Solitary chicken

[jbrewster]

I had two 5-year-old chickens, but one died early in the summer. My remaining girl has seemed fine (maybe even happier - she laid more and longer through the summer than any other year I had her!)

I'm worried about her with the cold weather coming in (I live in NW Washington state) - I'd be sad to rehome her with another flock, but I can if that would be best. She's a pretty big girl and might bully a new chicken if I were to take on another. My coop is pretty small, so I don't think I could have more than 2 chickens total.

Let me know your thoughts!

 

[azygous]

If she's bonded with you, then you are her flock. While chickens do derive comfort and a sense of security when they have other chickens in proximity, they can do just fine as solitary birds as long as they have another life form to bond with and interact with. A dog or cat or human can suffice as long as they pose no stressful threat.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Cold shouldn't be an issue, as long as she has a decent coat of feathers and down she can puff up and keep herself warm. It sounds like she's doing ok as a solitary bird, so if you really don't want another and don't want to rehome her, as long as you or other family members can spend time with her every day, she should continue to do fine as-is.