Ageing a hen????

[Nicos]

I just wondered if there is any way of roughly working out the age of a hen?
I can imagine that spurs on a cockerel give a rough indication as to maturity...but are there any tell tale signs on a hen?

I'm asking as a friend is offering some chooks. ( Not for me!)They have no idea about the history of the chooks as they came with the farm.

Apart from laying...anything else???

[RichmondHens]

Hmmm - If I showed you my 8 year old you wouldn't think she was any older than 3 or 4. It is quite tricky to "age" a hen - once they have had their first moult and regrown their feathers they can look any age. But if they are healthy and laying then it doesn't really matter what age they are does it?

[Flummery]

Count her teeth?

I dunno. Puzzler innit?

[SuzyB]

Has she got a bus pass?