Should I get her a friend?

[duckncover]

I have a bantam frizzle cochin hen that has been alone for a few months and is young. I have the opportunity to possibly get her a friend next week while I am visiting my friends farm. She stays in my house in a cage with a roost. If I slowly introduced another bantam hen to her would they be okay and benefit from each others company? I plan to put them outside when it warms up since frizzles don't do well with the winter cold. I just want to make sure that I'm doing the right thing.

 

[ChickenCurt]

Chickens, like most birds, are social animals but no one can predict if there'll be any personality clashes.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Just one more?....your "chicken math" doesn't compute.

I was going to have 10 now I have 27 with 18 more on the way...AND soon (cue the music dundundun) and incubator.

Chickens are flock animals, she definitely would benefit from having a buddy!

 

[duckncover]

Quote: Haha. Believe me if it was my choice I'd have a ton of them but I live in the city and for the most part the chicken I have is a house pet. If I was in a better situation I'd raise all sorts of beautiful colors of chickens, both standard and bantam. I'd also really love to have a flock of ducks and geese. I'm a crazy chicken person at heart. It's just my situation doesn't allow for me to act on it since I live with my mom. After many childhood experiences of bringing ducklings and chicks home she has a strong policy on not turning our house (or yard) into a farm. If I did bring her home a friend she would freak out but I know she'd get over it.

Where I'm going to look at the chickens I can probably bring Frizzle (my hen) with me and let her pick out her own friend. What behavior should I look for in two compatible hens?

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Haha. Believe me if it was my choice I'd have a ton of them but I live in the city and for the most part the chicken I have is a house pet. If I was in a better situation I'd raise all sorts of beautiful colors of chickens, both standard and bantam. I'd also really love to have a flock of ducks and geese. I'm a crazy chicken person at heart. It's just my situation doesn't allow for me to act on it since I live with my mom. After many childhood experiences of bringing ducklings and chicks home she has a strong policy on not turning our house (or yard) into a farm. If I did bring her home a friend she would freak out but I know she'd get over it.

Where I'm going to look at the chickens I can probably bring Frizzle (my hen) with me and let her pick out her own friend. What behavior should I look for in two compatible hens?

I'm not sure on that one. She might be nervous around a bunch of new birds. I would look for a curious and friendly partner. Just be sure and look over your new bird carefully, wings, feet, beak, eyes, etc. Your best bet is to quarantine any new birds, but you may not have that ability, I would just give both birds a boost of vitamins when you bring them home, to ensure healthy immune systems!
Good luck, post pictures!

 

[Amina]

When I introduced a new pullet to my flock, I initially kept her in a cage where the older hens could see her, but not get at her. Some of my older hens seemed very interested in her, and some mostly ignored her. After a week when I let the new pullet mix with the flock, the hens that had seemed most interested were the worst bullies. The one who initially totally ignored her was the friendliest with her. So what you could do is bring your frizzle in a cage, put the cage where the other chickens can see her, and then observe who ignores her and who comes toward the cage and seems interested. I'd go with the one that ignores her.

That being said, unless these other chickens are say, your next door neighbor's flock that you see up close all the time and personally know their history, you don't want to get your frizzle close to them because they could have diseases, lice, mites, etc that may not be apparent at first. Quarantine is important.