Hen isolates herself, normal?

[mlcrowley]

I've got 5 hens, all about 3 years old and all have been together since they were tiny. They all get along well, but I have one EE who's almost always by herself. They free range during the day and the flock will all wander around together for the most part, but she seems to be by herself more often than not. The other 4 are currently in the back of the house scratching around and she's laying in the front yard dust bathing. She doesn't seem sick at all, she eats, drinks, and will follow the others and scratch around with them for a while, but if they get to a spot she likes, she'll stay there after they move on. Is it normal for a hen to just be a bit more independent than the others?

 

[givengrove]

From what I've learnt yeah! If she doesn't show any symptoms of being sick then it's fine, my Cochin hen used to hang with the girls all the time but then she just.. moved on.

 

[mlcrowley]

From what I've learnt yeah! If she doesn't show any symptoms of being sick then it's fine, my Cochin hen used to hang with the girls all the time but then she just.. moved on.

Thank you! She hasn't shown any symptoms that I've seen. She just seems to not be bothered by what everyone else is doing, haha.

 

[GC-Raptor]

My lowest in the pecking order hangs out by herself about half the time. For example she'll rest under the raised coop while the others forage and vice versa.
So your EE could be at the bottom of the pecking order. GC

 

[kgb6days]

My EE hangs by herself a lot of the time. She's low chick on the pecking order and I think she does it just to keep the others from pecking at her. Sorta like the 'uncool' kid in high school keeping a low profile to keep from getting picked on.

 

[mlcrowley]

That makes total sense, she's definitely the lowest on the totem pole.

 

[aldarita]

It is very interesting to observe the different personalities within the flock, I have one hen that is almost three years old and ever since she was a pullet she has been kind of a loner, she interacts with the rest of the flock but most of the time she is out free ranging by herself. She is not at the bottom of the pecking order, she is sort of in the middle so I might say that, even in the chicken world, there is a wide range of personalities

 

[Spartan22]

Same with my white EE, she mostly avoid others and perched away from the rest, she goes to the highest 8' rafters of the coop while the rest are on 3' & 4' perches, I got 4 EEs and they're all @bottom pecking order.