Lonely Chickens

[DallasAndPecky]

Hi All!
I've had two chickens for about a year now and all they've had are each other.ONe chicken was attacked and began suffering from some pretty rough flystrike. The vet told me to keep her indoors for a few weeks to recover. She's recovering well inside but now my other chicken won't come out of the coop, when before they would ONLY go in there to lay. Am I over thinking it or does she want her friend back? Should I get another chicken, and if so will it be difficult to reintroduce my other chicken outdoors when she's healed? Thanks in advance!!

 

[limited25]

IMO I think it would be nice to get another hen, as they don't like being alone. The new hen would need to be quarantined for 30 days to make sure she doesn't have any diseases that she could bring to your present chickens.

 

[peepinglaura]

Since there's safety in numbers with flocks, solo chickens I think are frightened as well as lonely. I think an additional hen is a super idea. My hens have tended to break into groups of 3, and a trio of hens can make a great connection. They bond pretty quickly too, so I think your hen would be quite happy when she rejoins to find a duo instead of one chicken.

 

[Mrs. K]

well, this is going to be rough no matter how you do it, unless you have just pulled the injured hen. After even a few days in the house, the injured hen will be a stranger. Chickens equate strangers as dangers and will often fight. Sometimes just a scuffle, sometimes down and dirty. If you add another hen, those two will have to sort it out.

However, weeks from now, when you go to introduce the injured bird to the duo, the pair are going to have home front advantage, and each other. A single hen addition is a tough addition to more than one bird.

If you have just separated the birds, I would put the injured bird back as soon as possible. You probably will need to separate them with wire, but have them right next to each other, and feed along the fence, so that they still know each other. Then as she heals completely, you can remove the wire.

Mrs K

 

[bobbi-j]

well, this is going to be rough no matter how you do it, unless you have just pulled the injured hen. After even a few days in the house, the injured hen will be a stranger. Chickens equate strangers as dangers and will often fight. Sometimes just a scuffle, sometimes down and dirty. If you add another hen, those two will have to sort it out.

However, weeks from now, when you go to introduce the injured bird to the duo, the pair are going to have home front advantage, and each other. A single hen addition is a tough addition to more than one bird.

If you have just separated the birds, I would put the injured bird back as soon as possible. You probably will need to separate them with wire, but have them right next to each other, and feed along the fence, so that they still know each other. Then as she heals completely, you can remove the wire.

Mrs K

^ This. If you were to get another hen, the injured one will not be "quite happy" to try to fit in with an established duo. As Mrs. K stated, it will likely be much harder on her as they will have bonded and she's the stranger.

 

[DallasAndPecky]

^ This. If you were to get another hen, the injured one will not be "quite happy" to try to fit in with an established duo. As Mrs. K stated, it will likely be much harder on her as they will have bonded and she's the stranger.

Thank you everyone!! I'm sorry that was my first post and was just now able to verify my account. The other chicken should be fully healed in about a week. So I think I will introduce her through wire. I've tried to reintroduce the birds just briefly, but I think it's best to wait until the injured can rejoin her full time, as they did scuffle. I'll be sure to get a third introduced soon after!