How many years do chickens and roosters live at home?

Any village resident who has poultry and any experienced farmer or just a person who likes to eat scrambled eggs should know how many years a laying hen lives and how long she can lay eggs? Well, if you are not a farmer, do not live in a village and are indifferent to eggs, then you will simply be interested in reading this article!

In order to correctly answer this question, we first need to determine the breed of the bird! Since chickens are long-tamed animals, they are very useful and do not cause much trouble. Birds lay eggs and produce meat, not to mention numerous offspring! And they were bred specifically for the benefit of society, from 5 to 12 varieties, and each breed has its own cycle and lifespan!

These animals are mainly divided into three types:

• meat chickens;
• egg hens;
• ​meat and eggs.

Let's take a closer look at each type. Let's find out what they are intended for and how long they last. Because now even an experienced farmer will not tell you the exact life time, since farmers use chickens for 2 years, until they are able to reproduce, lay a regular and large number of eggs and have good meat, then they are exterminated.

1. Meat chickens are the most popular type among farmers. It is designed mainly to bring meat to the family, the name gives it away! Basically, such chickens are kept in factories and large factories, people wait until they gain a certain weight, and then they kill them. The lifespan of such hens is approximately 60 days.
2. Egg hens are another very popular and sought-after breed of chicken; they are kept mainly for eggs; you can find them among ordinary people or in factories. The lifespan of this species reaches 1.5–1 year and 7 months.
3. Meat-egg birds are a unique breed, chickens of this breed are very useful, they lay a large number of eggs, they have good meat and they are able to prolong their family!

Basically, the life of a bird and how long it can lay directly depends on its nutrition, space, food bowls, conditions! What determines the lifespan of a chicken and how to extend it?

As we have already told you, if you want to have a healthy chicken, and for it to bring you a lot of benefits, then you need to give it some conditions!

1. Correct diet. If your chicken doesn't eat well, you won't get eggs and she won't gain weight. Soybeans, pea crops. Wheat, in general, grains are relevant all year round. Cake from oat processing. Greens are a source of vitamins. Juicy feed.
2. Territory. Every bird must have its own space. It's either a big paddock. Or, if you live in villages, you generally don’t need to lock them, so she can run longer. Since any chicken needs to walk and run a lot. And they can also buy some food and useful vitamins there, which even the owner cannot give them!
3. Correct lighting and temperature. It’s better to let your birds walk in natural light, in the sun, I don’t think there’s any need to explain this. And the temperature should not exceed 20 degrees. This storage can be in the summer, in a very favorable year.
4. Facilities. You must protect your pets, for example, protect them from enemies and provide them with basic amenities that you yourself can come up with. For example, build a special feeder with your own hands or buy one for food and water. Then place several of them and not too close. Here's how to understand the comforts of a laying hen, which will help her lay longer!

And if you give your laying hens everything that is described here, they will live longer and happier, thereby increasing their income!

How many years do laying hens live at home?

Many farmers, especially beginners, before raising egg-laying chickens on their farmsteads, ask themselves the question: how long do these individuals live? The answer to this question is known - the better your pets are cared for, the healthier they will be and the longer they will live.

Studying documents on the origin of domestic chickens, experts found evidence that in natural conditions the life expectancy of their wild relatives reached 12-14 years, and sometimes more. But in nature, wild chickens often became prey to predatory animals, so their lifespan rarely exceeded 10 years.

But in private backyards, these birds do not live longer than 3 years, because it is not profitable for owners to keep domestic birds longer - their egg production is too reduced, and the quality of meat products also deteriorates with the age of these pets. Provided good maintenance and nutrition, laying hens can achieve good egg production throughout all these seasons. But longer maintenance, even in good conditions, usually does not lead to maintaining the productivity of laying hens; it still decreases quite sharply. Therefore, when kept at an age of more than 3.5 years, these birds only bring losses.

Old women are laying hens. How many years do chickens live: video

How to determine the age of a laying hen

It is necessary to determine the age of laying hens when purchasing, especially in markets. In turn, distinguishing a young chicken from an old one is quite simple. This requires careful examination of its appearance. It is almost impossible to determine the exact age of the bird.

As chickens get older, they begin to gain weight and their bellies become hard. Young chicks are active with a slight layer of subcutaneous fat and a belly that is soft to the touch. Their breasts are usually quite firm.

There are also some differences in scallops and flaps. Young birds have orange and bright red combs, but over time they turn pale due to deterioration of the blood supply. In addition, the beak of an older bird is covered with a hard horny layer.

The paws of pullets are smooth and clean. Older chickens often have cracks and calluses on their soles. The scales on the pullets' legs should be dense and shiny. The skin should be clean and well covered with blood.

The plumage of multicellular pullets is usually smooth and shiny. Under the feathers there is usually clean and soft down. The presence of dull and faded feathers may indicate that the chicken is over a year old.

When determining the approximate age of a chicken, all signs should be taken into account. In this way, selection errors can be minimized.

How long do roosters live?

How many years do hens and roosters live? A male under natural conditions is capable of reaching thirteen years of age. On a farm, roosters do not live to be 13 years old.

If the male is a meat breed, then his life expectancy is equal to the duration of meat females. The reason for this is active weight gain.

If the rooster is of the egg breed and the purpose of keeping the bird is to breed young animals, then poultry farmers keep the male only as long as his sexual activity lasts. Poultry farmers keep one cockerel for every ten hens. With the right load, the male is active for 4 years. If the farm is large, then experienced farmers take no more than 6 roosters per 100 hens. With such a load, roosters live no more than three years. The older the male, the tougher his meat.

Lifespan of a headless bird

People began to ask this question after an incident from the last century. In 1945, a headless rooster from one city in America lived for 1.5 years. He became a star all over the world, and thereby enriched his owners. At the end of the investigation, it was discovered that he survived due to a blood clot that blocked the jugular venous artery, which prevented the fatal bleeding.

This case blew up the entire Internet, this video tells the details of this story:

In order for the rooster to continue to live, the owner fed and watered directly through the esophagus, and pumped out the secretions with a syringe to prevent suffocation. The spinal cord took over important functions for the continuation of life, as a result of which the rooster survived for a whole year and a half, after which he suffocated and died.

Both a hen and a rooster can survive without a head for only 20 seconds, during which time the individual can flap its wings, twitch and run erratically. In general, the time of decapitation of a bird depends on the following factors:

• place of impact;
• amount of blood leaked;
• anatomical predisposition.

Average lifespan of a chicken

Scientists and farmers have calculated how long a chicken lives on average. However, these data are ambiguous and vary significantly. The reason for this is the difference in breeds. In addition, chickens are bred for two reasons - to lay eggs and for meat.

On average, a laying hen lives 5 years. Meat chickens are kept on the farm until they grow up - usually no more than three months.

Reference. Poultry farms keep birds no older than three years old. The majority are young animals under one year old – 60%, older than two years – 30%. Only 10% of birds are older than three years of age.

Life expectancy of chickens depending on their direction

Chickens, like any other poultry, rarely live to a natural old age. They keep individuals to achieve two goals: obtaining meat and eggs. The highest productivity is characteristic of young individuals. An old chicken has tough, almost inedible meat. An aged hen lays few eggs, but consumes a lot of feed. To achieve profitability, the poultry farmer himself decides how much time to allow the bird to live.

Chickens can live more than 5 years, some from 8 to 10 years.
By these standards, roosters win in life expectancy. If domestic laying hens are usually sent to slaughter after 2-3 years, the male producer is able to stay in the herd much longer. The rooster must be older than the hens to produce healthy offspring.

On farms, the lifespan of laying hens is even shorter. The peak egg production of birds is observed at one year of age. To achieve profitability, the livestock is changed every 1-2 years.

Important! In nature, chickens can live up to 15 years, but they die prematurely. In the wild they are threatened by predators. Difficulties are created in obtaining food in winter.

Meat breeds

Meat poultry is kept for its meat. They are usually released for slaughter at the age of no more than 1 year. Further maintenance is unprofitable. Individuals stop gaining weight, consume a lot of food, and the meat becomes tough.

Broilers are considered a separate category of meat chickens. Individuals are fed with special feed with growth stimulants. Under farm conditions, broilers are released for slaughter after 2 months. In a short period, the bird gains on average up to 4 kg of live weight. Broilers can be kept at home longer. In six months, representatives of some breeds are able to gain up to 5-6 kg.

Important! It is not profitable to keep broilers for a long time due to their physiological characteristics. The bird has poorly developed bones. Due to clumsiness, broilers fall and break their legs and wings.

Egg-meat breeds

Chickens of egg-meat breeds are considered to be intermediate between meat crosses and laying hens. They make it possible to receive 2 products at once: eggs and meat. Females begin to lay eggs at approximately 4.5-5 months. Peak egg production occurs at the age of 1 year. Depending on the breed, chickens lay up to 330 large eggs in 12 months.

Having reached the age of 2 years, females and roosters gain maximum weight. Chickens' egg production rate decreases or they stop laying eggs completely. It is wise to release individuals for slaughter. Further content is useless. The meat becomes tougher every month, and its taste is lost. You can't wait for eggs from females. The bird will simply transfer food.

See also: How to make a ventilation system in a chicken coop with your own hands?

Egg breeds

If we consider how long hens and roosters live, taking into account profitability, then egg-laying individuals are considered long-livers. The peak egg production of laying hens occurs at one year of age. With each subsequent year the figure drops by 10%. In a household, laying hens can be kept for up to 4 years, but more often they are limited to 2-3 years.

Poultry farms operate for profitability. The duration of maintenance depends on the breed. If the birds are productive, the stock can be replaced after 2 years. Regular laying hens are kept for less than 2 years.

Decorative breeds

The main direction of decorative birds is the decoration of a specific object. Hens and roosters are bred for exhibitions and collections. Individuals are kept at home for the sake of decorating the yard. Decorative chickens are usually small. Live weight rarely exceeds 1 kg. Laying hens lay few eggs. They are small in size, weighing about 30 g.

Decorative breeds are rightfully considered to be the longest-livers among chickens: some of them live up to 35 years.
There is no profitability from chickens, so they live until natural death. Life expectancy reaches 10 years, and record holders last up to 18 years. However, the bird can get sick and lose its decorative appearance. Such individuals are prematurely sent to slaughter.

Life cycle of chickens

To understand how a bird grows and develops, it is necessary to study its life cycle in detail:

• The appearance of a chicken. The first week of a bird's life is very important. During this period, chickens need certain food and temperature control. The highest mortality of birds is observed in the first 7 days of life.
• Age from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. During this period, the chickens are transferred to a new room where the air temperature is 5 ℃ lower. The food is more coarse. This is a period of active weight gain.
• 4-5 months. For egg breeds, this is the age of full maturation of the reproductive system and the beginning of egg production. For up to a year, laying hens will produce the maximum number of eggs per month. After the first year, productivity will gradually decline. It is important to monitor the correct and adequate nutrition of birds.
• First mating with a male. Poultry farmers breed females with roosters to fertilize eggs and breed offspring. After mating and laying, hens of purebred breeds incubate future offspring for 20-25 days. Hybrids and crosses have lost their brooding instinct. Therefore, to breed new livestock you will need an incubator.
• Raising chickens. The new mother teaches the chicks to feed on their own and find food. A purebred hen protects her chicks from various kinds of dangers.
• 3-5 years of life. A drop in productivity to the point where feed consumption exceeds the number of eggs laid. At this age, the bird goes to slaughter.

Long-lived record holders

The oldest chicken on our planet, which was listed in the Guinness Book of Records, lived for 14 years. There are also other record holders for life expectancy, but they are not documented. There is evidence that some chickens lived a maximum of 25 years.

In China, a case was recorded when a chicken lived 22 bird years - that’s 400 human years. Yang Shaofu, who turned 77 years old, reported this amazing chicken to reporters. The daughter-in-law purchased four chickens in 1988, three have long since died, and one is still pleasing to the eyes of the owners. Initially, she was not like everyone else, because the bird laid her first egg at 2 months, and the rest at six months of age.

Experts say that it is typical for a chicken to live for about 8 years; the maximum lifespan of a chicken in Ukraine was 12 years. The owner of this amazing bird claims that there are no secrets to longevity.

Each breed has a different life expectancy, which can always be increased. In the table you can see the most common breeds and their life span.

The lifespan of a chicken depends on many factors: feeding, maintenance, diseases, various breeds, etc. Before you buy chickens, you should make sure for what purpose they are needed, because birds are meat, egg and meat-egg. The average life expectancy is 8 years, but in our world there are record-breaking long-livers who lived much longer than ordinary chickens.

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Meat chickens

The lifespan of chickens raised for meat is measured in months. For these breeds it is only two months. The exception is hens, which are kept to hatch chicks. Their life expectancy is five years or more.

With age, the meat of chickens of this type becomes worse, which is why they are used for meat so early. In household conditions they live up to a year. This is influenced by the fact that natural food is used for feeding.

At poultry factories and farms, special additives are introduced into chicken feed that accelerate their growth. Therefore, at the age of one and a half months they reach a decent weight, and their life ends there.

What impact do living conditions and diet have?

The location and conditions of detention are the determining factor in the life expectancy of birds.

The owner takes care of the chickens living in his poultry house, creating good conditions for them. Therefore, the influence of this factor on the lifespan of a domestic chicken is extremely small, and, therefore, there is a greater chance that it will live a long time.

Whereas chicken livestock from poultry farms and farms cannot expect a long life. In a short time they try to “squeeze” everything they can out of them and, when they are not able to make a profit, they are sent for meat.

The lifespan is greatly influenced by factors such as belonging to any breed, and for what purpose the chicken stock is kept.

The diet of birds has a significant impact on the lifespan of birds; in order for them to live long, it is necessary to provide them with food rich in vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates.

It is important to change the feeding diet depending on the season. After all, the composition of the feed is decisive for their longevity; given a monotonous diet, a chicken will live for at most a year , but if the diet is balanced in quantity and quality, this period can be increased to 5 years.

Egg hens

Domesticated birds can be found in every household. In the first year of life, their egg production is highest. The hen's performance can be maintained at a high level for a short time with proper feeding. But still, by the third year of life, the chicken begins to lay fewer eggs. It is up to the owner to decide whether to leave the bird on the farmstead or to obtain meat from it. Of course, chickens that have a good instinct for hatching eggs are not sent for meat. As a rule, these are excellent mothers; they are left on the farm for a long time as an incubator.

Farms don't need laying hens. The eggs are placed in an incubator to hatch into chicks. How long do laying hens live? When grown at home, their average lifespan is three years, sometimes four or even five. This is influenced by the fact that the requirements for domestic laying hens are less serious. How long do laying hens live? They live on a poultry farm for a year and a half.

Dangerous diseases

If you decide to get chickens, you cannot skimp on veterinary measures. All birds must be vaccinated on time. And at the slightest suspicion of illness in at least one chicken, you should call a specialist.

Whether a chicken lives well at home can be seen by its behavior. And signs of disease are always present. This is weakness, lethargy, loss of appetite, disheveled feathers, problems with stool.

Most often, birds suffer from salmonellosis, infectious bronchitis, bird flu, and smallpox. If you want your pets to live as long as possible, read the article “Symptoms and Treatment of Common Chicken Diseases.”

Feeding chickens

The basis of the diet is grain crops, but this is not enough, since the diet of poultry must be varied. If you feed a laying hen with balanced food, its lifespan will be at least five years, while productivity will decrease by only 15-20%. What is the best way to feed a chicken? The food must contain vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals. Bird food includes the following products:

• Legumes - soybeans, peas and others.
• Cereals - corn, wheat, oats.
• Cake.
• Greens - cabbage leaves, beets, stems, young shoots.
• Sunflower seeds, especially in winter, are preferred by chickens.
• Shells, limestone pebbles, eggshells, previously crushed into crumbs.
• Leftover meat, fish or flour from them.

The basis of nutrition for chickens kept on poultry farms is compound feed. Its composition is, of course, balanced, but not diverse. In the summer, it is very important to allow chickens to move freely. Since they are weedy birds, when walking in the garden or on the lawn, they themselves will find something to eat. Therefore, during the summer season they should be fed once a day. During the winter cold period, the frequency of feeding increases up to two times.

What affects life expectancy

The lifespan of chickens depends on various factors:

• feeding;
• conditions of detention;
• breeds;
• absence/presence of diseases.

Proper nutrition

Proper nutrition is the key to increasing the productivity and health of poultry. Poultry farmers recommend feeding egg-laying chickens 2 times a day: morning and evening (meat breeds - 3 times a day). It is advisable to maintain equal intervals between feedings.

1. The first time food is given immediately after the bird wakes up. Usually these are dry grain mixtures.
2. During the day, most chickens are out for a walk.
3. In the evening, 50-60 minutes before bedtime, the birds are fed mash.

Expert opinion

Firsov Sergey Arkadevich

Poultry farmer

Attention!

A chicken weighing up to 1.7 kg requires 125 grams of feed, and a chicken weighing up to 1.7 kg requires 130 grams.

If the bird weighs more than 2 kg, then 250 grams per day is needed.

Vitamins and minerals and mixed feed must be added to the feed. Cake, greens, vegetables and fruits, and tops of root crops are useful for birds.

An important point: you should not overfeed chickens: egg production will decrease in egg breeds, and obesity will begin in meat breeds.

In winter, the number of feedings can be increased up to 3 times. Food in cold weather should not be cold. It is advisable to introduce sprouted grains and yeast supplements into the diet.

In order for the grain to germinate, you need to fill it with water at a temperature of 35-40 degrees and leave it for several days.

There should always be fresh water in drinking bowls.

Conditions of detention

In order for chickens to feel comfortable, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for them.

1. The poultry house should be spacious: 3 meat chickens or 4 laying hens/broilers per 1 sq.m. High crowding leads to disease, decreased egg production or death.
2. The room temperature in summer should not be more than plus 25 degrees, and in winter not lower than plus 12 degrees. Avoid drafts and high humidity.
3. In winter, additional lighting will be required.
4. The place where the bird is kept should be away from sources of loud noise.
5. It is necessary to protect birds from foxes, ferrets and other predators.
6. It is necessary to equip a place for walking.

Breed

Expert opinion

Firsov Sergey Arkadevich

Poultry farmer

Different breeds of chickens have different life expectancies. For example, the Cobb-700 broiler lives for about 3 months, the Lohman Brown egg-breed chicken lives for 3 years, and the handsome Cochin Chinese breed lives for 7-8 years.

Diseases

Diseases can lead to decreased productivity or death of chickens, so it is necessary to monitor the birds. If they have one of the following signs, this is a cause for concern:

• decreased/lack of appetite;
• change in behavior: lethargy or restlessness/irritability;
• loss of feathers, except during molting periods;
• wheezing;
• changes in the consistency and color of feces;
• lameness;
• pulling out feathers from yourself and other chickens;
• drooping goiter.

The causes of such deviations may be diseases:

1. Infectious: tuberculosis, salmonellosis, pseudoplague and others.
2. Non-infectious: vitamin deficiency, cloacitis, gastroenteritis, etc.
3. Damage by parasites: ticks, feather eaters, helminths.

Some diseases can be prevented by vaccination. Vaccinations are given against salmonellosis, rhinotracheitis, Marek's disease, pseudoplague and a number of others. In any case, if symptoms of disease appear, you should contact your veterinarian.

Economic direction

Farmers calculate the maintenance of animals based on the minimum amount of costs, but at the same time the profit should be received as much as possible. Egg breeds of chickens show the highest productivity for 2 years, after which the bird’s further life no longer makes sense. From a practical point of view, even these terms do not always correspond to reality; not every farm can be suitable for the conditions in which birds live. For example, many began to use bacterial bedding for chicken coops, which makes the birds’ living conditions more comfortable.

Most often, chickens are kept for 365 days; unbalanced feeding and harsh living conditions lead to a decrease in egg production. We will talk about proper diet a little further. Homestead farming allows birds to live a little longer. The feeding may not be very plentiful, but in the walking yard the chickens will always be able to find additional food in the form of seeds or insects. In addition, the birds are exploited in a more gentle manner. On average they will live for about three years. Further existence is determined by the quality of the chicken and the owner. Meat products from such birds are still considered dietary and light. But if a laying hen has managed to prove herself as an excellent hen, then it is preferable to leave her to hatch eggs, even if she does not lay eggs herself.

How does age affect productivity?

The earliest mature breeds are expected to begin laying eggs by four months of age. The most productive chickens can lay more than three hundred eggs per year, meat-egg breeds usually lay between 150 and 200 eggs per year.

During the first year, chickens continually lay large numbers of eggs. The most productive breeds (especially industrial crosses) also quickly reduce their egg production in the second year, after which they are culled for meat. Some breeds that produce two hundred eggs per year show stable results during the first two years of life.

Time indicator

Chickens are not long-lived. In the wild they have many natural enemies. In addition, it is not always possible to find a sufficient amount of food, and weather conditions (frost) have an impact on the lifespan of the bird. As for the natural period, it reaches 15 years. However, in a private household no one will keep a laying hen for that long. Life expectancy is influenced by breed indicator. Meat birds rarely live more than 90 days because... By this age they gain the required weight and go under the knife. Egg-bearing representatives are kept a little longer while they are fertile.

Rooster structure

Guinea fowl: what kind of bird?

By the way, few people know that cockerels can fly. Well, at least their skeleton resembles in many ways other birds endowed with this ability. Only 10% of the mass is bones, which are hollow inside. In the skeleton of males there is no medullary bone, which is involved in the formation of the shell around the egg. They just do it rarely and ineptly.

The skeleton of a rooster is divided into 3 parts: head, torso and limbs. The head is very small, and therefore looks very funny against the background of the rest of the body. The skull consists of 10 bones. The cervical spine consists of 13-14 vertebrae.

Rooster structure

The wings are the forelimbs of the bird, the lower ones are the paws. Normally, a male should have 4 toes on each foot. There is also something like a fifth finger - a spur. In fact, it is a horny process, which is not always based on bones. If a rooster has more toes, this may be a sign of a genetic disorder (for example, caused by inbreeding). In this case, there may be 6 fingers. Moreover, there may be different numbers of them on different legs.

For your information! Normally, a male should have 78 chromosomes: the rooster has the XX set, and the females have the XY set. In humans it’s the other way around.

Classification of hens and roosters

Chicken farming is an important component not only in the field of poultry farming, but also in the development and development of agriculture. Huge poultry farms , industrial farms, and farmlands in the world Dietary meat and chicken eggs are irreplaceable products on the table in every home. Poultry down and feathers are used as raw materials in the manufacture of various products. In agronomic practice, poultry waste - manure - is widely used as a natural fertilizer.

Today, by world standards, there are approximately 180 breeds of chickens and roosters. Depending on the purpose, four main groups can be distinguished:

• egg (laying hens, small in size, ripen quickly and early);
• meat - eggs (universal birds, have high hatching intelligence);
• exclusively meat (broilers, less early ripening, with a well-developed muscle corset);
• decorative (priority - beauty).

The main number of meat and egg breeds of chickens was obtained by merging egg and meat breeds. It is very profitable to breed this species on the farm. A distinctive feature of this species is its noticeable double productivity : eggs in sufficient quantities plus meat. In addition to the listed advantages, meat-egg chickens are not picky about care, they do not need to be kept in high fences, and the birds are highly resilient.

External signs

The weight of the bird depends on the breed; as a rule, these parameters range from 1.5 to 5 kg. Roosters, of course, are larger in volume, and fluctuations in the weight segment can reach up to 1 kg. Dwarf chicken breeds have a very small weight, ranging from 500 g to 1.2 kg.

It is not difficult to identify a chicken or a rooster by external signs. Usually the rooster looks more graceful than the females and walks importantly around his property. The color of the rooster is multi-colored, especially on the tail and neck. The ridge stands out for its massiveness.

The bird's stomach is small in size, and accordingly, the incoming food must be strictly regulated. Depending on the conditions of detention, the poultry diet should include the following components:

• seeds;
• herbs and leaves;
• worms;
• insects;
• small vertebrates;
• sand and pebbles.

In industrial production, poultry is fed with special feed (compound feed), which is rich in proteins and grains.

In the household, bird nutrition should be strictly controlled. The main food that is consumed constantly without harm to health and increasing egg production is grains:

During periods when the bird does not walk for certain reasons and cannot find larvae or insects in the ground, the food is enriched in small portions with green grass or animal food. If the additive is abused, the bird’s body weakens, and the eggs become unsuitable for food.

To prevent obesity, it is advisable to give large breeds of chickens less feed than medium and small chickens. In addition, the constant supply of food causes the bird’s character to deteriorate, becoming capricious and demanding.

What determines the lifespan of a bird?

There are a large number of factors by which the life activity of feathered friends can be determined. Each person cares for the bird differently and keeps it in a different environment. The breed of chicken is also important. It is important to understand that if the owner gives the chickens proper care, balanced feeding and detects the first symptoms of the disease in time, then the birds will live a long time.

Of course, at home, the owner takes better care of the bird, examines it for diseases, walks it and feeds it with various homemade food. At poultry farms, hired people feed purchased feed and treat it carelessly. The conclusion is this: birds at home will live much longer than at a poultry farm.

From care and maintenance

The most important condition for the long life of a chicken is the conditions and place where it is kept. The owner who keeps birds at home is more attentive to his farm than workers at poultry farms.

Some important factors influence the life activity of chickens:

• lighting the chicken coop naturally and artificially from 13 to 16 hours a day;
• large area for walking chickens;
• space in the chicken coop;
• the barn should be equipped with a sufficient number of feeders and watering tanks, conveniently located;
• maintaining heat in the coop and 50% humidity;
• installation of a ventilation apparatus;
• It is recommended to place ash and sand in the chicken coop; birds, bathing in it, will get rid of parasites;
• Install soundproofing in the chicken coop so that the chickens are not frightened by loud and sharp sounds.

If all the rules are followed, the life expectancy of chickens will double. In this case, in a household, the bird is able to please its owners for as long as 10 years.

From breed

The lifespan of chickens depends on the breed. For example, broiler birds are killed early, as soon as they stop gaining weight. This happens no later than 4 months. Laying hens live the longest; they are pricked at 3-4 years of age.

The older the bird, the fewer eggs it lays, and the quality of the meat becomes worse. She can be kept for more than 5 years if she is an egg-layer. Ornamental chickens do not produce eggs, and their meat should not be consumed either. They live for about 10 years, the record was held by one bird - it lived for 18 years.

From feeding

With improper and appropriate nutrition, the vital activity of birds is significantly reduced. Life expectancy is maximum 1 year. Another thing is that if the owner monitors the nutrition of his birds and includes the necessary microelements and vitamins in their diet, then they live up to 6 years. Chickens should be fed daily grain legumes:

• oats;
• peas;
• cracked corn;
• wheat.

But that's not all. It is important for birds to eat vegetables, herbs and dairy products.

Supplements are equally important to a chicken's long life, so it is important to include supplements in your diet. On poultry farms, it is better to use ready-made feed, which can be purchased at any veterinary pharmacy.

A chicken may die prematurely if it does not have enough microelements. This can also happen with irregular feeding, overfeeding and sudden changes in food.

An interesting fact, but fasting has a therapeutic effect on birds, but it is short-lived. In Japan, they conducted an experiment in which old chickens that no longer laid eggs were left hungry for a week, after which they began to feed them again. The chickens, having suffered stress, began to lay eggs again, their combs and feathers were renewed, and the activity typical of young chickens resumed.

From diseases

It is not difficult to guess that a sick chicken will not live long, so it is simply necessary to get all vaccinations in a timely manner and at the first ailment of the chicken, call a veterinarian. Chickens often suffer from infectious bronchitis, smallpox, paralysis, salmonellosis, and bird flu. Any disease can be cured, the main thing is to notice the signs in time. Read more about chicken diseases and their treatment here.

Chinese silk chickens

This decorative breed cannot be confused with any other. Their fluffy hairstyle and paws with five toes, which have a clear division, add originality to their appearance. Chickens have an interesting feature: their bones are black, the meat is dark in color and has skin. Birds of this breed are bred not for profit, but for beauty. How long does a chicken live? If provided with good care and a balanced diet, it can live for five years or more.

The hen and the rooster are well-known birds. According to sources, chicken was domesticated by humans and became domesticated in 2000 in India. Today it is the most popular poultry in the world. It flies ineptly, is omnivorous, unpretentious in everyday life, and is used for various purposes.

Is it possible to increase the lifespan of chickens?

There are average figures for the number of years or months that chickens live. But you can always increase this number. You just need to follow some tips:

Old hens are suitable for breeding or for producing large eggs.

1. Balanced diet. The number of feedings should not exceed three times. In the morning you need dry food, at lunch - mash, in the evening - grains. It is necessary to alternate oats, corn, wheat.
2. Daylight hours. For birds it lasts less than fourteen hours. When there is no control, the chickens wear out within a year or two and are sent to slaughter. In the summer there is no problem with this, but in the winter it is necessary to provide lighting in the chicken coop. This will keep the birds healthy and productive.
3. Ventilation. Moisture is undesirable in the room for keeping chickens, as it can cause the appearance of fungus and bacteria. To prevent this, you need to install a ventilation system in the chicken coop that will maintain the humidity level at the proper level.
4. Temperature. The temperature must be monitored regularly. In the chicken coop, the temperature should range from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius.
5. Walking area. Here the chickens will stretch their muscles, and in the summer they will peck at greens and insects.
6. A place for a chicken coop. It should be a quiet and peaceful place. Without unnecessary noise. It causes chickens to experience stress, which affects the health of chickens and roosters.

Raising chickens is a fun activity. Each breeder pursues his own goal: admiring the beauty of ornamental chickens, obtaining dietary meat or profit from the sale of eggs. Regardless of the goal, you need to remember the favorable factors that will prolong the life of birds.

How long can a chicken live without a head?

This question is one of the most frequently asked in search engines. The reason for this popularity is the events that occurred more than half a century ago.

In 1945, the headless rooster became the most talked about character in the United States. On September 10, 1945, Colorado farmer Lloyd Olsen went to his chicken coop to kill a rooster for dinner.

A 5 month old chick, Mike, was selected. During the blow, the ax blade slipped and the jugular vein was not hit, leaving one ear and part of the brain stem intact. After cutting off part of its head, the rooster fell and showed no signs of life for some time, after which he stood up and walked as if nothing had happened to him.

Surprised by the incident, the farmer did not kill the chick and began to watch him walk around the yard. Mike spent his first night, almost beheaded, in a chicken coop. Noticing that Mike was not dying, Lloyd began to feed him - food was delivered through his neck using a pipette. When the esophagus became clogged, the farmer cleared it with a syringe.

Journalists soon learned about the incident. After publications in Time and Life publications, Mike became world famous. Tourists came to the village to see it. Enterprising owners have made a successful business out of this. Mike lived for 18 months and brought his owners 80 thousand dollars.

Mike's case is an exception. A chicken cannot live with its head cut off. Within 5 minutes after cutting off the head, it still shows signs of life due to the fact that these birds have a well-developed spinal cord. It is responsible for most reflexes. Therefore, it is not surprising that a bird with its head cut off may appear to be alive.

Raising chickens is the most popular area in agriculture. To choose a particular breed of birds for breeding, it is necessary to take into account many factors, one of which is the lifespan of chickens.

Maintenance and feeding

Life expectancy is affected not only by productivity and rational use of livestock by humans.
Poor maintenance and insufficient feeding can cause pathologies in the body. With the development of infectious diseases on the farm, mortality may occur. Chickens are placed in clean, well-ventilated areas. Be sure to observe planting density. Laying hens take up little space. You can keep up to 3-4 heads per 1 m2.

Individuals with meat and egg productivity are larger. No more than 2 heads are placed per 1 m2. Meat birds are large. For 1 chicken or cockerel, 1.5-2 m2 is allocated.

Lighting in the chicken coop 25 hatch. The optimal daylight hours are 14-16 hours. Direct sunlight should not fall on the herd. I practice daily walks for the livestock.

Chicks begin to be taken out into the fresh air at 2 weeks, if weather conditions permit. The poultry house is regularly ventilated. Individuals are very sensitive to vapors of carbon dioxide, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide. They start to get sick.

The litter should always be dry. The floor in the chicken coop is made of wooden planks or concrete. The flooring must be treated with slaked lime. Wood shavings or straw are placed on the treated surface.

Cleaning is carried out depending on the circumstances. If the livestock is healthy, then the chicken coop is cleaned once a week. In case of any infectious diseases, the litter is changed daily.

Igor Nikolaev

auto RU

Chickens are given a balanced diet and follow a routine. The diet depends on the productivity of individuals. It must include grain mixtures, vegetables, protein supplements, mineral salts and vitamins. Once every 2 weeks, the herd is fed with a solution of potassium permanganate. Chickens are vaccinated.

FAQ

The questions described above about life expectancy and bird calls are not the only ones that are of interest to Internet users. If there are others:

What to do to stop a bird from screaming

There are several proven ways to make a bird shut up or at least behave more quietly:

• For the time when the person is sleeping, place the male in a dark, confined space, but into which air can freely enter. This will not cause mental disturbances in the animal. It is worth remembering that you cannot suddenly release a rooster into the world, since in this case stress cannot be avoided. If the poultry farmer has several roosters, then it is enough to place the alpha male in a dark room.
• The second method is much more complicated and less effective. You need to make a collar from fabric tape with Velcro that is thicker than the diameter of the bird’s neck. They should be wrapped around the neck and secured with Velcro. The bird will still crow, but more quietly. She won't be able to breathe in enough air to scream.

Why doesn't a rooster crow and trample hens?

If this bird stops singing, this indicates serious problems. The reasons for an animal's silence are as follows:

• respiratory diseases;
• molting;
• hormonal changes;
• aging.

Often the reason that a rooster does not crow is infectious bronchitis. This is a disease that is caused by a virus that can easily move from one coop to another. The mortality rate is 65%, with no cure. The meat of an infected bird does not pose a danger to humans, but if at least one rooster showed symptoms of the disease (cough, difficulty breathing, nasal discharge, loss of appetite and diarrhea), then the chicken coop is quarantined to avoid the extinction of other birds.

Other respiratory diseases are also possible. For example, with infectious laryngotracheitis, the rooster will wheeze.

What if the rooster doesn't trample the hens? If the bird is young, then you just need to wait. Normally, the male begins to show interest in females at 24-26 weeks of age. But the first attempts of the young animals will be unsuccessful, you should not be afraid of this. Will learn more. If the male is an adult, then there may be other reasons:

• Females do not allow the male to approach them. This happens especially often if the male was purchased recently and has not yet had time to gain authority among his relatives. In this case, he needs to be put in a cage, and then one of the chickens should be placed next to him separately. After some time they will get used to it and the problem will be solved.
• It also often happens that a person does not notice how a rooster tramples chickens. You should wait a few weeks and then check the eggs with an ovoscope. If they are fertilized, then the rooster copes with its duties.

And another reason is that the male is a hermaphrodite. It's unlikely, but it happens sometimes. To check this, it is worth observing the behavior of the bird. If, after crowing, it tries to climb into the nest, then all that can be done is to send it to the soup. This is the only benefit such a creature can bring.

Rooster tramples hen

How to trim a rooster's claws

Nail trimming is not always necessary. Usually they sharpen themselves, but if this does not happen, then a person will have to perform this procedure. This must be done carefully, after securing the bird with a rag or towel. It is recommended to cut nails using guillotine pliers for cats or dogs. In this case, care should be taken not to damage the vessels that are visible through the lumen.

A rooster (cockerel) is a useful bird on the farm. The article discussed issues of interest to the average poultry farmer related to male chickens, such as structure, life expectancy, some problems that may arise in animals, and whether they are animals at all. Having read the information, farmers will no longer have questions or problems in caring for this important bird.

Who is the rooster

The rooster is a respectable bird. Everyone knows this. Without it, chickens wouldn't breed, and people wouldn't be able to enjoy steaks or legs cooked on the grill. Some people wonder if a rooster is an animal or a bird. In general, such a statement is fundamentally incorrect. An animal can be called any living organism that has the following characteristics:

• They feed on plants and other animals. Of course, there are some types of plants that feed on insects, but these are only rare exceptions.
• Lack of fiber.
• Growth up to a certain limit.

Who is the rooster

Well, the most important difference between animals and other organisms is the ability to move around the planet. The rooster falls under all these signs, like any other bird.

What does a rooster look like? The appearance may vary: have a different number of fingers, color, appearance of the beak, size of the comb. The habits of different species also differ. Some are herbivores, others eat worms and meat.

The appearance of males is very good to describe in comparison with chickens. The former are characterized by significantly brighter colors, more beautiful plumage, and a long, bushy tail. The rooster can also be recognized by the pointed feathers on its neck and back. They are also often compared to cowboys due to their boots with spurs. Adults have a crest and a kind of “beard”.

The first birds were domesticated for cockfighting in Asia, Europe and Africa. They began to be used as a food product in India. They were tamed a long time ago, 5000 years ago. Then these were not yet roosters in the form in which they were accustomed to seeing them. It was an Indian wild chicken. Only nobles could own this animal. Cockfighting was a popular pastime in various ancient countries: India, China, Persia, Babylon, Greece.

English breeds of chickens and, accordingly, roosters stand out especially against the general background. This is primarily a fighting breed due to its aggressiveness.

English rooster

Breed characteristics

Large factories and private farms work to make a profit, so no one will care about the life span of chickens. It will exist as long as it can be useful. Optimally, the bird lives up to 4 years of age. If the chicken is left as a hen, then good living conditions will allow her to live up to 8 years. For the meat-and-egg variety, life expectancy is about 3 years. This is due to the fact that a balance is maintained in terms of weight gain and the amount of egg production.

The longest life expectancy is not among laying hens, but among ornamental breeds of chickens. The absolute recorded record belongs to the Gannusi hen, who lived for 18 years.

How many roosters should I have?

To have more than two, you will need a large number of chickens and a lot of space. In a domestic herd, one or two will be enough. You should also make sure that you don’t have nervous neighbors nearby who will be annoyed by the crowing. Roosters can sometimes be noisy not only during the day, but also at night. They can start crowing at 2 am. (link to article about crowing)

Let's get to the numbers

A young rooster in his prime can support up to 16 hens. As he ages, his strength weakens and the number of “processed” females decreases. At the age of over three years, he is already considered too old to reproduce.

Many poultry farmers do it simply - they believe that the optimal ratio is one rooster per ten hens and keep them in a ratio of 1 to 10. In general, this is a good idea that will work. But the proportion may vary depending on the breed of bird.

For example, the following ratios are considered optimal:

• Leghorns – 1 rooster for 12 hens
• Chinese silk breed – 1 rooster for 6 hens
• Turkeys – 1 male for 4 females

The minimum ratio that it is advisable to observe is one rooster for three to four hens . If the proportion is smaller, the male will be aggressive. Moreover, both to other brothers and to females. So try not to go beyond these limits to allow the rooster to completely unload.

Story

Poultry farming is such an ancient branch of agriculture that today even scientists do not have a clear understanding of where and how it first appeared. The generally accepted theory is that domestic chickens originated primarily from wild bank chickens, whose homeland is Southeast Asia, but admixtures with other wild species cannot be ruled out. Charles Darwin believed that chickens were first domesticated around 2 thousand years BC in India, but more modern research shows that this could have happened much earlier - 3 or even 8 thousand years BC. Earlier datings are usually associated with more eastern regions, such as Southeast Asia or China. It is difficult to say exactly how such domesticated animals spread throughout the ancient world, but it is known that the victorious march of domestic chickens across the planet began a very long time ago.

Chicken was well known to the ancient Greeks; it is believed that it was with them that the spread of such animals across Europe began. In the Middle East, by the beginning of our era, it was already an extremely popular and sought-after home crop, which is repeatedly confirmed by the Bible. Considering that the modern world largely follows the customs of the Old World, be it Europe or Asia, it is not surprising that domestic chickens have been present on every continent for at least several centuries.

Egg layers

Laying hens fully justify their name. These representatives of the chicken group can do without male attention quite calmly, and even show better results. The courtship of roosters and family scenes are, of course, a delight to watch. And if, after all, offspring appear in the pair, then it is advisable to put the eggs in an incubator so that a population of new laying hens will subsequently appear.

How many years do chickens lay eggs? Since the laying hen is precocious in development, she begins to lay eggs at the age of 4.5-5 months. As the year progresses, the egg production rate gradually decreases. True, there are female strikers that can lay eggs for up to 2 years. As soon as the eggs appear in the chicken coop, it is advisable to transfer them to the hens, otherwise the laying hen will begin to perform a function other than its own.

Skillful management of poultry during egg production, provision of a rich diet, comfortable temperature in the chicken coop, regulated daylight hours, and even eradication of rooster fights, which have a negative impact on the psyche of birds, are important aspects in obtaining high-quality organic food products.

Chicken is a bird that is often found on the farm. During the domestication of chickens, breeders developed a large number of different breeds. Everyone has a different life expectancy.

It is convenient to keep chickens in the yard: these birds fly poorly and are undemanding in care and food. Chickens are bred to produce eggs, meat, feathers and down. According to their purpose, this bird is divided into egg, meat, and decorative.

Noisy creatures

Chickens, and especially young chickens, are very noisy poultry. They love to run, jump, chatter, and sunbathe when given the opportunity. There are a huge number of reasons why a real commotion can arise in a chicken coop “from scratch” - starting with the appearance of a stranger in the house, undivided feed and ending with the solemn announcement “I’m finally laid!” Meanwhile, millions and millions of birds on modern poultry farms spend their entire lives in cramped poultry houses, the area of ​​which is barely larger than a sheet of A4 paper.

Chickens, and especially young chickens, are very noisy poultry.