Average Life Span of a Chicken/Rooster?

[Joan]

I recently read that a rooster in good health can live for 15 to 20 years and a chicken for 8-12 years. I had no idea they were that long lived! Can this be true?
I'm sure for a chicken they wouldn't be laying all that time but this seems like an excessive estimate even barring anything unforeseen such as predators or disease.

Joan

New Egg with 10 chickens and a rooster

 

[woody49705]

I'm averaging 3-4 years out of my bird's with the hens laying for about 2 1/2 years. My oldest is a RIR rooster who's 4 and doesn't show any sign's of slowing down or aging like the girl's have.

 

[geebs]

Well here is my sweet spot... I have a 9 year old and a 10 almost 11 year old... I have several others in the 6 and 7 year old range... I guess I am doing something right... My oldest is a RIR and the second oldest is a BR.... then there are americana bantam and D' Uccle...she is aging hard... at 6 she is already arthritic.... She weighs as much as a turkey....I have never kept a rooster older than 7... coyotes got him....He was fericious though... i loved that mean old rooster... and no one tresspassed... ha ha

 

[geebs]

One more thing...My red hen laid two eggs this year and one we just hatched...it is a cochin cross... The BR hasn't laid an egg in years but the d' uccle still surprises me from time to time and the SF americana still lays like a 2 year old. go figure...She hatched a brood of 6 and defended and raised em all... (they were cuckoo babies so it is adorable to see her stuff them under her wings when they don't even come close to fitting)... She is my top hatcher for sure.... AT 7 years old... (non of her own eggs hatched)

 

[SeramaLife]

9 is our oldest, they were our first chickens.I knew someone who had one 18 years.......

 

[VARIETYPACK]

Geebs, can you tell me what you attribute this to? I would love to know how you care for your chickens!
Quote:

 

[woody49705]

WOW!!! I'd like to hope I get at least 5 to 10 years out of the birds. I'm thinking that I'm learning as i'm going so maybe I will have a better life expectancy now. When I started with them I had no previous experience with chickens other than cooking it!! I am forever learning new things on this site.

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

10-15 years is the avg life of a chook.

 

[Sitka]

The oldest I have heard of was 15 years.

OK, slightly off topic, but reminded me: My wife had a goldfish that lived for 25 years.

 

[Angelic Vampyre]

I think it is like any animals. I breed Budgies and most people think they live about 4 years, well the guy sitting next to me making noise is 10 years old and still going strong. Budgies in fact have a life span closer to 10 - 15 years if cared for in the right manner.

I had chickens as a child that I remember having at 5 and still had at 15 so they had to be at least 10 years old if not older as not sure how old they where when I got them. I had a rooster at about 7 and he passed away when i was 16 so that's that 9 years old.