Stay alone or re-home?

[Leanne Burton]

Sadly we are now down to one chicken, we started with 4 but over the last couple of years we've lost three - two to illness, one was had by a predator! The last two were very close buddies, did everything together, now she is on her own. She is still a happy hen but I worry that she is lonely. My question is has anyone else had just one hen and did they thrive? We have the opportunity to re-home her with a 4 year old chicken who is on her own but I'm a bit nervous about putting her in strange surroundings and then there's the issue of possibly being picked on.

 

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

You can always get a bunch of chicks and raise them and put them with her. Or you can get a chicken stuffed animal. Good Luck!

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

It really comes down to if you want more chickens or not? If you want some more chickens go out and get two or more pullets/hens for your hen.

 

[Sneebsey]

I wouldn't keep one alone. Chickens are flock animals; they rely on one another for protection and safety and may feel stressed when having to do that all alone.

If you do not wish to have anymore birds, you may choose to rehome her. I am wary of recommending that course of action without knowing what the illness the two hens succumbed to; she may have a resistance to and have become a carrier for something which could harm the bird of your friend.

 

[Leanne Burton]

I wouldn't keep one alone. Chickens are flock animals; they rely on one another for protection and safety and may feel stressed when having to do that all alone.

If you do not wish to have anymore birds, you may choose to rehome her. I am wary of recommending that course of action without knowing what the illness the two hens succumbed to; she may have a resistance to and have become a carrier for something which could harm the bird of your friend.

Thanks for that, good useful information!