Chickens - mine are immortal!

I have had chickens live for about 7 years, but probably stopped laying at 4 or 5. I did however, have a call duck that had been hatched by a chicken, and he lived for 17 years. He had 3 separate partners during that time. I have never been able to keep just one at a time, I always find them another partner, but this becomes a recurring problem and you can't seem to stop.

We are down to just the one now after Mr. Fox (we assume) took her friend (kindly left a bundle of feathers in next door's garden) and, after a couple of days of wandering around a bit confused she now free-roams the back garden coming up to see what we're doing when we go out there. Have lost track of her age but think it must be at least 5 years, probably more. She is currently laying one lovely brown egg a day for us but goes on and off lay periodically. We will keep her to the end of her days and then demolish the hen run (falling apart naturally anyway). Back to shop-bought again.
She seems quite happy on her own.

In sixteen years we have had many chickens. Sadly Messers Fox, Buzzard, Ferret and Falcon have taken their toll. Now the two chicken runs are like Fort Knox with heaven knows what methods to keep out the predators.

The first flock were named after Indian dishes, the last to go was Chicken Tikka. The cock of that lot was Cockfosters. We bred a few from this brood, a cock called Cocklooloo (my son couldn't say cock-a-doodle-do when he was little). Then came two rather splashy looking cocks called Jackson and Pollock.

We acquired, as one does in rural France, a lot of poultry which were housed in an old caravan in the meadow, but Mr Fox arrived one day and finished off hens, ducks, guinea fowl, geese. It was tragic and DH had to finish off a lot who had just been left badly injured. Anyone seeing this mayhem would not be against foxhunting.

After the last massacre we had a break. Last summer OH acquired 6 and a cock, Pavarotti, which I thought was reasonable. Then he went to market and came back with 10 chicks. I was not pleased. Two turned out to be yet more cocks, Placido and Jose, so he decided he would breed lots. Foot came firmly down as I had not envisaged creating chicken farm! Anyway under pressure one cock did get eaten.

We are inundated with eggs as DH is dilatory in selling them. about 12 per day. The freezer if full of quiche mixes, creme caramel mixes and just eggs! we will soon be egg bound as we have to eat so many. Any suggestions for use thereof? Apparently hens are born with a finite number of eggs.

We do not name anything we are going to eat so really only the cocks. We did acquire a castrated ram who inevitably became Lamb Bhoona. He was like a dog and became a great favourite pet, he would give children rides on his back. When the flock eventually went we rehomed him in what would be sheep paradise on earth and he was really happy. We bred a superb ram, Rene, think 'Allo, 'Allo, and he was a great character.

We give collective names to the pigs, so we don't know who we are eating. Last year's were Sausage and Bacon, this year's, just gone to piggy heaven, were Arthos, Porthos and Aramis. Not sure what the next three arriving soon will be. Groucho Brothers? Any suggestions?

In case anyone wants to say how can you, it's a farm, it's what farms are for. Our livestock live very spoiled lives and are raised and slaughtered very humanely - no abbatoirs - just quietly in the field with a qualified butcher. And eating one's produce is an attitude of mind.

Haven't seen you post for a while Annifrance yes it's surprising how one acquires livestock here in rural France. Hope you are surviving the confinement.

I have never kept chickens but have enjoyed this thread - not too sure about enjoying the last one though. I do get that farms feed us and it's just me being over sentimental. I do not mean to criticise.
I once worked with someone who kept a few rescue chickens and had one who was bullied by the others. She rehomed her.
Her hens were escape artists and she had many a phone call from her neighbours to say they had flown the coop. She was eventually left with two who were pets really and liked to sit with her in the garden.
I hope you can keep Sage. She may get pecked and bullied in a new flock - so says my chicken owner friend.

I read a lovely story recently about a woman who rescued some battery hens. One was on its last legs, pecked cruelly and almost without feathers. This chicken realised instantly that if it stuck close to her, it wouldn't get attacked, and eventually developed into a lovely fat hen with shiny feathers. The woman set up a rescue organisation and has now rehomed thousands of these poor, ill used creatures and given them happy lives.

We started off with 4 rescue hens about 11yrs ago and at one time had a total of 12 hens, some rescues, a few hybrids and a few pure breeds. The pure breeds do seem to live longer, we lost our last hen at the age of 10 to a fox last year. She was a beautiful Welsummer hen and was still laying at that age. She had been on her own for about a year and she seemed quite happy

We used to have a Maran cockerel [Charles 1st] who lived for 10 years 8 months from hatching. His son Charles 2nd only made it to 9 years. Most of the hens departed at around 8 years old. So well done. You must be giving them lots of care and attention. Keep up the good work.

so sad to hear of the loss of your poor hen. What a long happy life she has had. A friend of mine had one hen that lived to be 11. Rescue hens do not seem to live anything like that long, they arrive worn out and in a dreadful state. Might a couple of rescue hens be an idea?
Some people allow their solo hens into the house sometimes, so they get human company at least. Another friend has just the one at the moment and she sometimes comes in and has a bit of a rest and cleans up any crumbs in the kitchen

It’s sad that chickens are the most abused animals on the planet - male chicks are gassed or crushed at birth , hens are bred so they lay as much as possible, are debeaked, have broken limbs , are depleted of calcium, most live short miserable lives. It’s good to hear that some folks look after their chickens and grow to appreciate their individual personalities. They are cognitively as , if not more, intelligent than dogs, can be taught to count and distinguish colours.

Our DD kept 4 chickens when she lived at home and we took over their care when she moved out. Emmeline, the last one, died a fortnight ago. She must have been 4 or 5 years old. I believe that 7 is the average age, but a lot only live to be 3 or 4.

Emmeline spent her last year alone and was perfectly happy. We thought she might pine but not at all. Chickens aren't the sharpest tools in the box and I suspect that she had forgotten the other chickens had ever existed.

I kept hens for a number of years and eventually when I was down to my last girl asked a breeder if he had an older lady who wasn't too feisty to join her. They lived happily for a few years but inevitably one died and I decided not to get any more. My last girl was very happy by herself and just scratched about as before. As said by Bluecat they aren't very bright and certainly there was no indication she was 'looking' for the other one. I have to say my brown Warren girls were smart (and I use that term very, very loosely) in comparison to my Silkies who were totally confused by everything.

Beautiful pics Merlotgran

Friend of mine had 4 chickens and one night a fox got 3 of them. She was terribly upset because she'd forgotten to make them safe for the night.

So she got 3 more and is now stuck with 4 chickens who hate each other in equal measures

Every time she tries to get them on a play date they peck and pull each other's feathers out.

So she now has 4 chickens living in solitary confinement runs. They glare at each other now and then.

Friend intends on trying 2 together to see how they get on but she's not optimistic.

Well, I bit the bullet after Sage spent the day pacing back and forth at the front of her run, rather like the poor bears in the zoo back in the days when they were kept in solitary confinement in too small cages. She just seemed agitated even when I was giving her lots of attention and stroking her to calm her down. I really couldn't bear to see her like that. I got in touch with a local lady who takes in rescue chickens, guinea pigs and rabbits. She has lots of experience of introducing new chickens to the flock, and after meeting her and having lots of discussion, she has taken Sage with her this evening. She has promised that she will take special care to make sure that she is not bullied and will keep in touch with photos etc. I do feel sad, but have had to weigh up what I think is best for Sage.

It's lovely to read all your stories about your chickens. They do all have their individual quirks and personalities. I had one who snatched the little brush that I used to clean out the cracks and crevices in the coop (like a mini bottle-brush) and wouldn't let me have it back. She took it into a corner of the run and sat on it! Eventually she lost interest in it and I managed to sneak it back. Who knows what was going on there!!

I've enjoyed reading all these chicken stories.

So sorry to hear you lost your old chicken Joanna Trisha

I was thinking of getting a few chickens when I move, garden not that big, thought to get rescues, to give them a taste of the 'good life'. Only problem is I have a little dog and don't know how he will be with them.

Oh well done Trisha
It sounds like you have done the right thing for Sage. Hope you are ok

Aww Trisha I am sure she will be fine

I could be wrong but it seems that most of you only have females, no males. Adding a cockerel or 2 to the flock probably changes the behaviour of the hens-less nastiness among themselves. Then of course you get the chicks.
We used to buy cockerels 'for the pot'. They lived a happy life for some time before that. They do tend to fight each other but survive. We usually had a "boss" cockerel, more colourful than the others.
Their behaviour often made me laugh -so like humans in many ways.

Fanny and Jane - thank you. I'm almost 100% sure I've done the right thing, and your comments were reassuring. Fennel aren't cockerels very noisy? I don't think our neighbours would have been very happy if they were woken at the crack of dawn by crowing cockerels!

We have one remaining chicken from a flock of six or so, we think she is about 6 or 7 and of course no longer laying, she seems ok on her own and as a PP says could not be put in with others as she would suffer.
She does like human company, though and will get under DH's feet when he's in the garden. (Looking for treats, mostly).

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202105/medium-559981-sage-with-her-new-friends-2.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202105/medium-297356-sage-with-her-new-friends-may-2021.jpg

Just an update: This morning I received photos of Sage with her new friends and thought I would share them with you. She is the very dark feathered one. She looks very "involved", and the new owner says that she is getting on very well with all the others. Phew, what a relief! I'm so pleased that she will have a happy life there and I now know I did the right thing by her.

Oh Trisher she is beautiful!
I've never seen a black chicken before (I don't have much / any experience of chickens).
I'm so glad that you are both happy.

Sorry Trisha!

Lovely pics Trishsa she does look happy in her new home.