Best Isolation/Retirement Home Coops?

[mac853]

Hi,

We have a 3.5 year old Isa Brown who has slowed down and lost weight. She is bullied and spends most of her time in the nesting box. We did section off a little spot for her in our chicken run but we decided we should just get her her own space where she won't be afraid to leave the box. We've been looking around and currently the only frontrunner is (attached) a little coop from Tractor Supply. Everything else is either very overpriced or seems rather flimsy. Does anyone have any suggestions? Obviously needs to be predator-protected, we have raccoons, coyotes, hawks, the whole 9 yards.

 

[Sally PB]

Save the money on the TSC coop. It is small, poorly built, and flimsy. Put the money toward building a coop. If she is housed all alone, she will be unhappy. Chickens are flock creatures.

How many chickens do you have, besides the one in question? Please post some pictures of your coop/run and maybe people can offer better suggestions.

 

[Eggcessive]

Is she eating and drinking enough, and able to walk around? I would leave her with the others, but if she being hurt or attacked, it might be better to place her inside a dog crate with food and water. I agree that she would be too lonely by herself. She may be approaching the last year or two of her life. Does she have any signs of a reproductive infection or disorder? Any enlarged belly, yellow urates in her poop, or weight loss? Check her crop in early morning to see if it has emptied overnight.

I had a hen who became imbalanced and lame for over a month once. She spent the time in a nest box on the floor of the coop being hand fed until she finally was able to walk again. Then the flock began to attack her since she had not been walking around with them. I had to place her on the other side of out chicken netting/fence during the day. She would walk around and free range in view of the others and had her own food. After months, she was reintroduced and they accepted her.

 

[mac853]

Save the money on the TSC coop. It is small, poorly built, and flimsy. Put the money toward building a coop. If she is housed all alone, she will be unhappy. Chickens are flock creatures.

How many chickens do you have, besides the one in question? Please post some pictures of your coop/run and maybe people can offer better suggestions.

We have 26 chickens total currently.
Our chicken run is 16'x40' and the coop is 14'x20'.

She used to be social, but she is picked on constantly and always hides and sleeps in the box all day/night unless I come out there to protect her so she can eat/drink.

 

[mac853]

Is she eating and drinking enough, and able to walk around? I would leave her with the others, but if she being hurt or attacked, it might be better to place her inside a dog crate with food and water. I agree that she would be too lonely by herself. She may be approaching the last year or two of her life. Does she have any signs of a reproductive infection or disorder? Any enlarged belly, yellow urates in her poop, or weight loss? Check her crop in early morning to see if it has emptied overnight.

I had a hen who became imbalanced and lame for over a month once. She spent the time in a nest box on the floor of the coop being hand fed until she finally was able to walk again. Then the flock began to attack her since she had not been walking around with them. I had to place her on the other side of out chicken netting/fence during the day. She would walk around and free range in view of the others and had her own food. After months, she was reintroduced and they accepted her.

She is only eating and drinking when the others are out in the run or when I'm there to make sure she doesn't get attacked. She can walk.
Weight loss yes, gross/very stinky poop. Crop is fine - honestly I don't think she eats enough for it to warrant a huge emptying