I just lost our big australorp hen, she was fine in the morning and just laid down and died in the afternoon.IDK it was very very sad and now I have only the one little Australorp left.She is a year and a half old and an excellent layer, they both were.Anyway I dont know that I can replace her as they dont sell chicks now at the feed store.Id it okay to just have the one? If she is going to be too lonely I am thinking of giving her away to a friend with a farm...I do like her alot though and would love to keep her as a pet if I know she will be fine alone. We think maybe the one that died had a hemmorage or something.She had laid an egg that morning so I dont think she was egg bound.They were both so healthy I just dont really know what happened.No injuries that I could find on her either..
Chickens are extremely social flock animals. I'd get her a companion her own age, because it's stressful for them without at least one other bird. Around here, on Craigslist you can always find adult chickens and cockerels or pullets for sale or free, even when chicks aren't available. Even a rooster would be better than nothing for her. Another chicken her age, would give her someone to establish a pecking order with - which extremely important for chickens and lowers their stress level when they know where they belong on their own flock's pecking order. If you put her with a different flock, at bare minimum be sure the person who does it knows how to introduce one single chicken into a flock. Otherwise, she may be pecked to death by the new flock. Good luck to you and to her!
You should definitly have at least two. when they're chicks they get extremly lonly and scared if they are alone.
I would hate myself if she got pecked to death, she is such a good girl, very sweet and friendly...I will look around and see what I can find.Maybe I will get lucky.Thanks
I'm sure you'll come across some nice birds. I'd get two hens roughly around the same age as her. I would also quarantine them for at least a month because you don't know the home-life they're coming from. If they are sick, or have mites, they could infect your poor lone hen. In this gap of a few weeks, you should check your newbies to make sure they're in good health. After that time period, you can introduce them to your lone hen. Chances are, they'll fight, because this is your new hen's territory, and two new birds may double up and try to take on one lone hen. Just moniter the situation. Before long, you will have a flock forming. Until quarantine is over, I think she'll be okay being alone. But if you're really worried, you can risk it and just throw the birds in with her, of course making sure they don't peck each other to death.
We had just one chicken for a year. Raised as a chick. She did just fine. We gave her lots of attention. Then in March we aquired a new one that was five weeks. we keeped her seprate from the adult for a month then intruduced them under supervision until the baby was not quite half grown. They had a yard to run around in and the baby would run and stay out of the adults way. They now do just fine together. Am hoping you get a new chicken for your exsisting one. If you want a chick and if you have to wait a little the chicken you have, I think would do just fine on her own for a while. Just give her lots of attention and treats! Also so sorry you lost you other chicken. I'd be curious as to why it passed. Good luck, Jen in AZ
