Can a hen live separated from the flock?

[dekel18042]

If she has chicks with her most of the time, she might be okay. For short times between broods, you can play one of the 10hr cluck recordings 24/7 from youtube. That's what I used when I had a chicken who needed to be away from the flock for a few weeks due to an injury. Or you could house her with the two or so hens who pick on her the least.

Just wondering if you have too many roosters for your flock ? Since chickens are flock birds I would either get her a silky friend or put a bantam or two with her.

 

[AWickedChicken]

@sourland Yes 3 months ago was when it first started, we ended up putting a divider up between her and the roosters but would let them all out together in the yard, after she healed we slowly started letting her into the full part of the coop while monitoring her and then eventually put her back in with the rest of the flock full time and from then until now everything was fine until they started picking on her again about a week or so ago, as I said it was originally just the Silkie rooster in the beginning when we first separated her, but now it's most of the roosters and I'm thinking instead of a divider just giving her her own room/coop.

@Anne4596 I can keep the Bantams with her until there are chicks to keep her company but then I wonder if the bantams would have a hard time returning to the flock...

@dekel18042 Yes we do have too many roosters, as my husband puts it a few are going to become dinner soon.

 

[Mrs. K]

You are suffering from chicken math. Most of us have been bitten. Unfortunately, the only way to correct is to build additional space or cull some birds. Birds confined in too small of area will NOT BE NICE. Too many roosters in too small of space can really be UGLY.

What I think has happened is what was enough space is no longer enough space because the birds are at full size. Also with the long dark days, birds spend most of the 24 roosted up. Mine are headed in by 4:00, not coming out until 7:30. Close quarters makes for mean birds.

I think from your frowning face, you don't like the idea of culling the roosters, but really it would help huge. Ten to one, you have things very crowded. A miserable flock is a miserable flock. Getting rid of 5 head will help immensely. Funny enough, you will enjoy the birds more when they all get along, and they will lay more eggs. If you cannot cull them, and a lot of people can't. Offer them for free and don't ask any questions. The sooner you get them out, the better it will be, and if you dawdle it will be worse.

Mentally, people need to prepare themselves that not all birds fit in a backyard set up. Birds raised together and all getting a long will not last if space is short, as they get bigger and need more space. They are so tiny when you buy them, the space needed looks huge...so you do exactly what you did, you go and buy some more. Most of us have done this at one time or another.

You really have to cull some birds, wishing they would all be nice will not work.

Mrs K

 

[aldarita]

Amen to that Mrs. K, very well said!

 

[AWickedChicken]

Thank you everybody for the replies and I'm sorry it took so long to answer you all but I have news!

1) We're moving! And not just us but our chick-chicks too! Not only will they be right in our backyard now but they're getting a bigger coop! Woohoo!

2) We "seperated" Daenerys again pretty much the same way as before, but this time something different happened! The king was over thrown! He was not killed and as far as we can tell the only thing that got hurt was his pride! As a matter of fact he was over thrown by another rooster that dislikes me even more! But after the change in leadership we reintroduced Daenerys!

3) Boom! The new king was over thrown! Once again no injuries except possibly his comb though I think it was more from frostbite then an actual fight. But our RIR "Deadpool" is now the big man, strutting his stuff and taking charge everywhere he can. But it's still good news for Daenerys because from the time I posted this to now she has healed up beautifully and we haven't seen a single rooster or hen coming near her "aggressively"! (Pictures below!)

4) Craster our sex-link male and the second king to be over-thrown is healing well from the frostbite to his comb as well!

Note: For everyone recommending culling, I agree.... when it became finalized that we were moving I was initially only going to take five chicks with us, Daenerys, Craster, and the three bantams. We were going to leave the rest with my in-laws as raising them was a family project and they enjoy them just as much as we do but plans changed and we will be taking them all with us, and yes we are making our cull list which does make me sad but I also understand it is what it is..


Daenerys looking beautiful!


Craster's comb looks much better!


The three kings! From left to right: Viserys(overthrown by Craster), Craster(overthrown by Deadpool), Deadpool (current king)