Lonely hen with leaky vent - worried about introducing another

[StopTheWorldIWantToGetOff]

Hi all, I'm looking for advice please.

I have a lone hen who has a damaged vent and seems to leak urates causing damp messy feathers below her vent. She is otherwise healthy.
She is however, IMO lonely and I would like to get her a companion but I am very worried that another hen would pick on her due to her back-end issue.

Do just two hens still have a pecking order? I wonder about a young hen who might feel less dominant or an older hen who might be more companionable? I really don't know what is for the best.

All comments welcome

 

[Waves]

Please, can you post a picture of your hen?
How do you feed her?
Is she laying?

 

[StopTheWorldIWantToGetOff]

Thanks for response

She has layers pellets and mash. She generally lays every day but is occasionally missing a day for the past month which I assume is the shorter days.

 

[LaFleche]

Hi all, I'm looking for advice please.

I have a lone hen who has a damaged vent and seems to leak urates causing damp messy feathers below her vent. She is otherwise healthy.
She is however, IMO lonely and I would like to get her a companion but I am very worried that another hen would pick on her due to her back-end issue.

Do just two hens still have a pecking order? I wonder about a young hen who might feel less dominant or an older hen who might be more companionable? I really don't know what is for the best.

All comments welcome

When did you last deworm your hen?

Her dirty butt could be caused by worms and should be taken care of.

Welcome to BYC

 

[StopTheWorldIWantToGetOff]

Thanks for reply.

She was wormed with Flubenvet in September. She has had the problem since i re-homed her in July this year. She has seen 3 vets, had 3 courses of treatment. It is apparently not an infection or fungal. She has a slightly damaged vent.

I am worried that if I get another hen, it might pick on her cos of her leaky vent. I wondered if maybe only two hens have less of a pecking order? Or if maybe I got a younger one, my current hen might be top hen and so safe. (I re-homed the other 2 hens that came with her because they bullied her and pecked at her all the time)

 

[LaFleche]

Thanks for reply.

She was wormed with Flubenvet in September. She has had the problem since i re-homed her in July this year. She has seen 3 vets, had 3 courses of treatment. It is apparently not an infection or fungal. She has a slightly damaged vent.

I am worried that if I get another hen, it might pick on her cos of her leaky vent. I wondered if maybe only two hens have less of a pecking order? Or if maybe I got a younger one, my current hen might be top hen and so safe. (I re-homed the other 2 hens that came with her because they bullied her and pecked at her all the time)

I think your worries are justified.

One way to give her some company without the risk of further damage might be to separate them all the way by chicken wire or hardware cloth, so they will be able to see each other, enjoy each others company when resting together on each side of the fence etc. but without the possibility to harm or peck the vent of your damages hen.

 

[StopTheWorldIWantToGetOff]

That’s a very interesting idea! Thank you!

She’s in a 4m x 4m covered run (no free ranging in UK currently) so I could divide it in half with a wire barrier as you suggest and they would each have company. Maybe in time I could put them together and see how they get on.

Do you think they would be Ok in the coop together at night?

 

[LaFleche]

That might be very tight for them. Maybe you could add a little run alongside the already existing one?

As a lot of pecking and shoving happens at roosting time, I suggest you even separate the coop and roost with a wirefence, so they will be able to snuggle without pecking damage.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

they can also bond to non-chickens. I have a tiny little hen that has bonded with a HUGE dog. She sleeps next to the dog. They nap together and sleep next to each other at night.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

That might be very tight for them. Maybe you could add a little run alongside the already existing one?

4mx4m is 172 sq ft (4m=13ft)