How do you determine if hen is in henopause and monitor her health moving forward?

[Seaslug]

Greetings.

I have a question regarding my five year old California White hen, Ann.

Please excuse all the background information.

She has always been the dominate hen of the coop and could be relied on for six eggs a week. She has been a very consistent hen, active and healthy, responsive but not a lap chicken.
We have kept the chickens in their run more in the past year, due to the real threat of avian flu in our area. Because they do not always have a chance to range, we do supplement their layer feed with handfuls of greens (spinach or dandelions) and the occasional corn/melon/squash/tomato. Ann enjoys these treats and would, at times, get watery stool from enjoying them. One time last summer, in August, I did give her a warm bath to clean her vent feathers. I noticed that she had watery stool again this August when our temperatures hit 95F or higher. This August I also noticed that the other hens also had increased liquid in their stool.
During a supervised free range time in May, our neighbor's new rescue dog killed one of our hens. That night Ann stayed outside the coop and the trauma resulted in the entire coop dynamics changing. The stress caused all the hens to stop laying.
Ann has not resumed laying as we expected. I do not believe that her weight or body condition have changed. She remains the top hen, roosting the highest and going to roost first. But she is not as cut throat as she used to be about food, perhaps because she no longer has the burden of producing eggs constantly? The other change that I believe I have noticed is in her comb; I believe it is thicker and has become flaccid. I handled her yesterday and could find absolutely no evidence of mites or parasites.
The skin around her vent was a little red, I believe because she is preening the feathers, which are still not 100% clean back there.

Questions: I have read that there are only a handful of mammals known to go through menopause. I have read here that people have chickens that live very long lives and lay the occasional egg for most of that time. Do/can chickens naturally stop laying through aging and not a disease process? Has Ann the California White who gave us four+ solid years of consistent laying, naturally ended her productive laying period, i.e. entered henopause? Or am I missing a clue to an illness?

If Ann is at a place where she naturally isn't producing eggs any longer, what clues should I use to figure out if she is not feeling well? For her entire life I have based everything on the color of her comb (which is a nice red color, BTW), and whether or not she is laying. She has more than earned her keep for all the eggs she has already provided, so I want to do right by her.

Thank you for any insight you may be able to provide me.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do/can chickens naturally stop laying through aging and not a disease process?

Yes they can. While some chickens will remain productive (at least to some degree - older birds in general tend to lay less frequently and for shorter periods) for their entire lives, some shut down sooner rather than later. I had a Buff Orp that stopped laying at 3 or 4 years old for no discernible reason and she lived until she was 7.

With the stress of the dog attack and the fact that she's at least 4 years old, it's entirely possible that Ann's just done for the year and will resume next spring.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would consider a 5 year old hen an old hen. I have one now about that age. I too, keep an eye on the comb, and of course laying is always a good indicator of health.

However, active, walking, eating and just living well birds are pretty obvious too. Personally, if they are acting healthy, I consider that they are healthy. At this age, death can come at any time, and often times just comes quickly (we should all be so lucky).

If Mrs. Feathers (my own matriarch) begins to stay in the coop, falls to roost, become lethargic, limps or begins to loose her balance, or other hens start to give her grief, I will give her the coop de grace, but I hope she just slips away on her own.

Mrs K

 

[Seaslug]

Do/can chickens naturally stop laying through aging and not a disease process?

Yes they can. I had a Buff Orp that stopped laying at 3 or 4 years old for no discernible reason and she lived until she was 7.

Thank you SO much for this reply. It is so nice to know that someone had a non-laying hen that continued to live for three years. If Ann does not resume laying after her upcoming molt, I do not have to have to worry that she is at death's door. Thank you for your time and for sharing your experience.

 

[Seaslug]

I would consider a 5 year old hen an old hen.

Personally, if they are acting healthy, I consider that they are healthy. If Mrs. Feathers (my own matriarch) begins to stay in the coop, falls to roost, become lethargic, limps or begins to loose her balance, or other hens start to give her grief, I will give her the coop de grace, but I hope she just slips away on her own.

Thank you for your response. We see a slight difference between 1 year old Ann and 5 year old Ann, but... we all get older. It is mainly in her food dominance -- she no longer has to be the first hen to every treat. She is still acting healthy. I will continue to monitor her. Thank you for taking the time to post, I appreciate it.

 

[ChicNmom]

I read that hens have a set number of eggs for their life just like women do. I've had some completely quit around the 4 year mark. Others lay sporadically.

I have an 11 year old that still cranks out a few every spring.

 

[Loving my girls]

Hi there, I currently have two hens in retirement. They no longer lay and one hasn’t laid for a couple of years at least. They are quite happy and have all retained their flock positions and are very healthy.
My oldest hen was a Plymouth Rock who lived to be 10 years old when her legs started to struggle due to arthritis (I suspect) so I had her gently despatched to the great preditor free land in the sky

 

[Seaslug]

Thank you, Loving my girls. Everyone's responses have made me feel so much better about Ann. She continues to do well as an older hen. It will be interesting to see if she begins to lay again after the molt or if she is truly finished. But she has earned her keep just the same.