Giving my single hen a friend...

TheChickieMama

In the Brooder
Dec 16, 2017
13
17
27
Hi everyone,

I had three hens that I had been raising since this past April. Tuesday night, two of the three were killed by what I believe was a weasel. We are working on securing the coop better, especially at night.

My problem is that now I have one lonely hen, Grace. She really is a survivor- she was always picked on by the other two. I need to get her a new friend so she is not alone, or possible two new friends.

Most of what I'm reading is saying I need to quarantine new chickens for a month before introducing them to the existing flock, AKA Grace. Will Grace be okay by herself for a month plus, until we have a healthy, quarantined bird to add to her home?

I know this is a dumb question, but is there ANYTHING I can do to cut down quarantine time? Medicines, vet visits? I feel so terrible our Grace is now all alone. :'(

Or maybe there's another idea I'm just not thinking of, that will get a new bird in to the coop quickly?

Thank you!
 
Quarantine will only show you if the new birds are harboring any active illnesses. It won't help with introducing new pathogens that your existing hen hasn't seen before. She still could get sick and die after introductions are made. It's always a risk when adding older birds.

I personally would skip quarantine, because it's designed to not destroy a whole flock. An individual is always suppose to be used as a sacrifice to test what the new birds are carrying, so with only one bird it wouldn't matter.

Don't let me talk you into nothing or out of nothing. It's all about what you are willing to risk.
 
Quarantine will only show you if the new birds are harboring any active illnesses. It won't help with introducing new pathogens that your existing hen hasn't seen before. She still could get sick and die after introductions are made. It's always a risk when adding older birds.

I personally would skip quarantine, because it's designed to not destroy a whole flock. An individual is always suppose to be used as a sacrifice to test what the new birds are carrying, so with only one bird it wouldn't matter.

Don't let me talk you into nothing or out of nothing. It's all about what you are willing to risk.
Thank you for the feedback! This is definitely something to consider. I think I would be willing to risk losing her, over having her be all alone for the rest of her life. I will definitely need to think about it, though. Thanks!!
 
Was Grace a chick when you got her?
Is she laying yet?
What type of bird is she?
Are you keeping her indoors or outdoors currently?
What is the temperature like where you're at?
Hi! I got Grace at about 6-8 weeks old. The other two were the same age. She's now about 10 months old. She was laying eggs July-September but stopped because she started molting (she's a slow, lazy molter) and I think now the weather has stopped egg production as well. She's an easter Egger, but has a tail so I think she's more Americauna than Aracuana. She lives outside in a coop/run that's about 7'x3', and this is all inside a 10'x10' dog kennel to give more space to run around. Right now, she's just in the coop/run because I can lock it up very secure and I'm worried about her.

It gets to the 30s at night. It got down to 24 the night our other two were "taken". I live in Charlotte, NC so our winters are mild with a few cold snaps.
 

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