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.

 

[Lokahi]

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.

I have a black sex link that's been doing that for the last 3 weeks ... She gets out and free ranges with the rest of the chickens we've had to separate the six younger chickens which she is part of from the older chickens which is only 2 weeks older because the older ones tend to pick on the younger one still even after 5 months... Most of the younger ones have started fighting back and the older ones have been leaving them alone but I do have one and she's a beautiful black sex it just bothers me when I see her sitting up in her coop by herself... I told my husband we need to make more of a bigger space for them so he is working on something currently now because the coup they're in is the one that they sell at Rural King it's supposed to be for 8 chickens.. plenty of room in the nesting box in area for them to sleep but not much room for them to roam during the day... except for when we leave them out for free ranging... Wish we could leave out all day long but we have coyotes and foxes so we have to do it when we can be out and keep an eye on them.... I've checked her out she seems fine her feathers are nice and shiny her cone is red but not too red it's just right just like the others... she does seem like she's labors a little bit with her breathing but it's been hot and humid the last several weeks ...they get fresh water about every day.