Please help !

[EggSighted4Life]

If I can remember correctly, chickens are capable of recognizing at least 50 people. And they will act differently depending on how they feel about you. I guess you are special to her!

The true recommended space is 4 square feet inside the coop and 10 square feet of run per bird. However, all birds and situations are different. You may be able to get away with less than that or not.

I say do your best and adjust as needed. Chances are she will enjoy having a friend more than an extra foot of lonely space.

 

[Hayamz]

Sadly my friend couldn't get me the othe4 chicken on Friday, maybe later this week ,
Remember the sound I told you about ? I NOTICED THAT she makes it when her mornings are cloudy and dark , you know it's almost winter and you can hardly enjoy the sun ,every morning is full of dark clouds , but yesterday it was a beautiful sunny morning all day , she never made that sound yesterday at all , but this morning the clouds are really dark ,it's like it's night out there, she is makind that sound now even when I was with her preparing her food , she made it , do you think it's really related? Maybe she feels cold or just depressed to start her morning like that ?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Probably just some sadness.

You can still give her light in the morning if you think it makes a difference and just turn it back off later in the day.

Hopefully your friend will come through with a chicken for you.

I don't think she is cold. But she is most likely lonely since it just isn't normal for chickens to be alone....

I am just guessing though, from my own experience. I am no expert at all. But I don't see any other issues.

 

[Hayamz]

I hope so , but if a chicken is feeling sad or lonely , will she eat and be active all day normally /?/ I stayed with her all day long today , it was cloudy and raining until noon , then the sky was clear and the sun rays were covering the whole place and it was warm , once that happened she started to be a lot active than she was in the morning , she ate all her meal and asked for more

, she was scratching and playing and sun bathing

, she was doing fine . but this week so far she laid one egg and last week 3 eggs , I know in winter chicken may stop laying , not as spring or summer right ?? we'll see when I get her a companion , is it okay to bring her a small rooster ?? I DON'T want to get a big one because she's still 7 months old

it' because when I pet her or when me or my boyfriend walk into the balcony she squads and makes some strange sounds

so I guess she needs a rooster ??

 

[EggSighted4Life]

You WILL regret getting a rooster! Do NOT get a rooster!

Unless you want her to be screaming all day. He will mate her over and over again and she won't have any feathers left on her head.

Roosters, especially cockerels (under 1 year old) need to have about 10 hens each minimum in order to not have the girls over mated. I saw one of my cockerels hit up one of my pullets 4 times in a row in less than 1 hour one day. The hens have no say, they just have to squat and take it.

And roosters need more space than hens. She would need a place to get away from him. And your neighbors definitely won't be happy because roosters don't just crow when the sun comes up. They crow to attract the ladies, to compete with other boys, and to warn of predators. I can often hear my roosters crowing at 3, 4, and 5 am! Anytime a sound disturbs them.

Sound like she enjoyed spending the day with you.

Chickens who are laying or ready to will often squat when you quickly put your hand over their back. It doesn't mean she needs a rooster, just that she is mature enough to assume the position. I would think loneliness could come and go, I know it does for me. Maybe accentuated more by dreary days. But of course she will be happy while you are with her. Even though I have 48 chickens, many of the ladies will come hang out by my feet during the day. So they do appreciate our company as well!

But I know you can't be there all the time. They do make chicken diapers... if you wanted to bring her in the house. Which I might consider doing until getting her a companion, when you have time to visit, not permanently. You can google it. There are several companies that make them. I've seen them between $15- $30 US. You might even be able to find directions for a homemade one! I have chatted with people who have used them with great success and usually for the same reason, having only 1 chicken. But sometimes because they need to separate for an injury or the likes.

A good rooster can be great. But you don't have the space. And they can easily become human aggressive. Oddly, the ones that are treated nicely and hang out on your lap as chicks are often the worst offenders. Because in the chicken world fear equates to respect. They will step out of your way and avoid you if they respect you. If they do not.... they may try to grab things out of your hands including your hen. They may face off with you and peck you. They may try to flog you when you walk past or even when you aren't looking. I recommend you avoid a cockerel or rooster like the Plague! I'm not sure if I stressed this point enough? But I'm sure you know I have nothing to gain and am only trying to help you and your girl be healthy and content.

Your egg count is probably still normal. Especially with new layers, which I still consider her... it's hard to tell what their consistency will be. Some breeds are not consistent at all. My first year raising pullets, I got like 21 eggs in a row, then one day off and another 14 in a row with one day off, 21 more eggs then nothing for a month. I am talking about 1 girl. My other two that year did the same approximate thing but never took a whole month off, usually just a day. They were 3 separate breeds and that was in the spring. The one that took a month off, I learned that she had no consistency and therefore never worried about it, she was an EE.

 

[Hayamz]

My friend didn't get me another chicken yet , she lives far away and it's hard for her to come down town in the very bad weather , so I guess Chicky will have to wait a little longer .

but then I had this idea , I decided that every 2 days or so I will put an old sheet or anything on my apartment floor and I WILL let her in for a few hours to enjoy a free space , I started yesterday , I prepared the place , put her down on the floor , she was discovering every inch of the place for more than 15 minutes .

and then she decided to jump on my leg and sit there the entire time .

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Nice, she is very pretty!

I have about 4 hens that will run if I try to catch them. But if I sit there they come chat with me and jump onto my lap where they usually check for lint and stuff. Sometimes they even take a nap!

I don't like travelling in bad weather either, it can be very dangerous.

 

[Hayamz]

Hello my friend how are you ?
There's something really strange happened moments ago , Chicky laid her egg today at 12.00 pm and it was a strong egg as usual ,she was fine playing , scratching and eating until 3.00 pm she looked really sick , closing her eyes while standing up , she wasn't moving , eating , or making any sounds she used to do during her usual day , she was really sick , and at 4.00 pm I found her standing in the corner and trying to push an egg I couldn't believe it's happening again she already laid one , this time she was pushing really hard her face was about to explode , she pushed for 5 minutes and then an egg without shell got out , only a thin layer was covering it and once she pecked it it was opened , and then now Chicky is fine and she's back to her usual activities , can you tell me what has just happened ? And how 2 eggs a day ? And why the second one made her really weak and sick and why the egg was without a shell ??

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Well, I'm glad she is OK now!

Since it was a soft shell, she probably that it was a big poo and not an egg.

Soft shells are often a sign of the system starting up or shutting down for the season. Sometimes a sign of calcium lacking, but a hen will use up her own calcium to make eggs.

Also. maybe the next egg starting got released or pushed through the track to fast for the shell to develop. Since she had many normal shells, her shell gland is probably working still. So it may have been a fluke. But it's good to keep a watch. 2 eggs isn't normal, though it does happen sometimes. Usually in highly productive breeds with extra lighting and during spring or summer season.

I am not sure why it made her weak.

 

[Hayamz]

no it wasn't a big poo yolk and white were normal the only problem was the shell , she gets calcium everyday , that happened to her once , she got really weak and sick and then laid an egg without shell but full of yolk and white , but that was before I knew from you that I should give her calcium daily and other healthy food for her , since the advice you gave me she has been laying very well , I don't know why that has happened , what does a fluke mean ?? and should I worry about what happened ?? she's fine now and nothing wrong with her but I'm still very concerned about what happened