What to do with a Senior only chicken

[GRB73]

In the early spring of 2016, I brought home three adorable days-old chicks. I raised them up in my dining room (yup!) and have taken care of and loved them for the past six years. Last November I lost my first girl, and yesterday, my second. Now only the Queen of the flock remains. She looked so lonely this morning and my heart is breaking for her. The hen we lost yesterday was her BFF and they were almost never been apart since the time they were chicks. I want to keep her as an only. Is this cruel? She is an old hen, use to living in a small flock. Also, She has always been top of the pecking order. If I adopt her out, she may be bullied by younger chickens. I can't stand the thought of this. And I know she will never get the care and attention I give to her. I know all of her favorite foods and our yard is filled with her favorite resting spots. I always lock the coop at night and hang with her when she free ranges. If I gave her up I would feel like I was abandoning her. What should I do? I thought about adopting another senior hen but my girl can be aggressive and honestly, I would feel sorry for the adopted chicken.

So can an only senior hen be happy?

 

[abenardini]

So sorry to hear about the losses of your flock but it sounds like they were much loved. <3

Can you possibly adopt 2-3 hens? I had an only for a while who was a black australorp (this is back before I had a dedicated a predator proofed run...the local wildlife killed my flocks) and she was also the "queen" chicken. I added 3 more juveniles and she was OK with them and they with her because a single hen makes a single target, but multiples are harder to pick on just one when add all at once. I kept the new ones in a separate space (in the garage at the time) and they free ranged together during the day (until they all were eaten sadly but local wildlife). They were in harmony until that time though.

 

[3KillerBs]

Has she ever shown a tendency to go broody?

If yes, and she goes broody, you could find hatching eggs or buy a couple chicks for her to adopt.

 

[NatJ]

Do you want to continue having chickens?
If yes, you could get several new chicks, and raise them where your current hen can see and hear them.

I'm thinking something like what this article describes:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/

If you do not want to have chickens in the future, and just want to keep this one hen as long as she lives, then I don't know what to suggest. I certainly understand your concern with rehoming her.

 

[texsuze]

I worried about the same dilemma with my 8 y.o. dominique and 5 y.o. BA. So I'm brooding out 4 (hopefully) pullets to start the next generation. Which I guess just prolongs the dilemma. My older girls will be aunties!

I'd suggest posting on the classified forums here that you're looking for 2-3 "mature/senior" hens to join your lonely senior hen. Might just be that someone is ready to re-home a 'spent' hen, or, send someone to the stew pot but hasn't gotten around to it yet. You could also post in the "Where am I? Where are you" forum for your state. Hope you are able to find some flock mates for your feathered buddy.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you really don't want to get more chickens at this time and realistically have the time to spend with her (so she has some form of socialization in lieu of a flock), I think that's acceptable. As an older bird it'd probably be easier on her to stay in an environment she's familiar with, rather than going elsewhere.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are in a rough situation. If you get more chickens she may bully them, they may bully her, or they may become one happy flock. They will determine the pecking order and that can be unsettling to watch. On the other hand they are social animals and generally do better with other "flock members". That doesn't have to be a chicken, it can be a dog, horse, or you if they make that bond.

You sound like the kind of person that would bond to new chickens if you got them. That could complicate things for you if it didn't work out between her and the new chickens. I tend to agree with Rosemary. Keep her by herself but maybe hand a mirror so she can see her reflection and/or put a stuffed animal about the side of a chicken ion a dry spot so she can cuddle if she wants to.

 

[GRB73]

Thank you for all of your replies. For now, I am keeping her as an only. She seems to be ok. Lots of dust bathing, sunbathing, and foraging.
Getting new chickens is not an option now, and I love her too much to give her away. She gets lots of attention and freely roams the garden for several hours each day. I think this is the best way to go for now.

 

[Tonyroo]

Older chickens are fine being alone and there less stressed. You don't need another hen to keep her company, they can manage fine being with there handler and time on there own.

 

[basement chick]

In the early spring of 2016, I brought home three adorable days-old chicks. I raised them up in my dining room (yup!) and have taken care of and loved them for the past six years. Last November I lost my first girl, and yesterday, my second. Now only the Queen of the flock remains. She looked so lonely this morning and my heart is breaking for her. The hen we lost yesterday was her BFF and they were almost never been apart since the time they were chicks. I want to keep her as an only. Is this cruel? She is an old hen, use to living in a small flock. Also, She has always been top of the pecking order. If I adopt her out, she may be bullied by younger chickens. I can't stand the thought of this. And I know she will never get the care and attention I give to her. I know all of her favorite foods and our yard is filled with her favorite resting spots. I always lock the coop at night and hang with her when she free ranges. If I gave her up I would feel like I was abandoning her. What should I do? I thought about adopting another senior hen but my girl can be aggressive and honestly, I would feel sorry for the adopted chicken.

So can an only senior hen be happy?

How's she doing? I'm in the same situation. Just wondered how your girl is doing.