Help! What to do with one lonely chicken

[Melindasoo]

i got two baby chicks in September.. they grew up together and bonded.. I also have seven fulled grown hens who all get along.. I was planning on integrating my now 4 month old babies with the rest. I put a small coop next to the big run and they were getting to know one another just fine. Then Boo, my baby died suddenly, and left Charlie all alone. So how do I integrate Charlie to the flock? Should I get another pullet around Charlie’s age and put them together for awhile or should I just try to integrate Charlie by herself? I don’t want her to be lonely and alone forever? She’s a welsummer and her best friend was a Brahma. I’m crushed!

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC.
I am so sorry for your loss.

First...
Do you know why your chicken died?

 

[DobieLover]

i got two baby chicks in September.. they grew up together and bonded.. I also have seven fulled grown hens who all get along.. I was planning on integrating my now 4 month old babies with the rest. I put a small coop next to the big run and they were getting to know one another just fine. Then Boo, my baby died suddenly, and left Charlie all alone. So how do I integrate Charlie to the flock? Should I get another pullet around Charlie’s age and put them together for awhile or should I just try to integrate Charlie by herself? I don’t want her to be lonely and alone forever? She’s a welsummer and her best friend was a Brahma. I’m crushed!

You poor thing! So sorry you lost Boo.
Do you have any idea what happened to Boo? If it was something contagious, you might want to wait a while longer to make sure Charlie is okay. Could it have been coccidiosis?
If Charlie remains healthy, you can work on integrating her. Make sure there is plenty of roost space, extra feeders and waterers and places she can hide and get out of the line of sight from the big girls.
It is easier to integrate multiple birds into an existing flock but certainly not impossible to integrate a single girl bird.
Before you just toss her in the coop with the big girls, allow them to free range (if that is what you do) or be out together in a large area where there are places Charlie can hide. Watch to see how it goes. Give it a week or so. You may get a pleasant surprise like I did and Charlie with just integrate herself. Just go slowly and let them work things out as long as Charlie doesn't get truly beat up. A little blood from a peck during restructuring of the pecking order isn't really a big deal. If the Charlie is really being abused and looks miserable you would need to step in.
Good luck to you and Charlie.

 

[Mrs. K]

Try ONE of the birds from the big flock, maybe a bird in the middle of the pecking order added to where you are keeping the young bird. They may duke it out, but it will be one bird on one bird. When they are getting along, you can add one more, and after that as settled, add the three into the flock.