We have had three hens for the past several months. Two disappeared yesterday. I think it was coyotes I am wondering if one lone hen can survive the winter all by herself. We don't plan on adding any more chickens until the spring. Part of me wants to keep her. The other part of me wonders if I should return her to our friends who have the her original flock of 3 birds. Any advice?
I agree that one MUST first figure out how the others disappeared. Take what steps are needed to protect the lone chicken. Remember when looking at your set up that everything thinks chickens are YUMMY.
She will be fine on her own you may wanna keep her inside locked up tight till you figure out what took the others though. Also its harder to intergrate new birds you will have to get birds around her size not chicks or you will have to keep her seperated from them till there older.
I, like you, started off with 3 hens. 2 flew the coop and were picked up by animal control. I live downtown and keeping chickens is 'illegal' so I couldn't get them back. I was soooo worried about my lonesome little Henny. She paced the yard and cried for 2 days then just seemed to forget? Went about her business as usual. The only thing that changed is that she now sleeps in the nest box (probably because she doesn't have the warmth of her sisters). She is happy and doing just fine
