Chicken LOSING IT! Help!

[FluffyandGinger]

My lone chook, who was abandoned when her best friend and sister passed last weekend has been lonely ALL week !

Today we went to the nursery to buy her a companion and they were undergoing reno's and so only had 18 week old chooks left. We took the biggest one and brought it home. My lone chook has lost her mind! I've put the new one in the coop under the bedroom part, partitioned her off so that they can see and talk to each other but the chook is just BOK BOK BOK-KING at the top of her lungs nonstop. I'm frightened for the new one, who since coming home has also developed a runny nose - is this stress?

I've never done this before…. any words of wisdom, encouragement, advice?

I think I'll leave the chickens separated today and see how they go tomorrow. This is stressing me out!!!!

 

[Ezs Choukies]

My lone chook, who was abandoned when her best friend and sister passed last weekend has been lonely ALL week ! 

Today we went to the nursery to buy her a companion and they were undergoing reno's and so only had 18 week old chooks left. We took the biggest one and brought it home. My lone chook has lost her mind! I've put the new one in the coop under the bedroom part, partitioned her off so that they can see and talk to each other but the chook is just BOK BOK BOK-KING at the top of her lungs nonstop. I'm frightened for the new one, who since coming home has also developed a runny nose - is this stress?

I've never done this before…. any words of wisdom, encouragement, advice? 

I think I'll leave the chickens separated today and see how they go tomorrow. This is stressing me out!!!! 

:cd  

Hi FluffyandGinger,
Sorry to hear about your loss. There are a few things I think when I read tour post in no particular. Chickens find their own pecking order bur they need to be kept safe in the process. It can be extremely difficult to introduce a new member into the flock especially if the space has already been claimed by the current tenants and you aren't moving them into a nuetral space. I have had the best luck housing them near eachother then having controlled/supervised introductions in a nuetral area. Along that note, even though new birds may appear to be healthy you just never know. Stress can bring on underlying illnesses. Quarentine of new birds ensures health issues are addressed and allows them to get to know eachother before actual contact. Also, this is going to sound nutty but don't stress or show your birds you are apprehensive about the situation. You are the confident flockmaster. Show your birds you are confident about the goings on and they will allow you to be the boss. It is a bit like having a bossy, assertive roo. Pick the bird up carry her under your arm while you do bird or yard things and they get the idea you are the boss and they don't need to be. Another trick, after you know there are no health concerns, remove your current chook from the housing area and swith their space so they get used to smells. Finally, when you are ready to house them together do it at night. They have the quiet hours to get used to eachothers noises and smells in one place and keep abit of an eye on them. They are going argue and fuss, draw the line if someone draws blood. Many wishes for good luck. Please, keep us posted.

 

[Ezs Choukies]

And apologies for all those type-o's...yikes. Small keyboard.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

When bringing in new birds, its best to quarantine them for 30 days and allow no contact with others (even from you, your clothing, shoes, ECT). But, its a little too late for that now.
Your chicken is carrying on because you've turned her world upside down. They are major creatures of habit, and some birds are so touchy they freak if you move the feeder. She'll get over herself

I would be concerned about that runny nose tho. Chickens don't get colds, they get chronic respiratory diseases (which they carry forever and give to others they contact) or fungal infections (which would be a better scenario), things like that. Its also entirely possible that whatever the new bird has, it picked up from your bird.
Anyway, I wish you the best of luck. And something to think about, if your set up allows, you may want to consider adding one more chicken (if everyone seems healthy in a few weeks). That way if you should happen to loose one, you aren't stuck with a loner again.

 

[FluffyandGinger]

Thanks so much for your replies - the new chicken has still got a runny nose this morning. It seemed to appear between the nursery and home so I don't think it has come from my existing chook.

They still haven't met (newbie is sectioned off in the run) and existing chook is still being very vocal about how upset she is.

I'm taking the new chook back to the nursery today to see if they can tell me more about the runny nose, and possibly swap her out, get medication and also get an additional chicken…. and that makes three. This whole experience is a bit traumatic (for me and my feathered friends), and I think it makes perfect sense to get a couple more so if this happens again for whatever reason, the two remaining ones would be just happy together. It took a bit to convince my husband but he's happy now to do whatever it takes to make it work.

The nursery gave me some silver colloidal antibiotics for a runny nose in one of my chicks when we got them, and it seemed to clear everything up.

It's a long weekend here in Sydney, Australia so my fingers are crossed that the nursery is open today!!!!