# How to tell age of chicken



## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

I saw some birds on a craigslist ad today for $1 each. Says that his grandfather died, leaving a couple hundred chickens, and he wants to get rid of all of them. Knows nothing about them. Not from the area. 

I might go look at them, but is there an easy way to tell if they are still young and laying age? Looks like there might be some comets or buff-colored birds, and some look like barred rock.

I only have room for 3 or 4 hens, so I hate to waste my time on an older bird that isn't pulling her weight! <grin>


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## lauriej57 (Nov 20, 2008)

If he had a couple hundred chickens, my guess would be that they were production hens, and making money from their eggs. Or, they were meat chickens and are ready to be processed.

If they are leghorns, who have yellow legs, you can tell their age somewhat. I have one that is 1 1/2 years old, and her legs are almost white, now. I have one that is about 6 months old, and her legs are are deep dark yellow.

My understanding is that they lose color from their skin as they get older, it has to do with the number of eggs they have laid.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Look at their legs, feet, and toes. Long toenails means old birds. Old looking legs and feet mean older birds. Young birds have smooth feet and legs with shorter toenails.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

You want birds with bright red, moist combs. Pick them up and look at their vents. The ones laying will have wide, moist, soft vents. If you aren't sure what you are looking at, find a rooster and look at his vent. A non-laying hen will have a vent that looks similar.


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## happychick (Sep 20, 2010)

You want them to have bright red combs, no warts on their feet or toes, no patchs of feathers missing, look at where they've been kept too, makes all the difference. Make sure they don't have lice, the first place you can start to see them is around their eyes, older birds tend to have more of them and you don't want to bring any home.


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