One lonely Buff Orpington - What to do?

[LarryPQ]

Get 2 more hens. That way, if your remaining girl dies of age/illness/sadness, you wont be in this same situation.

 

[cherylcohen]

I would get another buff orpington they do tend to hang together. once they have decided they love each other, I would add 2 more hens. Being left with just 1 hen if horrible for them, with four at least you know there will always be a companion for them. how old is the surviving hen?

 

[chkn]

I'm sure she would love the company.

 

[Kittymomma]

I'd just get one more for now. ChickensAreSweet makes a good point about chicken behaviour--two hens that were raised together will exclude your lonely girl and getting two more birds from different places complicates quarintine and ups the chances of bringing something bad in. Of course I'd also get two more after things settle down--four is a nice managable number and makes it much less likely that you'll be in this sad position again.

Where abouts in the country are you? I have a surplus of Spring pullets and a few two year old girls as well. I'm not really interested in downsizing and don't have any for sale (chicken math doesn't allow subtraction

) but If you're close enough and interested in a barnyard special I'll let you have one of mine.

 

[morrighan]

Thank you all for your support and kind offers! I truly appreciate it. This is why in the beginning, I wanted to get three or four, just in case. But getting ANY chickens at all took a lot of convincing in my household

It must be said, however, that my husband is just as distraught as I am now. He gave her a lovely send-off last night.

The ladies are 11 months old. The one who passed looked like she was molting, it didn't occur to me that it could be late in the season for that. I just assumed she was getting in her winter feathers. But it has been incredibly cold here, so maybe her winter coat wasn't in yet? I can't make sense of it.

We are in the suburbs of Boston, so I'm too far from WA to avail of your kindness, Kittymomma

I think I'll try for one or two more. But if I get two, I'll keep a close eye on them in those first days. The surviving hen was the lead of her pair.

 

[Trishkabob]

We have just been through this(see post about lone hen from about dec. 1 or so from me). Our SLW was alone after something got our Sussex. She was miserable and confused. We consulted on the forum and got wonderful advice, including how long (if) to quarantine for one hen...someone not far from us, introduced through BYc, kindly gave us 3 chickens about the same age-our loner is 8 mos. And 2 pf the newcomers are about 5 mos., one about 9 mos.
We put a chicken wire fence between them in the pen and henhouse. the SLW (Lorna)was curious and seemed very happy to see potential mates-she kept close to the fence and ate in their feeder a ticking her head through to their side. We gingerly let them into the same space after 2 days, while we stood there to monitor and it went well....minimal chasing by Lorna. Each day we let them be together more and a week later they were roosting together. All barriers are down and Lorna serial chases and pecks a bit at the other 3 but it's pretty halfhearted, just to show them she's been here the longest. maybe we got lucky by getting 3 docile ones even though one is a JG and will be bigger than Lorna eventually.
we are new to this and I know we took a chance with cocci and other diseases that might be in the ground but we had no choice I think given the situation and it is getting (has gotten) COLD here in upstate NY.

good luck with whatever you decide. if she was used to having just one friend, one might do it. then, as they get to know each other you can breathe while you decide what to do next, if anything. it's hard to make changes in winter, depending on how cold and dark it gets.
It is so hard to see them lonely-anthropomorphizing or not, there was no doubt Lorna was bewildered and sad.

 

[Mrs. K]

Another point, but one hen does not produce the body heat that more hens together make. In Boston in December, I would think you might want 3-4 hens as quickly as possible to get through the winter.