It's hard to tell an adult chicken's age. Hens continue to lay well and roosters are fertile for about three years. After that, there's only a slight chance that the birds will be able to reproduce. Some hens lay sporadically for many years. A chicken's average life span is about 8 years, so you could be buying unproductive birds if you aren't careful. That may be okay if you're only looking for yard birds, but the birds should be priced lower than younger chickens.
Aged chickens have thick, scaly skin on the legs. The spur is long and wickedlooking on roosters. When a hen quits laying, she may develop a big spur too.
Hens that are laying have deep-red, glossy, moist-looking combs and wattles. They have widely spaced pubic bones and a moist, large cloaca ( the area where waste and eggs are passed ). When hens are old or not laying, their combs and wattles look dull and dry. Their pubic bones seem close together, and the cloaca looks small and shriveled. Roosters also tend to have duller combs and wattles as they age.
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