Lonely Hen

[SaltyFlockers]

I found one of my two hens dead last night and I need to know how to keep the surviving hen from feeling lonely. I have four pullets but they will be in quarantine for about another month. What can I do to keep my hen from feeling lonely and having isolation issues?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Quarantine is about holding birds separately to see if any develop any diseases before introducing them to existing birds.

Quarantine does not keep birds from exchanging whatever diseases each may carry and be immune to. So birds can still get sick after a quarantine period.

The second part of a quarantine is to pick out a sacrificial bird and house it next to the new ones to see if it gets sick. So if you only have one hen I would just start penning them next to each other.

Here's an article that explains the quarantine period,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...nderestimated-part-of-raising-chickens.67097/

 

[SaltyFlockers]

Quarantine is about holding birds separately to see if any develop any diseases before introducing them to existing birds.

Quarantine does not keep birds from exchanging whatever diseases each may carry and be immune to. So birds can still get sick after a quarantine period.

The second part of a quarantine is to pick out a sacrificial bird and house it next to the new ones to see if it gets sick. So if you only have one hen I would just start penning them next to each other.

Here's an article that explains the quarantine period,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...nderestimated-part-of-raising-chickens.67097/

That makes sense. Thank you for the help.

 

[rosemarythyme]

As far as the loneliness, sounds like she'll have a new flock in a month so I think she'll be ok without a friend during that period. You can try giving her a mirror, some birds will see that as another bird. Or just spend more time with her if you're able to, to give her some form of socialization.