Young slave children ages 4-9 helped around the house if they had an owner, but most did not have an owner. Slaves ages 10-16 began to work but received less work than those in their twenties, as this was also when they were often sold. Slaves ages 17-30 faced the hardest work, minimum food, and frequent attempts to escape, as they picked cotton and worked the cotton gin. Most slaves did not live past age 31 due to the harsh working conditions, lack of food and medicine.