Lost friend/solo hen now

[Pollypocketmom]

Hi! New here and I need some feedback. We lost a hen today.

We only had two and now the one is alone. Should we try to add another older hen or a chick. She actually seems sad. Have no idea what killed the hen, but they have been healthy and happy. I am not sure how this hen will fair being all alone now. We don't want to have too many hens but loved the pair. They have been together since they were chicks.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ll]

I was faced with having one pullet left - we purchased another and they are best friends.
I made an "introducing page" ... maybe it can give you some inspiration or helpful ideas.
Good luck!

 

[ll]

... and Welcome to BYC!

 

[cobrien]

Definitely get one or even 2 more hens. I'd look for ~6 month old hens that are a docile breed and that appear to have a docile temperament. But note - their behavior can change on you and breed is not always the best indicator.

I think 3 is a better number to start with. If one dies you will still have 2 and you don't need to add another. If a second one dies you could introduce 2 new ones. This will reduce the number of times you have to add a new hen - which is sometimes not fun. If you haven't done it before you can read a gazillion posts on BYC about 'integrating a new hen'.

Good luck and sorry you lost one of your girls.

 

[Pollypocketmom]

Great advice thank you! Hadn't thought about 3, and the age was a big question for me. I couldn't be sure she would want a chick around. Now the real search is on!