I think I remember reading that the oldest chicken on record was like 50 years old! Usually they can live to be at least 10 or 15 years old.

I'm making mine into chicken patties and soup.

Chickens typically live anywhere from 6-15 years, depending on how well they are kept, accidents, disease, etc. Egg laying generally tapers off after 4-5 years and ends around age 6-8.

However, I have a 9 year old buff cochin hen who suddenly came BACK into lay this Spring after having ceased laying for about a year and a half. Just before summer we incubated some of her eggs and now have two of her babies running around. :) She has since stopped laying again, but who knows what Spring will bring! Maybe the shameless old fossil will lay again then... :)

My longest-lived chicken to date has been a Silver Laced Wyandotte hen who lived to the age of 10 (we got her as a three day old chick). I have several other chickens who have lived with us for nearly that long, but whom we got as adults, so their true age is unknown.

I love the old lady hens, they have a total 'dignified grand dame' attitude. :)

Velvet ~:>