. Most hens will begin laying eggs between 16-20 weeks of age, with 18 weeks being the average. Once a pullet lays her first egg, you know she has reached approximately 16-20 weeks of age.
Crowers and Saddle Feathers
When young roosters start crowing and getting long, pointed saddle feathers, it means they are about 16 weeks old. The hackle feathers on a rooster’s neck will get long and flowy, the saddle feathers near the base of the tail will get curved and thin, and the combs and wattles will get bigger. When they crow and flap their wings, you’ll know they’re 16 weeks old.
After the First Molt
Molting is the process chickens go through once a year to drop old feathers and grow in a fresh set. It typically occurs in late summer or early fall as daylight hours shorten. Knowing when a chicken goes through its first molt can provide a clue to its age. If a chicken molts in the fall around 18 months of age, you’ll know it’s at least that old, since molting happens for the first time at that age.
Weekly Egg Production
The individual breed of chicken plays a role here, but you can estimate age based on if egg laying has decreased from the breed’s peak production. For example, if a Leghorn hen (which lays 280 eggs per year on average) is only producing 200 eggs annually, she is likely older than a Leghorn still pumping out 260+ eggs each year. Lower production can signify older age.
Physical Appearance Changes
While there’s no definitive visual to determine exact age, some physical traits can provide hints:
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Thicker, rougher shanks/legs – Over time, the shanks or legs will thicken and become tougher. Previous injuries may also become more visible.
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Longer spurs – Roosters’ spurs gradually lengthen over time. Hens may also develop small spurs later in life.
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Coloring – Some breeds display color changes with age. Familiarity with the breed is needed here.
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Comb/wattle – Combs and wattles typically become more enlarged and pronounced with age.
Of course there are always exceptions, but in general those traits above can provide clues toward an older chicken.
If All Else Fails…
When specific age-related information is unknown, there’s one method that trumps all: a DNA test. Companies like Avian Biotech International can determine the age of a chicken within 4-6 weeks by examining DNA samples. However, it doesn’t come cheap at $25-$50 per test.
For pet owners and backyard flocks, the DNA route is overkill in most cases. While it may remain a mystery, a chicken’s age really doesn’t affect much in terms of its care and management. Focusing on providing proper feed, housing, and protection will ensure your birds stay healthy and productive regardless of their age.
Key Things to Keep In Mind
Here are some key points to help summarize techniques for estimating a chicken’s age:
- Know exact age if hatched or purchased as chicks
- 16-20 weeks for first eggs and crowing
- First molt around 18 months of age
- Check breed’s egg laying averages
- Leg thickness and spur length increases
- Certain breeds change colors
- DNA testing for exact age determination
In the end, the average backyard chicken owner need not overly concern themselves with determining an exact age. Chickens make great pets both young and old. Part of the appeal of poultry is appreciating their wide range of vocalizations, behaviors, and individual quirks no matter their age. With proper care, the average lifespan is 5-10 years, though some have been known to live to 15 years or more!
From pullet to adult hen
It can be hard to tell if one of your hens has started laying eggs if you have more than one. Pullets will have small, dry and pale vents in comparison to hens, and this can be used as a way of telling whether or not they are laying.
During this post-20-week period, both the pullets’ and cockerels’ combs and wattles will gradually become brighter and more pronounced. Birds with less vibrant combs and wattles are most likely to be aged around 12-15 weeks. The best time for a chicken to lay eggs is when its combs and wattles are the brightest. As a hen ages, the red color fades slowly over time.
Hens increase their body mass as they mature, and most have reached maximum plumes at nine months old.
From chick to pullet
Once a chick has molted and lost its down, it enters the transitional period between chick-hood and adulthood, the chicken equivalent of teenage years. Hens over the age of 12 weeks are in this phase, and are known as pullets. This period of their lives usually lasts until 20 weeks old, though it can be longer. The name ‘pullet’, though, is generally used for any hen under one year.
Pullets are considered adults when they lay their first eggs, which occurs somewhere between 18 and 25 weeks. Male chickens – cockerels, or roosters – reach adulthood when they start to crow and show an interest in the hens, usually by chasing them. This occurs at around five months old, although some breeds are later developers.
It is hard to say exactly how old a chicken is at this point in its life, when it has finally grown up. If your hens have all of their adult feathers but aren’t laying eggs yet, they are probably between 12 and 20 weeks old. Young hens of this age will tend to have smaller combs than fully adult birds.
The Simple Way to Tell How Old Your Chickens Are
FAQ
How long has a chicken been on Earth?
Generally, chickens were documented first to appear between 4,000 to 10,500 years ago. It was said to originate in Southeast Asia, northern China, and India. The Southeast Asian Red Junglefowl is said to be the original wild ancestor of chickens.
How old is a chicken before it’s slaughtered?
Chickens can live for six or more years under natural conditions. However those used in intensive farming will commonly be slaughtered before they reach six weeks old. Free-range broilers will usually be slaughtered at 8 weeks old and organic broilers at around 12 weeks old.
Did chickens exist 2000 years ago?
Genomic studies estimate that the chicken was domesticated 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and spread to China and India 2,000 to 3,000 years later. Archaeological evidence supports domestic chickens in Southeast Asia well before 6000 BC, China by 6000 BC and India by 2000 BC.
What two birds create a chicken?
The chicken was primarily domesticated from red junglefowl, with subsequent genetic contributions from grey junglefowl, Sri Lankan junglefowl, and green junglefowl.