Last hen remaining from flock - Need some urgent advice please 🙏

[Goodbettabest]

I m in north NSW to far to pick her up.
I do fly my bird all time to WA and all the other state as long as some one can pick them up from the airport . Easy on the bird better than road transport .
I do give the chooks I can t sale to a pet shop where I buy my animal feed they usually find home for them .
Ask around your area
Chooks man

Thanks for your message Chooks man. My mum lives on the NSW South Coast so sending her to mum via plane will be my last option if I can't find a home for her locally. My friend is taking me to see someone today who may possibly be able to take her or who may know someone who can give her a good home. I am really hoping for a good outcome today!

 

[Chooks man]

Thanks for your message Chooks man. My mum lives on the NSW South Coast so sending her to mum via plane will be my last option if I can't find a home for her locally. My friend is taking me to see someone today who may possibly be able to take her or who may know someone who can give her a good home. I am really hoping for a good outcome today!

Good luck to you.
Chooks man

 

[Goodbettabest]

Ok, so I went to check out two potential new homes for her yesterday and although the people seemed nice and kind I wasn't happy with either. She is a really interactive hen, very people oriented and loves free ranging and neither place allow their hens to free range. One place knew how to integrate her properly but didn't have what I think would be adequate shade or protection from the weather (i live in a tropical climate) and just a dirt yard for them to walk around in. The place where they would roost was very dirty also. At the other place there were 3 old hens and rooster that were kept locked inside a tin shed for most of the day with just a few hours in a very small, dusty yard.
I will continue the search for a suitable home but I was wondering...have any of you successfully kept a single hen alone? Did it ever work out? I am just wondering what is preferable - keep her here alone being looked after properly and free ranging (she is still happy enough scratching around in the garden and hanging out with us humans at this stage) or being kept permanently in a smaller dusty yard but with other chooks? She used to pace in her large run even when she was with the other girls wanting to get out and free range so I am wondering if she would ever get used to be kept locked in? I have to go away for a work trip in one week and although I have a friend who is happy to check on her every day if necessary, i don't want to leave her here completely alone for 5 days but I don't want to rehome her in a hurry to the wrong place either. I just want to make sure she will be taken care of properly. I really am in a fix so advice from experienced chook owners about what to do would do would really help.

 

[Chooks man]

Ok, so I went to check out two potential new homes for her yesterday and although the people seemed nice and kind I wasn't happy with either. She is a really interactive hen, very people oriented and loves free ranging and neither place allow their hens to free range. One place knew how to integrate her properly but didn't have what I think would be adequate shade or protection from the weather (i live in a tropical climate) and just a dirt yard for them to walk around in. The place where they would roost was very dirty also. At the other place there were 3 old hens and rooster that were kept locked inside a tin shed for most of the day with just a few hours in a very small, dusty yard.
I will continue the search for a suitable home but I was wondering...have any of you successfully kept a single hen alone? Did it ever work out? I am just wondering what is preferable - keep her here alone being looked after properly and free ranging (she is still happy enough scratching around in the garden and hanging out with us humans at this stage) or being kept permanently in a smaller dusty yard but with other chooks? She used to pace in her large run even when she was with the other girls wanting to get out and free range so I am wondering if she would ever get used to be kept locked in? I have to go away for a work trip in one week and although I have a friend who is happy to check on her every day if necessary, i don't want to leave her here completely alone for 5 days but I don't want to rehome her in a hurry to the wrong place either. I just want to make sure she will be taken care of properly. I really am in a fix so advice from experienced chook owners about what to do would do would really help.

If you are thinking she is well looked after in your place than keep her . Chooks will bond with any one around them .
My low ranking hen she bonded with a wild turkey she will go and eat with him . Both of them get chased by a stranger hens than I put a tray of feed in a separate place . She and the young wild turkey will go and feed . They seem to enjoy each other company .
Chooks man

 

[Luv Ducks]

If you are thinking she is well looked after in your place than keep her . Chooks will bond with any one around them .
My low ranking hen she bonded with a wild turkey she will go and eat with him . Both of them get chased by a stranger hens than I put a tray of feed in a separate place . She and the young wild turkey will go and feed . They seem to enjoy each other company .
Chooks man

I totally agree with that. I had a lone Rooster someone had given me years ago and he was quite happy being here with us and not having a flock or someone to fight with. I hope all works out for you, Good Luck,

 

[Goodbettabest]

Thank you all for your replies. I would love to keep her here with us and two weeks after the loss of her flock mate she seems to be doing quite well on her own, still with a very hearty appetite, busy digging in the garden and dust bathing etc. She follows us everywhere and I feel like she would probably be fine here alone with us but the problem is that we travel for work quite often and she would be completely alone sometimes for a week or more at a time with just someone looking in on her to make sure her food and water is ok which I think probably changes things as far as keeping her alone? I would worry myself sick every time I had to go away. I did have a friend offer for me to take her to her house whenever I go away but as I understand it, chickens don't like having their routine changed that dramatically which would happen quite often.

I had a couple of offers from nice people willing to take her but their coop/yard setup was far from ideal and I wasn't happy with leaving her with them but I drove past a property just a couple of minutes from where I live with a beautiful large free-range setup and a gorgeous painted barn style coop so i left a note and they replied and said that they have 9 hens and a rooster and would love to give her a home. I don't want to give her up but I will take her to them on the weekend as I think being part of a stable flock is probably more important for her than my wanting to keep her here with me. If it doesn't work out and she is not accepted by the new flock I will bring her back home though. Does that sound to you experienced chicken keepers like the best thing to do for her?

Thank you again for all of your replies

 

[My Three Chicks]

Thank you all for your replies. I would love to keep her here with us and two weeks after the loss of her flock mate she seems to be doing quite well on her own, still with a very hearty appetite, busy digging in the garden and dust bathing etc. She follows us everywhere and I feel like she would probably be fine here alone with us but the problem is that we travel for work quite often and she would be completely alone sometimes for a week or more at a time with just someone looking in on her to make sure her food and water is ok which I think probably changes things as far as keeping her alone? I would worry myself sick every time I had to go away. I did have a friend offer for me to take her to her house whenever I go away but as I understand it, chickens don't like having their routine changed that dramatically which would happen quite often.

I had a couple of offers from nice people willing to take her but their coop/yard setup was far from ideal and I wasn't happy with leaving her with them but I drove past a property just a couple of minutes from where I live with a beautiful large free-range setup and a gorgeous painted barn style coop so i left a note and they replied and said that they have 9 hens and a rooster and would love to give her a home. I don't want to give her up but I will take her to them on the weekend as I think being part of a stable flock is probably more important for her than my wanting to keep her here with me. If it doesn't work out and she is not accepted by the new flock I will bring her back home though. Does that sound to you experienced chicken keepers like the best thing to do for her?

Thank you again for all of your replies

Good for you for working so hard to make sure your baby has a good home. She's been through a lot.

You're plan sounds reasonable. But just know no matter how careful and lengthy the integration is done, your hen going into an already established flock of 10 will not be easy. She will likely endure a lot. Just be sure you have parameters as to what 'not working out' means and how much time you give it. Could take months before she's integrated/accepted.

I hope it works out for everyone.

BTW in your case I don't think keeping a single hen would be bad. She sounds happy. But I understand your concern about having to go away periodically.

 

[MaeM]

What a predicament.

IDK, but if I were you, I'd keep her for the time being. IMO, it is not a 100% selfish thing to do if the chicken likes you. I've always had chickens as pets and I know they can form strong bonds with humans.

I mean, it's true that they're meant to live in flocks, but leaving her with a flock that she isn't familiar with, could be even more stressful than living "alone".

After all, she is familiar with your house and with you, she likes you and you don't bully her (right? JK).

You may travel often but she is probably used to that too, isn't she? If the same friend comes over to feed her whenever you're not at home, she probably knows him/her, too.

Perhaps I would still consider rehoming her (only because you travel often), but I'd wait more time so that I'm sure she'll be strong enough to deal with the integration process?