Loner Hen

[The Coop Crew]

Hi guys. Me again
I have one hen who is very flighty and likes to be alone. When I let the rest of the chickens out she will stay in the coop and sometimes just chill on the roosting bar. When she is out of the coop, we leave her alone. We don’t force her to be near us or try to hold her, ect.
Is this normal behavior?
For reference she is a crested cream legbar, 7.5 months old and hasn’t started laying yet.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Sally PB]

As long as she is healthy, I wouldn't worry. Her demeanor may change when she starts laying.

 

[Mrs. K]

I was thinking the same thing, sometimes you will have a personality change when they begin to lay. They are more accepted and have more value in the flock. A non laying bird is a little more on her own if the others are all laying.

Otherwise, if they are eating and active, well that is as normal as it gets.

Mrs K

 

[UpstateChickenDaddy]

I knew someone else would have a question akin to mine. I have one Australorp hen who just stays by herself a great deal. She goes out with everyone else, eats, and sleeps with everyone but she frequently sits on the ground while most of the others are scratching around in the yard, and tonight she is about 1-2 chicken widths apart from the others. A month ago I thought she might have a leg injury but no. She just hangs apart. No one seems to be picking on her but she has always been a concern of mine. I just let her do her thing and she has grown up just like the other 8 flockmates. I am hoping this is just her being her. I guess time will tell. She certainly looks healthy and behaves without an issue apart from sitting a lot and staying by herself.

On another note - holy cow these guys are big now. I swear they are turkeys.

 

[allosaurusrock]

Does she look normal or does she have her feathers fluffed up and look especially fluffy at all?

 

[UpstateChickenDaddy]

Does she look normal or does she have her feathers fluffed up and look especially fluffy at all?

Completely normal. Feathers unfluffed. At least no more so than the rest (it is cold here at the moment).

 

[The Coop Crew]

Does she look normal or does she have her feathers fluffed up and look especially fluffy at all?

She looks normal

 

[The Coop Crew]

I knew someone else would have a question akin to mine. I have one Australorp hen who just stays by herself a great deal. She goes out with everyone else, eats, and sleeps with everyone but she frequently sits on the ground while most of the others are scratching around in the yard, and tonight she is about 1-2 chicken widths apart from the others. A month ago I thought she might have a leg injury but no. She just hangs apart. No one seems to be picking on her but she has always been a concern of mine. I just let her do her thing and she has grown up just like the other 8 flockmates. I am hoping this is just her being her. I guess time will tell. She certainly looks healthy and behaves without an issue apart from sitting a lot and staying by herself.

On another note - holy cow these guys are big now. I swear they are turkeys.

We just have antisocial chickens I guess haha

 

[allosaurusrock]

She looks normal

That is good to hear!

 

[ChookaPete]

She reminds me of my Leghorn pullet Chamomile, however she has been savagedly bullied recently, which explains her loneliness. I am trying to keep her calm with two new pullets and one of my calmer Hy-Line chookies (Clover) who has been happily foraging with her during the past two afternoons.