How Long Do Frizzle Chickens Live For?

The curled feathers of a Frizzle chicken are unforgettable – they don’t look like your standard chicken.

However, because they are bred by mixing two types of chickens together, they have varying lifespans.

With the average chicken living anywhere from 5 to 10 years, it makes us wonder, how long do Frizzle chickens live for?

A typical Frizzle chicken lives up to seven years in captivity. There is some variance, as bad health, genetics, or living conditions can cause them to live as little as four years.

However, if taken care of, they can live up to eight years.

That being said, Frizzle chickens are mixed with several different chicken types. So, their lifespan does tend to change on a case-to-case basis.

If you’re interested in knowing more, we’ll provide a breakdown of how long a Frizzle may live.

Table of Contents

What Is a Frizzle Chicken?

A Frizzle chicken is a unique cross between two chicken types. What causes their special curled feathers is an incomplete dominant gene, resulting in the feather’s shaft curing towards the sky.

When breeding, you want one standard chicken and one frizzled chicken to pass down the gene.

If two genes are passed down, then a Frazzle chicken is born. Frazzle chickens are often not wanted, as they have poor health conditions and don’t live very long lives.

So, breeders do their best to ensure that only one gene is passed down.

Essentially, Frizzle chickens are not a breed of chicken but more of a hybrid. However, they can technically still come from the same type of chicken breed if one has the dominant gene to pass down.

So, the name is mainly for possessing the active dominant gene that causes the feathers to curl.

What does “Frizzle” Mean?

The word Frizzle is used to describe the half curling of a feather. When it comes to describing chicken feathers, there are three main terms: Frizzle, Frazzle, and Flat.

A standard chicken has flat feathers that lie directly against its skin. A Frizzle chicken has partially curled feathers, and a Frazzle chicken has feathers that curl all the way up.

Frizzle Chicken Expected Lifespan

The lifespan of any chicken is highly dependent on its safety, health, and quality of life. If a chicken isn’t adequately cared for and is in a high-stress situation, it will not live very long.

Generally, Frizzle chickens tend to live anywhere between six to eight years.

Do Frizzle Chickens Live as Long as Standard Chickens?

Frizzle chickens have the potential to live as long as any other chicken breed, as long as they are kept healthy.

The lifespan of a Frizzle is highly dependent on what type of chicken it was bred from.

For example, if you breed a Cochin, which averages eight to 10 years, and a Pekin, which lives five years, it will live an average between those two numbers.

A Frizzle is not a breed in itself but is named after a trait. So, they don’t have a standard “breed” and “average” lifespan.

The main way to tell how long your Frizzle will live is to average out the parent’s lifespan. Other than that, there is little you can do to predict how long it will live.

What Impacts a Frizzle’s Lifespan?

Another method of calculating how long a Frizzle will live is to look at what factors can lower its lifespan.

Plenty of problems can greatly impact a Frizzle chicken’s life. Below, we’ll take a closer look at a few conditions.

Health Conditions

Since the Frizzle gene curves the chicken’s feathers, they have weaker feathers than their standard counterparts.

These chickens’ feathers can easily break at a moment’s notice, leading to bald patches and internal genetic problems.

Poor Ventilation

Curled feathers are cute and attractive, but they don’t serve much of a purpose otherwise. The feathers provide poor insulation, which can cause the chicken to become cold easily.

Since the feathers aren’t that protective, a Frizzle will need a well-ventilated coop to keep them warm.

High Stress or Prey

Stress can shorten a chicken’s lifespan if they are exposed to it regularly. Poor nutrition, a messy coop, and overcrowding are just some situations that can significantly impact stress.

Others include poor nutrition, bullying, and limited space to move around.

Frizzles are also very susceptible to being attacked by predators because they are flightless. Perimeters need to be set up around the area to help ensure that no prey attacks it.

Even if the prey doesn’t get to it, repeated exposure to being attacked can lower the chicken’s lifespan due to feeling threatened consistently.

Weak DNA

A dominant gene can be dominant from having two copies of the gene or being dominant over a recessive part of the gene.

Having two dominant frizzle genes means that the bird will have fully frazzled feathers, which will leave them with weak genetics.

In this case, two of the same genes are actually harmful, leading to weakened protection from the outdoor environment and skin conditions.

On the other hand, a normal dominant to recessive ratio is safe. So, breeding a Frizzled chicken is tricky because you have to know which chickens have which genes.

That being said, you don’t want to pair two Frizzle chickens together, as there is at least a 25% chance of producing a Frazzled bird.

Frequently Asked Questions: Frizzle Chickens

Do frizzle chickens make good pets?

Frizzle chickens are friendly, calm, and often enjoy being around humans. For those reasons, they are highly sought after as pets.

However, they are also suitable for fostering hatching and brooding. With their friendly demeanor, they make an excellent addition to any farm.

Are frizzle hens noisy?

Frizzle chickens tend to be one of the least noisy chicken breeds, to most people’s amazement.

Of course, they will still cluck when they lay an egg or if they’re communicating with one another.

They also produce sound when they are in danger. However, aside from that, they are generally one of the quietest chickens.

Do frizzle chickens get cold?

While they have a lot of feathers, Frizzle chickens are still susceptible to the cold. Their feathers don’t lay flat against their body, which causes cold air to get in between them.

This, in turn, can cause them to get cold when the temperature drops.

What two chickens make a frizzle?

Frizzle chickens are not a breed as they are created by breeding a frizzled bird to a standard bird.

Breeders often use Cochins, Pekins, and Polish chickens when trying to breed a Frizzle chicken.

The offspring will often be frizzled.

Final Thoughts

Frizzle chickens are great pets because they love being around humans and socializing with other animals.

They have an excellent temperament and are also very beautiful to look at. However, their owner’s care for them will influence how long their lives are.

We know plenty of people who own Frizzle chickens who live long and happy lives. However, we also have heard stories of owners who don’t provide them with the care they need.