Does my chicken need a friend?

[ellangdon22]

I have 8 chickens total, but I keep my two Easter Eggers separate because one has a slipped tendon (this happened when she was about 8 weeks old and was not fixable per our poultry vet) and I don't want the other 6 picking on her. These two have been together since I brought them home when they were a couple days old, and they are very much attached. The hen without the slipped tendon almost acts as the other's protector. She would literally jump on her to try and help when we were originally trying to diagnose her leg issue and had to hold her for long periods of time. The hen with the slipped tendon had been getting around fine, eating and drinking, and being a regular chicken for the last two months, up until this weekend.

Long story short, we have to have her euthanized and I am worried about the other hen. I don't really want to combine her with the other 6, since she free ranges the yard and they are enclosed in a large run, so I don't want to have to close her in. I also worry about them accepting her. They are only 3 weeks older, but they haven't been around each other for nearly 3 months. Should I get another hen to keep her company? Would that even be a good idea considering they may not cooperate? I don't want to have to go back to raising chicks just yet, so it would limit my options as far as companion breeds as well.

Part of me hopes she will like the freedom of not having to worry about her friend but I know she will be sad after seeing how she acted when we took her to the vet originally. I would love any advice or stories you all have!

 

[MarkJr]

You will be introducing a new chicken one way or the other. 1:1 would be easier, but marginally so.

If you want 2 groups.... go for it. I personally would integrate her with rest of flock.

 

[ellangdon22]

You will be introducing a new chicken one way or the other. 1:1 would be easier, but marginally so.

If you want 2 groups.... go for it. I personally would integrate her with rest of flock.

so a companion is definitely necessary you’d say? She isn’t laying quite yet so it’s hard to judge her demeanor based on that, but we plan to keep a close eye on her to see.

 

[MarkJr]

so a companion is definitely necessary you’d say? She isn’t laying quite yet so it’s hard to judge her demeanor based on that, but we plan to keep a close eye on her to see.

I’ve never tried keeping a solo chicken. Having said that, all that I’ve read says they do better with a buddy. From cheeping right after laying to encourage others to break out..... to putting a healthy flock mate in with injured to encourage movement and eating.

 

[ellangdon22]

I’ve never tried keeping a solo chicken. Having said that, all that I’ve read says they do better with a buddy. From cheeping right after laying to encourage others to break out..... to putting a healthy flock mate in with injured to encourage movement and eating.

My parents had a solo chicken who showed up as a stray and was happy for years, so that’s why I didn’t even realize they would NEED a companion until doing some reading on here! But looking back she probably found her friend in their barn cat who was her buddy. we will have to see how she does in the next few days