Being prey animals, chickens naturally have a shorter lifespan, but that’s not to say that they can’t live to a nice old age! A lot of factors figure into how old a chicken will live to be, including genetics, hereditary diseases, breeding, environmental conditions, predator risks, diet, and daily care. You can help your flock live a healthy and productive life despite all of these things and risks by giving them the right food and care.
Raising backyard chickens is becoming increasingly popular among urban and rural homeowners. Fresh eggs are just one of the many benefits of keeping chickens. These birds also make great pets and help control pests. However, one thing any new chicken owner will wonder is how long chickens live on average.
The average lifespan of a chicken depends on several factors:
Breed
Different chicken breeds have varying average lifespans. Cornish Crosses, which are bred for meat and only live about 6 to 8 weeks, are at the bottom of the list. Hybrid breeds that lay eggs, like Golden Comets, only live two to three years because they use so much energy to lay so many eggs.
Heritage breeds, bred to be dual-purpose for meat and eggs, tend to live 6-8 years. Examples are Plymouth Rocks and Rhode Island Reds. The longest-lived breeds are rare landrace breeds that haven’t been selectively bred, like Swedish Flower Hens, which can live over 10 years.
In general smaller breeds like bantams live longer than larger breeds. Giant breeds like Jersey Giants and Brahmas rarely exceed 5-6 years.
Environment & Care
Chickens that live exclusively in cages on commercial farms live only 1-2 years before their egg production declines and they’re culled. Free-range chickens generally live a bit longer.
Chickens that are kept in your backyard and get regular veterinary care can live for 8 to 10 years because they are safe from diseases, predators, and bad weather. Backyard chickens can live longer if they have the right housing, are clean, eat well, and get along with each other.
Heritage breeds thrive when allowed to free range and exhibit natural behaviors. Commercial breeds are less hardy and adaptable.
Egg Production
Different breeds of hens lay eggs for different amounts of time. Commercial egg breeds like Golden Comets lay a lot of eggs for about 18 months before they stop. This can happen as early as two to three years old.
Heritage breeds take longer to reach peak production at 2-3 years old but will continue laying eggs, although less frequently, for 5-8 years total. The average backyard hen lays eggs consistently until about 4 years old
Natural Causes
Genetics and inherent health play a role. Weak, ill, and undernourished chickens become more vulnerable to predators, injuries, parasites, viruses, and other fatal conditions. Heart attacks are common in rapidly growing commercial broiler breeds.
With good genes, good care, and luck staying healthy, the odd chicken may live to be 10 or 12 years old. The current world record for oldest chicken is 16 years!.
Premature Death
Many backyard chickens don’t reach their maximum lifespan potential because:
-
They fall victim to predators like coyotes, raccoons, hawks, dogs, or rats.
-
They succumb to contagious poultry diseases like avian influenza or parasites.
-
They’re killed by other chickens due to social conflicts and pecking order disputes.
-
They’re intentionally slaughtered for meat as early as 2-3 months old.
-
They experience accidents or injuries such as dog attacks or getting stuck in fencing.
With proper housing, sanitation, veterinary care, and protection, most backyard chicken flocks can expect average lifespans of 6-8 years for heritage breeds. The occasional hen may even live over 10 productive, enjoyable years. Following best practices allows chickens to live long, high-quality lives as pets and egg producers.
What Chicken Breeds Live the Longest?
The average lifespan of a chicken will depend on its breed. There are four common categories that a chicken breed can fall into that may dictate the average lifespan of the breed.
Hybrid chicken breeds have the shortest lifespan of about 3-5 years. Hybrid chickens are often fast growing, mature early, and are bred for high production rates. Hens’ bodies are put through a lot of stress when they grow quickly and lay a lot of eggs. This shortens their natural lifespan. Cancer, organ failure, and heart attacks are also more likely to happen in production chicken breeds because their genes aren’t as good and they put under a lot of stress. Hybrid chickens bred for egg production are usually replaced after two years of age, which makes a long lifespan not important to the commercial egg industry. The same goes for hybrid chickens bred for meat production since they are bred to mature rapidly and be butchered before they are even a year old. Some examples of hybrid chicken breeds include Isa Brown chickens and Cornish Rocks.
Dual-purpose chicken breeds have a longer lifespan than hybrid chicken breeds. Dual-purpose chicken breeds can be heritage breeds or hybrid breeds. A dual-purpose chicken is bred for both egg production and meat production. The average lifespan of a dual-purpose chicken is around 6-8 years. Chickens of dual-purpose breeds grow at a more normal rate and mature slower than production hybrid breeds. Production intensity is also not as high once the birds do reach maturity. Some dual-purpose hybrid chicken breeds include Black Stars, Austra Whites, and Sapphire Gems.
Heritage chicken breeds have a longer lifespan than either dual-purpose or hybrid chicken breeds. Chickens of heritage breeds have an average lifespan of around 8-10 years. They have a slow growth rate with allows them to fully mature before they start producing eggs. For many heritage chicken breeders, preserving the genetics of the breed is very important. Purer genetics makes for healthier birds who are hardier and more disease resistant. Heritage chicken breeds that want to join the American Poultry Association or the American Bantam Association must meet certain standards. For a chicken breed to be considered heritage, it must naturally have a long lifespan. Some examples of heritage chicken breeds include Australorps, Brahmas, Cochins, Buckeyes, Rhode Island Reds, and Plymouth Rocks.
Lastly, landrace chicken breeds are known to have the longest natural lifespans. Landrace chicken breeds can have a lifespan of over 10 years. What makes landrace chicken breeds so special is the fact that the breed develops without any human intervention. They are often highly adapted to the environment in which they live and harbor pure genetics. Thanks to their undiluted gene pool, landrace chickens often have strong immune systems which makes them naturally intolerant to many poultry diseases and ailments. Some examples of landrace chicken breeds include Icelandic chickens, Hedemoras, Swedish Black Hens, and Swedish Flower Hens.
How Long do Chickens Live?
The average lifespan of a chicken is about 5-10 years. That’s a pretty wide average, but you must take into consideration the many different breeds of chickens. A chicken’s breed does play a part in its average lifespan. Here are the average life spans of some common chicken breeds:
- Isa Browns: 2-3 years
- Rhode Island Red: 5-8 years
- Plymouth Rock: 8-10 years
- Silkie: 7-9 years
- Orpington: 8-10 years
- Leghorn: 4-6 years
- Wyandotte: 6-12 years
- Australorp: 6-10 years
- Cochin: 8-10 years
- Easter Eggers: 8-10 years
Even amongst chickens of a certain breed, some strains or varieties (colors) of the breed may be known to have a longer life expectancy than average. In general, chicken breeds bred for egg or meat production will have the shortest lifespans and heritage or landrace chicken breeds will have the longest lifespans.
Lifespan and productive lifespan are also two different things. A chicken can have a long lifespan but a short productive lifespan. Productive lifespan is the amount of time a chicken will be at peak egg production. Most chicken breeds have a productive lifespan of around 2-3 years. Dual-purpose and heritage chicken breeds often have a longer productive lifespan, but they don’t lay as intensely during their productive lifespan compared to production breeds.
How Long Do Chickens Live: 6 Factors That Impact Life Expectancy
FAQ
How long do chickens live as pets?
Pet chickens have an average natural lifespan of around eight years, but some live for as long as ten or even twelve years. Smaller chicken breeds tend to have a longer life span than giant chickens, so a cute little Sebright will probably live for many more years than a majestic Brahma or Jersey Giant.
What is the life expectancy of a chicken?
What Is The Life Expectancy of Chickens? A chicken typically lives between five and ten years. However, the lifespan of different breeds varies greatly. A number of factors affect how long a chicken lives, including predation, flock dynamics, diseases, breed, and more.
How long do hybrid chickens live?
Most hybrid chickens live for three to five years, most dual-purpose chickens for six to eight years, and most heritage chicken breeds for longer than these two breeds. Heritage chicken breeds have an average lifespan of around or up to 8-10 years.
How long do chickens live in captivity?
Most chickens will live between 5 and 8 years in captivity if they aren’t slaughtered, regardless of breed. However, some breeds are known to live much longer on average than others, and some can even live longer than 10 years! Chickens are surprisingly long-lived birds in captivity.
How long does a production chicken live?
The average production breed lives for 3-5 years. Dual purpose chickens are chickens raised for the purpose of meat and eggs. Because they are not specialized like the production chickens, these breeds are slower to reach maturity. They tend to live longer than the production chickens and can reach 6-8 years.
How long do hens live?
Hens raised as part of a backyard flock usually live for 6 to 8 years, as long as they don’t get sick or hurt before then. The average chicken lifespan can vary widely depending on the breed, with heritage breeds often having a longer life expectancy than hybrid birds intended for high egg production.
How long do backyard chickens live on average?
The average lifespan of a chicken is about 5-10 years. That’s a pretty wide average, but you must take into consideration the many different breeds of chickens. A chicken’s breed does play a part in its average lifespan.
What is the 90 10 rule for chickens?
This rule says that 90% of a hen’s food should be a high-quality, complete layer feed that gives them a healthy, balanced base. The remaining 10% can be supplemented with healthy additions such as organic scratch grains, oyster shells, fresh vegetables, herbs, and bugs.
How long does a chicken live as a pet?
Healthy backyard chickens can live up to or longer than 10 years! Of course, considering they are healthy, have a good diet, no predator attacks or illness and good genetics. The average chicken will live 5-7 years. This is only an average.Oct 11, 2023
How long do chickens lay eggs and live?
Chickens can lay eggs for roughly 2-3 years, with production declining after the first year.