Background: Coco is a 7 month old pet Easter Egger chicken. She is hand raised like our other pets. We planned on having a playmate for her, but the first chick died on day one and she killed the second chick a few days later. Since then, we've raised her alone. She has a small chicken tractor coop to herself and we let her free range the back yard during the day. She also spends a lot of time in the house. Two weeks ago she started laying her first eggs.
Problem: If I don't release her from her coop at sunrise she starts to yell. LOUD. I think she's lonely. We live in the city and it is illegal to have poultry as pets. If we don't let her in the house or hang out with her outside, she will yell all day at the top of her lungs. If I play with her or even just sit within eyesight, she's quiet.
Question: Should I get a baby chick playmate for her? She could raise it as her own and then be friends with it. She has really never been around other birds other than the two chicks that died the first week. She is now full grown and I would not want to risk another bird bullying her. I want her to have a friend, but don't know if she is too old to make a chicken friend. I also have a horrible fear of getting a rooster and having to get rid of it. I don't even know if getting a chick would solve the screaming issue??? Finally, I just had a 13 year old dog die and I cannot bear the thought she might kill another baby chick.
Please let me know your thoughts and advice. I am terrified her screaming will get us reported and she will be taken away from us. I love her with all my heart.
Cute pic of Coco and I watching a movie when she was a baby...
Problem: If I don't release her from her coop at sunrise she starts to yell. LOUD. I think she's lonely. We live in the city and it is illegal to have poultry as pets. If we don't let her in the house or hang out with her outside, she will yell all day at the top of her lungs. If I play with her or even just sit within eyesight, she's quiet.
Question: Should I get a baby chick playmate for her? She could raise it as her own and then be friends with it. She has really never been around other birds other than the two chicks that died the first week. She is now full grown and I would not want to risk another bird bullying her. I want her to have a friend, but don't know if she is too old to make a chicken friend. I also have a horrible fear of getting a rooster and having to get rid of it. I don't even know if getting a chick would solve the screaming issue??? Finally, I just had a 13 year old dog die and I cannot bear the thought she might kill another baby chick.
Please let me know your thoughts and advice. I am terrified her screaming will get us reported and she will be taken away from us. I love her with all my heart.
Cute pic of Coco and I watching a movie when she was a baby...
