Chicken play dates?

Chicken + Duck = Ducken!

In the Brooder
8 Years
Jun 1, 2011
32
0
29
a small town in Oklahoma
I figured this would fit in most with the category of chicken behavior. I have a pet hen; she's my only bird. She's going to be vaccinated soon. A few weeks after that, would it be a good idea to take her to a park, have someone else bring their vaccinated pet chicken to the park, and let them have a playdate? I know they'd fight at first to establish who's who in the pecking order. Has anyone else ever done a chicken playdate? Any tips or advice?
 
I figured this would fit in most with the category of chicken behavior. I have a pet hen; she's my only bird. She's going to be vaccinated soon. A few weeks after that, would it be a good idea to take her to a park, have someone else bring their vaccinated pet chicken to the park, and let them have a playdate? I know they'd fight at first to establish who's who in the pecking order. Has anyone else ever done a chicken playdate? Any tips or advice?

I would not recommend that. You should keep your bird on your property where her immune system is acclimated to what is present in her environment. The minute you set her down elsewhere and with another bird, you introduce new strains of contaminants and diseases. No pecking order will be established between birds who see each other in rare and unusual circumstances. Birds hate change so a day at the park will be very stressful and dangerous for her. Sorry!
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So no park trips for her either? That stinks!! Before it got cold, I'd take her on stroller rides whenever I had time and she enjoyed herself. I was too paranoid to let her run around much though.

*IF* you could keep her in a stroller, she might be ok health wise. In a public space like a park, all manner of animals and even people are urinating and shedding there. This is why, if her feet touch the ground. she is at risk. What about the off leash dog from hell that comes out of no where with chicken dinner in mind? What if she gets loose, how will you catch her?
I mean, it's your bird, watch for signs of stress. A bird sitting stock still is not necessarily content, it is often a sign of fear and distress.
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I used to take her to this little fenced in park on the outskirts of town. She grew up an only bird, so she thinks that she's both and a cat (she was brought up by my cats and I and she imprinted on us). When I take her outside she wanders off sometimes, but she always comes running and jumping when I call for her, if she finds something cool that she wants to show me or share with me, or if I get out of her line of sight. She used to walk around in the stroller, sprawl out and sunbath, nap, snack, or just sit there and stare blankly. As a baby she went literally everywhere with me so I figured it wouldn't be fair to her to make her stay home 24/7 now that she's huge so I try to take her on walks, to friend's houses (only inside, they have dogs outside and dogs killed the flock I had so I don't trust them around birds), and to Petsmart or Petco (only in my arms; she sees food and jumps out of the stroller and I don't let her walk in stores.) She especially loves car rides, mostly because when I eat out, I get her one of those fresh real ingredient dog food cup things in the refrigerator at Petsmart and some Gatorade, water, or tea.
 
She's an inside pet and I feel bad that I'm not able to get a bird friend for her and that she's always stuck in the house, so I try to take her on field trips. She'd never last as part of a flock because she gets tired of being outside after an hour or two and goes back in and when it's hot, cold, cloudy, or windy, the second I set her down she walks her butt right back inside and gives me this look as if to say "Oh HECK no! Are you crazy?! Let's stay inside where it's cozy." Also, I'm pretty sure she'd be appalled if I made her sleep on a roost or in a nesting box as opposed to my bed or her little fleece dog bed type thing.
 
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If there is one thing i have learned about keeping chickens is that they have a schedule and they love to use it and when you mess with it they don't like it. lol If it was me i wouldn't take her out of her normal environment.
 
Chickens are not dogs. Nor are they people. Your hen would not enjoy a "play date". All it will do is stress her out. Chickens do not like strangers. In addition those vaccinations you pLan for her will not prevent all poultry illnesses.
 

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