Helping a chicken with loneliness while in the henspital? **important**

[crunchygranola]

I have a hen that I had to pull from her flock to get her in the a.c. She squawks like crazy whenever I leave the room and gets really restless and uneasy and exerts herself physically. She’s taken a keen interest in a mirror I have on the ground (full length body mirror) and spends most of her time there.
How can I help her be less lonely while she’s recovering and I have to be somewhere?

 

[AntiqueB]

Can you bring in a second flockmate for the time she'll be there? Just for the ac should only be a couple hours.

 

[crunchygranola]

Can you bring in a second flockmate for the time she'll be there? Just for the ac should only be a couple hours.

I’m sure that I could. Would there be any fighting between them? It’s been 2 days that she’s been inside away from her flock.

 

[AntiqueB]

Is she just inside for the coolness? 2 days is a long time. Usually, they need a couple hours to perk up.

 

[crunchygranola]

She is inside for

Is she just inside for the coolness? 2 days is a long time. Usually, they need a couple hours to perk up.

She is. She had heatstroke and isn’t super out of the woods, although there is progress.

 

[AntiqueB]

If she and her friend don't get along, you can keep them separate, but where they can see each other. It can help to bring in the girl she gets along with best, or one lower in the pecking order. Let the second one go back out to the coop to sleep.

You can also perhaps put her outside for a little bit, separate but where she can see the others, and they can see her. That can help with re-integration, too.

 

[crunchygranola]

If she and her friend don't get along, you can keep them separate, but where they can see each other. It can help to bring in the girl she gets along with best, or one lower in the pecking order. Let the second one go back out to the coop to sleep.

You can also perhaps put her outside for a little bit, separate but where she can see the others, and they can see her. That can help with re-integration, too.

I brought in a lower-ranking one— they’re very docile with each other and get along well— things went smoothly. Thank you so much!

 

[AntiqueB]

It will make her re-integration with the entire flock easier, too, if she already has a friend in it.

 

[crunchygranola]

It will make her re-integration with the entire flock easier, too, if she already has a friend in it.

Perfect!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Did you try cooling her in a cool bath?