Lone chicken in a group of 3 chickens

I have a question about my chickens behavior. I have a frizzle chicken a blue easter egger and a bantam chicken. The blue and the bantam seem to always be together but the frizzle is always alone, she will stay in the coop while the other two roam around in the yard. The frizzle used to always follow them and they would always be together. What does this mean? Should I try to introduce a new chicken or is that going to make it worse?

I have a similar situation. I have 5 Rhode Island Red hens, a beautiful Old English rooster, and then my beautiful and huge black frizzle rooster. The hens and the Old English are always together, but the hens chase the frizzle away if he tries to join or share food. They also peck him if I put him in the coop. He always shadows them and stays close. I have been keeping him in a converted dog kennel at night by himself. Any ideas on how to introduce him in to the main coop successfully? Someone suggested putting him in the coop in the middle of the night so the others awake to find him there, and then they'd might accept it. I love the frizzle as he is quite the looker and has a very deep and nice "cock - a - doodle - do". I don't want him to be shunned or cold at night on his own!

Good luck with your Frizzle - send a picture!

chelseyyy14 said:

I have a question about my chickens behavior. I have a frizzle chicken a blue easter egger and a bantam chicken. The blue and the bantam seem to always be together but the frizzle is always alone, she will stay in the coop while the other two roam around in the yard. The frizzle used to always follow them and they would always be together. What does this mean? Should I try to introduce a new chicken or is that going to make it worse?

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It happens. One hen is self assured and doesn't feel the need to hang closely with the flock. Or is the low one in the pecking order and just wants to be by herself. As long as the others aren't ganging up on her, its normal.

hentown said:

I have a similar situation. I have 5 Rhode Island Red hens, a beautiful Old English rooster, and then my beautiful and huge black frizzle rooster. The hens and the Old English are always together, but the hens chase the frizzle away if he tries to join or share food. They also peck him if I put him in the coop. He always shadows them and stays close. I have been keeping him in a converted dog kennel at night by himself. Any ideas on how to introduce him in to the main coop successfully? Someone suggested putting him in the coop in the middle of the night so the others awake to find him there, and then they'd might accept it. I love the frizzle as he is quite the looker and has a very deep and nice "cock - a - doodle - do". I don't want him to be shunned or cold at night on his own!

Good luck with your Frizzle - send a picture!

Click to expand...

If they have been ranging on the same range like you said then put him in the coop. It may not work. Two roosters is not always good, and the hens have already shown they don't like him. So if you want to keep him you may just have to keep him in separate housing.

You don't say how old the three chickens are, but I'm betting the frizzle was added later. Am I right? Of course I'm just guessing. But it would explain why the frizzle would feel like an outsider.

You see, chicks raised together have a life-time bond, and they stick together because they trust each other and know each other. If you add another chicken, she will have the same problem.

But there is a way to create the bond if you want to get a friend for the frizzle. After the proper quarantine period, so you are satisfied you aren't importing any disease into your flock, get a dog crate and put the new hen in it along with your frizzle. Supply adequate food and water, and keep them cooped up together for two or three days.

The close proximity will cause a bond to form between the two, and they should become best friends from then on.

You will then need to introduce the pair to the other two hens. There may be a little friction, which should be short-lived, while the new pecking order establishes itself, but I'm almost certain there won't be any problems. What you should have are two pairs of BFFs.

update! The Frizzle, while he still sleeps alone in his dog house, now runs all day with the hens. He herds them, mounts them, and even sits with them in the coop when they lay eggs. The other smaller Old English rooster totally accepts him. I believe the fact that they free range made it easier. I have a Happy Flock!!