As a backyard chicken owner, knowing the age of your flock members can be helpful for a variety of reasons. Their age can give you insight into their health, egg production, and behavior. However, determining a chicken’s exact age is tricky if you did not raise them from chicks. Never fear! There are some clues you can use to make an educated guess about your chicken’s age.
Start with What You Know
If you purchased adult chickens from a breeder, farm store, or previous owner, ask when the chickens were hatched or their approximate age This gives you a starting point. You likely won’t know their exact hatch date, but a season or year can help narrow things down
If you don’t have any background on the chicken, look for clues in their physical appearance and laying habits.
Look for Signs of Maturity
Young chickens under 20 weeks old typically have small combs and wattles. Their legs will be smooth and their feathers soft. Once a pullet starts laying eggs usually between 16-20 weeks she is sexually mature. A cockerel will begin crowing and showing interest in hens around 5 months old.
Mature hens and roosters over 1 year old will have larger, redder combs and wattles. Their legs will be thicker and scaly. Feathers will appear more worn. Hens will lay eggs regularly. Roosters will actively mate with hens.
So vibrant combs and active breeding behaviors can indicate adulthood.
Check Egg Production
Once a hen reaches peak laying age, usually around 1 year old, she will lay about 5-6 eggs per week. This depends a bit on breed, diet, and season too.
As hens age over 2 years, their egg production gradually declines. Older hens may lay only 1-2 eggs per week. Their eggs also get larger.
So low egg frequency can signify an older hen over 2 years old.
Notice Molting Patterns
Chickens molt and replace their feathers about once a year after 18 months of age. This molt typically happens in late summer or early fall.
If your chicken has gone through a molt, she is at least 18 months old. Young chickens under a year and a half will not have molted yet.
Examine Physical Features
Some physical features change as chickens age:
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Legs – Older chickens have thicker, rougher legs and more pronounced old injuries.
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Spurs – Roosters’ spurs grow longer as they age. Hens may develop small spurs over 2 years old.
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Color – Some breeds fade or change color with each molt.
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Comb & Wattles – These redden and enlarge as chickens mature, then fade as they age over 2 years.
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Feather condition – Older chickens have worn, tattered-looking feathers.
So thick legs, long spurs, faded color, and dull combs indicate an older chicken.
Consider the Breed
Some breeds mature slower than others. Large fowl breeds like Orpingtons may take over 6 months to start laying eggs. Smaller bantams reach maturity faster.
Also, some breeds like Leghorns lay very consistently while others like Australorps decline production earlier. Know what’s typical for your breed.
When in Doubt, Vent Sexing
One method used by poultry experts to determine a pullet’s age is to examine her vent. An immature pullet under 20 weeks will have a small, pinkish, dry vent. A mature, laying hen will have a larger, moist, reddish-orange vent.
So vent sexing can help identify younger pullets that aren’t laying yet.
Trust Your Judgement
There is no foolproof way to know your chicken’s exact age, but using these clues you can make an educated guess. Consider their physical appearance, laying frequency, molting patterns, breed traits, and your own experience. With some detective work, you can determine a reasonable age range for your flock.
The most important thing is to keep your chickens happy and healthy, no matter their age. Pay attention to their behavior and you will get to know them as individuals. After spending time caring for your flock, you will be able to make a good estimate of their age based on subtle changes over time. So trust your judgment when it comes to determining that perfect chicken age.
From pullet to adult hen
If you are keeping multiple hens, it can be hard to tell if an individual bird has started laying or not. Pullets will have small, dry and pale vents in comparison to hens, and this can be used as a way of telling whether or not they are laying.
During this post-20-week period, both the pullets’ and cockerels’ combs and wattles will gradually become brighter and more pronounced. Birds with less vibrant combs and wattles are most likely to be aged around 12-15 weeks. It is during this prime egg-laying stage of a chicken’s life that their combs and wattles will be at their most vibrant – as a hen ages, it slowly loses the red color.
Hens increase their body mass as they mature, and most have reached maximum plumes at nine months old.
From chick to pullet
Once a chick has molted and lost its down, it enters the transitional period between chick-hood and adulthood, the chicken equivalent of teenage years. Hens over the age of 12 weeks are in this phase, and are known as pullets. This period of their lives usually lasts until 20 weeks old, though it can be longer. The name ‘pullet’, though, is generally used for any hen under one year.
Pullets are considered adults when they lay their first eggs, which occurs somewhere between 18 and 25 weeks. Male chickens – cockerels, or roosters – reach adulthood when they start to crow and show an interest in the hens, usually by chasing them. This occurs at around five months old, although some breeds are later developers.
At this point in a chicken’s life, when it has finally become an adult bird, it is hard to pinpoint exactly how old they are. If your hens are not laying eggs yet but have all their adult plumage, they are most likely somewhere between 12 and 20 weeks old. Young hens of this age will tend to have smaller combs than fully adult birds.
The Simple Way to Tell How Old Your Chickens Are
FAQ
How can I tell how old my chicken is?
Birds with less vibrant combs and wattles are most likely to be aged around 12-15 weeks. It is during this prime egg-laying stage of a chicken’s life that their combs and wattles will be at their most vibrant – as a hen ages, it slowly loses the red color.
What is the 90/10 rule for chickens?
These are common questions when it comes to chicken treats, and luckily, we’ve got answers! Our top advice is to follow a 90/10 rule for laying hens: 90% complete layer feed and 10% chicken treats to help provide a balanced diet to your birds.
How old are chickens sold at Tractor Supply?
They are about 3/4 weeks old. (I’m assuming) We got them from Tractor Supply on May 18th. They didn’t tell us how old they were, but by sizing, I’d say they were only a few days old when we got them. This is our first time as chicken owners.
What does a 6 week old chick look like?
Chickens will usually be fully feathered by 5- to 6-weeks of age. Their wattles and combs should also start growing larger and becoming a deeper red.