Only one chicken left in my flock. What do I do?

[Joeski510]

I recently lost two of my three chicken flock to a predator. Now I only have one hen left. She's about 9 months old and I'm wondering if I should give her away, buy a new chicken or two to keep her company or wait till spring to get some new chicks? I'm worried about her getting lonely and depressed since she has always had "sisters" around to keep her company. Can a chicken pass away from being lonely? I now have to keep her cooped up all day and night because there's a predator problem and I don't have a chicken run as they always free ranged in the backyard. It's January so I would have to wait three months until spring to get new chicks. Will she be ok till then? Should I find a new home? Should I get new chickens to keep her company? Or is there a solution I'm not exploring. Thanks in advance for your time and advice.

 

[nuthatched]

Can you build a chicken run and but some mirrors in it?

 

[Bsmac]

So sorry about your losses. I guess it depends on your goals. If you want to continue to keep chickens then I would get her some friends soon! Otherwise re homing might be you best bet.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I'm so sorry for your losses. That sounds horrible, and this is such a tough decision to make for your remaining flock member.

I'd consider rehoming her to someone that will take the time to integrate her properly. You could try and pick up a friend, but that will take infrastructure to ensure the two can coexist during integration without beating each other up.

 

[Joeski510]

Can you build a chicken run and but some mirrors in it?

I can build a run with mirrors in it. Will she be fooled by the mirrors and think she’s with other chickens?

 

[nuthatched]

I can build a run with mirrors in it. Will she be fooled by the mirrors and think she’s with other chickens?

Not completely fooled but it may hold her through.

 

[LoveMyPeepers]

Can you build a chicken run and but some mirrors in it?

I wouldn't recommend that, the chicken will still be lonely it will be best for her if you get her more hens or rehome her.

 

[nuthatched]

I wouldn't recommend that, the chicken will still be lonely it will be best for her if you get her more hens or rehome her.

Are you responding to the right person?
It will hold her a short while until chicks are available.

 

[Yardmom]

I did the mirror with a duckling. It did fine and spent time looking in the mirror.
Chickens are flock birds, so getting more birds would be ideal, but chicken can live on their own. A few members have had chickens that choose not to hang with the flock. Others have had situations where one bird survived and lived a content life on its own.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I would build a run and get some started pullets now. Even if you get chicks as soon as they’re available it will still take weeks for them to be coop ready. Depending where you’re located it might be easier to find full grown hens than pullets.