Can it be OK to have just one chicken as a pet?

[pattee]

I know chickens are flocks by nature but do you think it's possible to just keep one chicken? Would she be lonely?
Please if anyone has any idea I'd be happy to hear. For or against it.
Thanks~

 

[AccentOnHakes]

It might be okay if someone is home at all times and she's a house chicken, or if you get some ducks....I really have no idea.

 

[Bullet]

I would think she would get lonely. I had a porcelain d'uccle I kept her like a house chicken she was by herself and she cried alot. I got her a friend, a bob white it was a funny relationship but she just loved it to death

 

[patandchickens]

Of course it will be lonely, they're flock animals.

Will it curl up and die of loneliness? probably not.

But would it be a whole big lot kinder to have two or three so they can have some natural level of comfort and behavioral expression and 'being a chicken'? for sure.

Good luck with your decision,

Pat

 

[ams3651]

right now I have a chicken out and about on her own. she was singled out because of an injury but is doing fine now. she is scared to death of the other chickens now so I just let her run around on her own. she will sit on the porch and peck on the window where we are sitting and sleep right in front of the porch door where she can see in the door. FOr a while she was close to me now she runs the other way. She seems ok out on her own but I know she will be happier with a friend in her own run.

 

[JakRat]

I would deff get her a friend... they like having friends

 

[AHappychick]

I think 2 is best but if you were going to spend A LOT of time with it and be its "flock" than I think it would be fine. Just remember they live or can live a long time

 

[bufforp89]

I had just one a few years ago and she decided to move to the neighbors where there were other chickens

 

[babyblue]

chickens are flock animals so most of them would prefer a friend. however that is not always the case with every single animal. I have horses, which are big time herd animals and my old horse would seriously prefer to be the only horse on the farm and have solely human companionship.

 

[honeydoll]

When one of my chickens gets seperated from the flock for more than a half hour they start chirping until finally they are found or the rest come back to the coop. I would think she would be lonely but she may be ok. One of my hens seems to prefer to be alone for half the day, at dusk and later she is always with the flock again though.