From flock to solo

[TwoMileRanch]

A friend wants to get started with chickens and I am offering her a young pullet from my flock of 6. How do chickens adapt from a group to living alone for a while? it may be spring before they add other chicks to their flock.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[nhnanna]

Why not give them two so they won't be lonely?

 

[Nikki28]

Personally I think it may be better to have them raise their own instead of having to introduce babies (when they are old enough) to older girls which is always a pain. They can order chicks now and have all the fun of watching them grow and can also sell the rest of the order. Just my opinion

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:
I agree. I don't think being an only chicken will be fun. Let them order or if the minimum is too much, split with them.

 

[fordmommy]

My cousin had one chick that hatched and they raised it by itself. (She had grown-up chickens at that time. No other babies.) That chicken has problems making friends. She got a few more chickens when the one was a few months old. They were all the same age...but Smokey was the unwelcomed one. She never hangs out with the rest. Always wants to be on the porch with the people and not the others.

I think that you should give her at least two. At least that one would know how to be friends with other chickens. And maybe when your friend gets those others in the spring, she/he can give two of those. Just a thought.

Good luck.

 

[crtrlovr]

Please don't go the solo route. Either give her two, or let her order her own, or go in with her on a small order & split the order, or have her get just a few from MyPetChicken or someone who has babies to sell. A single chicken doesn't get to be a "chicken" in the sense of having another of their own kind to enjoy. They do enjoy the company of people too, but they need at least one other chicken, IMO

 

[NellaBean]

Don't do it. I have a larger group of chickens and had a single pair (rooster and pullet) alone because the rooster was a little bit of a jerk with the other ones. Eventually I had to um.....remove.....the rooster. I tried to add the single girl to the other flock but they just weren't having it and were ganging up 9 vs 1 on her. So I have been keeping her alone in her little pen during the day. She now follows me around the yard like a dog when I am outside, and screams like she is dying when I leave. I feel really sorry for her having to stay alone

I would not purposely do that to a chicken if there was another choice. As it is, if I did not have a group of younger chickens growing up for my single girl to move into in the next couple weeks, I would have went out and bought more just for that purpose. She is so sad to be alone during the day

Fortunately now I have been able to "free-range" (within a fenced 1/2 acre yard) them all together when I am home before dark so she gets some "chicken time" without being in such a small space (the coop) to get picked on too much. But when I get home she starts screaming and jumping on the side of her pen to get out. If I let her out she has gone all the way to jumping over the deck fence and getting loose in the front yard looking for me. I can't imagine putting her to bed at night alone (she goes in the coop with the others). The few times I put her to bed alone when I was chasing down the evil rooster, she would scream and carry on and act ridiculous. Poor thing.


Chickens are not meant to be "lone" animals. Either give her two, or have her buy her own (now or then).

 

[TwoMileRanch]

Thank you all very much. I appreciate the help I get here.

We're re-thinking a new plan. I have 4 hens and 2 roos (they were straight run and I took my chances) If I give up two of the hens, I'm down to two and two roos/hens......which is asking for trouble.

I have more day-old barred rock pullets coming this week but they will be several weeks before I can mix them in with the others.

 

[b.hromada]

Quote:
Yes, they are flock animals, and would be happier with at least one more.

 

[trilyn]

Check out craigslist or post an ad on craigslist. I find chickens for sale on there all the time. Good luck!!