Antisocial chicken...

[Ziggy1973]

I have 14 hens and one rooster that are 13 weeks old. I have a chicken who always roosts by herself at night. I have a two room coop and when i opened the second room to give them more space, she went in there and roosted by herself. Are some chickens just natural loners? Another question along this line...some of my chickens love being held and petted, others not so much. Do I continue trying to hold the standoff-ish ones or just accept the fact that they don't really want that kind of attention? Thanks!

 

[HappyClucker7]

I'm not sure about your first question, but I can answer your second one.
You're always going to have some chickens who will love to be held, some who will tolerate it, and others who will absolutely not like it at all. Some of this has to do with the breed, but it also has to do with the individual chicken.
You can try to slowly build their trust by not picking them up, but just sitting with them and having them eat from your hand. You can also gently stroke their wings.
Maybe, if they trust you more, they will like to be held more. Or they will just always not like to be held. Remember, chickens are prey animals, and that instinct to run away from big animals is still ingrained in them. With patience, they may become more comfortable around you, but it will take time.

 

[rosemarythyme]

And yes some birds will be loners, just like how some people are loners. As long as she's eating and behaving normally, I'd let her continue to decide if she wants to be with others or not.

 

[aart]

I have 14 hens and one rooster that are 13 weeks old.

FYI-PSA.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.

Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.

Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).

Age in weeks or months is always a good thing to note.