Chickens are domesticated birds. To date, many breeds of egg and meat are bred. Birds are bred for the needs of the family and industrial cultivation in order to sell eggs and meat to the population. It is important to know the life expectancy of the chicken for a more rational management. What species are poultry, how to feed them correctly? How many chickens live at home, read the article.
Lifespan
Hens living in a natural environment, life is shortened by predators: ferrets, rats and Bole large forest dwellers. Difficulties arise with the extraction of feed, especially in winter. Nevertheless, the average life expectancy is a decent period - 15 years.
How long does a chicken live? Usually poultry are kept on the farm for up to four years. After this time, they lose their productivity and they are allowed to meat. Depending on the direction of their life expectancy is different.
Meat Chickens
The life of chickens grown for meat is calculated in months. For these breeds, it is only two months. Exceptions are hens that are kept to incubate chicks. Their life expectancy is five years or more.
With age, the meat in hens of this orientation becomes worse, which is why they are allowed to meat so early. In the conditions of the household, they live up to a year. This is influenced by the use of natural food for feeding.
In poultry farms and farms, special additives are introduced into the feed for chickens, which accelerate their growth. Therefore, at the age of one and a half months they reach a decent weight, their life ends there.
Egg Hens
Domesticated birds can be found in every household. In the first year of life, their egg production is the highest. The laying 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 carry fewer eggs. Leave the bird in the yard or get meat out of it, the owner decides. Of course, chickens who have good egg hitting instinct 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 do not need laying hens. Eggs are placed in an incubator to remove chickens. How many laying hens live? With home growing, their average lifespan is three years, sometimes four or even five. This is influenced by the fact that the requirements for domestic hens are less serious. How many laying hens live? On the poultry farm they live for a year and a half.
Life cycle
In chickens, it depends on many factors, some of which are listed below:
- The conditions in which chickens are raised: in the household or on an industrial scale.
- Breed of domestic birds. Scientists have shown that some chickens live longer than their relatives of other breeds for several years.
- Nutrition and content, which is rated level: low, medium, high. Life can be extended to chickens if they are fed properly and maintained in conditions that are characterized by high levels.
How do growing conditions affect lifespan?
The most important factor in how many chickens live is where they are kept. Growing birds at home, in the courtyard, the owner more carefully and carefully treats their pets than the workers on the chicken farm. How long does a chicken live? Poultry have a lifespan of twice as long as those kept on farms. The duration of the existence of chickens is positively influenced by the following factors:
- If the chicken coop will be illuminated, including by artificial means, at least 14-16 hours a day.
- Provide chickens a place for walking.
- Provide birds with a spacious room in which they live.
- Equip the house with a sufficient number of troughs and feeders, place them correctly so that access to water and feed is unhindered.
- Maintain an optimal indoor temperature for chickens (20 o C) and humidity (50-70%).
- Install high-quality ventilation.
- Place sand and ash tanks in the hen house. By bathing in them, the chickens get rid of parasites.
- To decorate the walls and floor with soundproofing material so that the hens are not reached by loud noises from the street.
If you follow the rules of growing chickens and provide them with everything you need, life expectancy will increase. How long does a chicken live? In a farm, its optimal life is three years, if its purpose is toe eggs. In the household - up to nine years. Eggs such a chicken ceases to carry or lays very little. When it is allowed for meat, it will be tough. But often the owner is a pity to part with his pet.
Feeding chickens
Cereals form the basis of the diet, but this is not enough, as the nutrition of poultry should be varied. If you feed a layer of balanced food, its life span will be at least five years, while productivity will decrease by only 15-20%. What is better to feed the chicken? Feed must contain vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals. Bird feed includes the following products:
- Legumes - soybeans, peas and others.
- Cereals - corn, wheat, oats.
- Cake.
- Greens - cabbage leaves, beets, stalks, young shoots.
- Sunflower seeds, especially in winter, are preferred by chickens.
- Shells, limestone pebbles, eggshells, previously crushed into crumb.
- The remains of meat, fish or flour from them.
The basis of food of the hens kept on poultry farms is mixed fodder. Its composition is, of course, balanced, but not diverse. In the summer, it is very important to allow chickens to move freely. Since they belong to weedy birds, they will find something to feast on walking in the garden or on the lawn. Therefore, in the summer season they should be fed once a day. During the period of winter cold, the frequency of feeding increases up to two times.
Feed rate
For feeding to be correct, it is important to calculate the rate of food consumption by one chicken per day.
- Whole or crushed grain - 50 g
- Additives from mineral components, salt - 6 g.
- Meat and bone meal or minced - 50 g
- Juicy feed from raw or boiled vegetables - 70 g.
- Protein in an amount of not more than 20 g.
All food is divided in half and fed to chickens for two times: in the morning and evening.
The life of chickens broken brown
This breed of domestic birds is considered the largest, most popular and unpretentious. Layers are distinguished by early maturation and endurance. Their content is not expensive. The average lifespan is three years, since later they carry few eggs. For a long time brown chickens belonged to the meat direction due to their large size and the rapid increase in body weight.
This variety of chickens belongs to the meat breed. They are grown to produce meat related to dietary products. For feeding birds use special combined feed with a high content of useful substances. Chickens move a little, so they gain weight very quickly. Their life expectancy is eight weeks. If they are grown not for meat, they live longer, but too much weight puts a lot of pressure on their legs and they will atrophy. Often for this reason the birds die.
Chinese silk chickens
This decorative breed can not be confused with any. The originality of their appearance gives a fluffy hairstyle and paws with five fingers, which have a clear separation. Chickens have an interesting feature: their bones are black, dark in color and in meat with skin. Bred birds of this breed are not for profit, but for beauty. How long does a chicken live? If you provide good care and a balanced diet, you can live five years or more.
How many years have chickens lived
The average duration of a healthy chicken is 15 years.
Bird breeders need to know how many years a chicken has lived. The bird is held until it is as productive as possible.
The life span of laying hens at home is determined by the breeder’s task. If he seeks to get as many eggs as possible, then it is effective to leave them no more than two years. After this period, the egg production of birds is reduced, and the cost of food remains high. Therefore, the content of the chicken in this case is unprofitable.
A big role in maintaining egg production is vitamins. The lack of negative impact on the number of eggs laid. Therefore, poultry farms keep laying hens no longer than a year.
In the diet include:
It is necessary to release the hens more often outside in the warm season, as eating worms and insects contributes to weight gain.
Increased productivity is observed in the first year of life. Next, the egg production is reduced to 20%. Therefore, these layers experienced owners replace pullets.
What determines the life of the hens
There are conditions that affect the life span of laying hens. Creating a favorable environment will not only increase the lifespan, but also support the performance of the bird.
Illiterately compiled menu reduces the time of egg production. But a properly chosen diet will prolong the life of a layer to five years. Therefore, it is necessary to include in the diet of chicken components that contribute to this:
To this end, it is advisable to feed the birds with grain and legumes. Most often it is corn, wheat, oats, vegetables from the garden, sunflower, non-acidic food remaining in the house.
Recommend to make dairy, fish mash. In the diet of chickens are needed:
In spring and summer, chickens are walking. At this time, birds independently search for insects and worms. Fresh grass is a source of vitamins. If necessary, throw the shells in the feeder. In the summer, the birds are fed twice a day, and in the winter - three. It is important not to overfeed chickens.
Conditions of detention
Wanting to get a good result from the content of chickens, it is necessary to create a comfortable environment
- It is important to consider that the daylight hours of chickens is 14 hours. In the autumn and winter time it is necessary to carry out artificial lighting in the chicken coop. For the birds, they make places for walking: at a rate of 0.5 meters per hen.
- To create optimal conditions for feeding chickens, it is necessary to install a sufficient number of drinkers and feeders. The optimal temperature for birds is 20-25 degrees.
- The humidity is adversely affected by the bird. Therefore, when building a chicken coop, a ventilation system is necessary. In order for the birds not to suffer from skin parasites, it is recommended to arrange ash baths for birds, where chickens will swim with pleasure.
Bird breed
The lifespan of chickens depends on the breed. Meat-focused birds live a little: they are pricked after they stop gaining weight. This is usually not more than five months.
- Laying birds live longer than other birds. Good term - from three to four years. The hen is able to live up to eight years with proper care.
- But we must remember that the older the bird, the worse the quality of its meat. Provided that it continues to be egg-laying for a long time, the owner can hold it for more than five years.
- Decorative hens - long-livers. Life expectancy reaches ten years. The record holder among these breeds is a bird that has lived for eighteen years. And the natural life of chickens is thirteen years.
How many lives cock
The rooster in the household has a special purpose - fertilization of eggs, which will later be used for breeding. And the duration of his life is determined by how he is able to fertilize eggs. The optimal calculation: one rooster for ten chickens. With favorable content, the calculation is changed: for one hundred individuals five roosters. In such conditions, the period of sexual activity on average is about four years.
The life span of meat-breed roosters is equal to the lifespan of hens of this same breed: from two to five months.
Is it possible to increase the lifespan of chickens
There are average figures for the number of years or months the chickens have lived. But you can always increase this figure. You just need to follow some tips:
Old chickens are suitable for breeding or for producing large eggs.
- Balanced diet. The number of feedings should not exceed three times. In the morning you need dry food, in the afternoon - mash, in the evening - cereals. It is necessary to alternate oats, corn, wheat.
- Daylight hours. For birds, it lasts less than fourteen hours. When there is no control, chickens wear for a year or two and go for slaughter. In the summer, there are no problems with this, and in the winter it is necessary to provide lighting in the hen house. This will keep the birds healthy and productive.
- Ventilation. In the room for keeping chickens moisture is undesirable, which can cause fungus and bacteria. To prevent this, in the hen house you need to install a ventilation system that will keep the degree of humidity at the proper level.
- Temperature. Temperature control should be monitored regularly. In a chicken coop, the temperature should range from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius.
- Walking area. Here the chickens will knead the muscles, and in the summer they will eat greens, insects.
- Place for the chicken coop. It should be a quiet and peaceful place. No noise. From it chickens experience stress, which affects the health of chickens and roosters.
Breeding chickens is an exciting experience. Each breeder pursues his own goal: admiring the beauty of ornamental chickens, getting dietary meat or profit from selling eggs. Regardless of the goal, one should keep in mind the favorable factors that will prolong the life of the feathered one.
Makarov Ivan Vasilyevich
Hereditary poultry farmer, owner of a poultry farm, graduated from St. Petersburg State Agrarian University with honors, the author of articles in specialized publications
Features of the life cycle of chicken
The life cycle of chickens depends on several factors.
The main ones are:
- Growing conditions - this can be a household or production scale.
- Breed feathery - even scientifically proven that a representative of one species can live for 3-4 years longer than a chicken of another breed.
- The third factor is the diet and level of content. The bird must be properly fed, and it must live in favorable conditions, then life will be longer.
How long will the hen live at home?
Living in a natural-type environment provides for predators and unstable food, since feed problems are often encountered. The average lifespan of a chicken is 15 years, the period is quite decent.
In household farms chickens can live up to 4 years.
At home, laying hens are very common. Household farming is not a new aura of birds, but they live in it less in duration - from 2 to 4 years. The final decision remains for the owner, he decides how much the hen hen lives. In the third year of life, the number of eggs that such a hen can carry is significantly reduced.
It turns out the breed is not so and a hen. The owner can get the most eggs from a bird in the first year of life, then, if it is properly fed, this indicator can be maintained, but not for long. After the chicken has lived for three years, the farmer often decides to send her under the knife, since further maintenance is not appropriate.
The average life span of a hen in a home environment is 3 years.
The effect of growing conditions on age
Place of keeping is one of the determining factors in the issue of life expectancy of the chicken. Home conditions include careful attention to the bird, the owner is loyal to his birds, unlike the employees of poultry farms.
In chicken farms, laying hens rarely last longer than 1-1.5 years.
In artificial conditions, the chicken should pay for itself as quickly as possible, or rather, the cost of its maintenance. Such conditions adversely affect the habitat of chickens, life expectancy decreases sharply.
The main points that positively affect the indicators of the existence of birds:
- Artificial lighting for 14-16 hours.
- The presence of the area where chickens can walk.
- Sufficient area of the room where chickens live. Each bird must have its own space, in this case crowding is unacceptable.
- Capacities for water and feed should be several. They should be located at a distance from each other, so that the birds do not crowd and can eat or drink at any time.
- Ambient temperature (rooms where birds live) - 20 degrees.
- Humidity is moderate - not more than 70 percent and not less than 50 percent.
- High-quality ventilation system.
- Tanks filled with ashes, chickens “bathe” in them, this procedure allows to get rid of a large number of parasites.
- Partial sound insulation, birds should not hear too loud sounds, it is very scary.
- One male should have an optimal number of females. It is important not to overload the rooster.
Chickens should be able to walk in the fresh air.Important. In a farm, a chicken can live for 3 years, which is the best time for it, if the main purpose is to lay eggs.
Meat breeds of chickens are more dependent on life expectancy, the older the individual, the less quality meat will be. Оно теряет все свои положительные и диетические характеристики. Такие породы держать в хозяйстве долго нет смысла.Some poultry farmers may keep their feathered pets at home for 8-9 years.
How many lives a chicken without a head
The chicken is killed by cutting off the head, but even after that it still continues to move and run. It happens that the headless bird rushes around the yard. Without a head, she can still live, but for how long?
An interesting example is chicken Mike. They tried to kill him, but the wrong movement allowed to preserve the vital artery, although the bird had no heads. Headless Mike lived another 8 months. Therefore, it is better to finish the job started with one precise movement so that the bird does not suffer.
The term life of egg chickens
The life span of a chicken is very dependent on its breed. All chickens are divided into:
How many hens are laying hens in home and factory conditions depends on their productivity. The main purpose of egg breeds is to carry eggs. It is advisable to keep such individuals as long as they cope with their main task.
The average duration of egg production is 2 years. While the chicken hen lives, the owners want to get fresh eggs from it. Peak performance falls in the first year of life, then gradually decreases, depending on the breed. For example, the Leghorn live for about 2 years, and Lohman Browns are capable of well roaming for 3 years. On hen farms, hens live an average of one year.
If the breed is mixed, egg and meat, then the breeders should take into account that after two years of life the meat of the chicken becomes not so tasty, more rigid. Therefore, it is advisable to slaughter chickens for meat within one and a half to two years.
The life of the cock
The purpose of the rooster, regardless of which breed it belongs to - egg or meat - to fertilize the chicken. There are 1 cock for 10 hens. Hold it until it is able to perform its main function. The domestic cock lives usually about four years.
If the rooster belongs to the meat breed and is not involved in fertilization, then its life span is the same as that of the meat females. Depending on how quickly he gains weight, he is slaughtered in the first 2-3 months of life.
Decorative rocks
Some breeds of chickens are so striking in their appearance that they are turned up as pets. Such chickens are specially displayed as decorative. These are Ayam Tsemani, Chinese silk, Russian crested, Bentamka, Sibright, Brama.
As a pet, decorative chickens break longevity records. They can live 15-17 years. Thus, it is possible to judge indirectly how much the domestic chickens could live if the owners did not slaughter them for meat.
The amazing appearance of beautiful birds could not affect their health. When breeding, individuals with recessive genes were often selected, with which various diseases were linked. Therefore, these birds are especially whimsical for breeding due to reduced immunity. If they are not properly cared for, the pet may not live to 5 years.
What affects life expectancy?
How long a chicken will live and how long its performance will last depends on many factors:
- Proper nutrition. A balanced diet enhances the health of the birds and contributes to high and long egg production. It is imperative that the food contains enough trace elements and vitamins. Perhaps, only broilers have no luck, with proper feeding, they quickly gain weight, and therefore, they approach the time of slaughter.
- Conditions of detention. An important factor is a well-built chicken coop. As you know, chickens are rushing badly in crowded conditions. They can become either lethargic, drowsy, or, conversely, overly aggressive.
- Climate. Optimum temperature, humidity and lighting are very important for performance. In the cold, with a lack of light in the hens, the egg production falls, and some hens may stop altogether. It is best that even in winter the temperature does not fall below 10 ° C, the length of daylight hours is 14 hours, the humidity is 40-70%.
- Purity. In order for various diseases not to ruin the whole brood, it is necessary to constantly maintain cleanliness in the house and on the exercise yard. Disinfection measures should be carried out regularly.
Information about the life span of domestic chickens helps farmers when planning their farm. If you follow the conditions of nutrition and maintenance, you can increase the performance, and with it the lifespan of birds.
How many laying hens and representatives of meat breeds live
Egg-laying hens are well carried only the first few years. After 2-3 years, their productivity drops significantly, after which the bird is slaughtered for meat. On poultry farms, chickens of egg breeds keep even less. The main part of the herd is 1–1.5 years old birds, about a third of the total number accounts for laying hens at the age of 2 years, and about 10% are three-year-olds, which are distinguished by high productivity.
In households, laying hens usually live a little longer — up to 5 years. It rarely happens that the farmer leaves them for a longer period, since they already carry significantly less eggs. Often longer live especially productive individuals and certain chickens, which have become the beloved of the owner.
As for meat breeds, such layers live a little. They are grown exclusively for meat and slaughtered in 45-60 days. It is precisely at this time that meat-laying chickens are gaining the body weight necessary for slaughter. At this age, their meat is tender and tasty. Later it becomes fatter and less palatable. Some farmers decide not to slaughter individuals, leaving them to live in the house. But this does not prolong the life of these chickens for a long time, since the gained body weight does not allow them to move normally, so soon they will die anyway.
In private farms rarely contain broilers. More often they prefer egg and universal breeds, keeping them in private farms up to 4-5 years, sometimes leaving for a longer period.
