4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Rona]

Merlot was kicking up a racket when I got home from shopping this afternoon and when I investigated I found Cava had died . She'd been quite poorly a few months ago but seemed to have recovered and had been laying the occasional egg and although she was a bit quiet and slow compared to Merlot (who is a bossy little greedy guts) she seemed fine yesterday and was eating and drinking well. This morning before I went out she was on the nest and I thought she was maybe going to lay and egg but when I came back she was still there but gone.

 

Problem I have now is that Merlot is on her own and I am going back to work full time next month so am thinking it is not a good idea to get more chickens when they will be on their own all day. But if I don't get more then Merlot will be on her own all day anyway but new chickens might bully her and she would be worse off than on her own. Should I try and rehome her, but would it be more difficult for her to be introduced into an established flock. Although she is pushy and greedy when food is around she has never been spiteful or one to peck so maybe she would get bullied.

 

I really don't know what to do for best so any suggestions would be very welcome.

[Patricia W]

She will be happier with a companion - or two. They really are miserable alone.

 

It could be easier to introduce two younger newbies and then if one out of the three goes, you'll never have the problem of the lone chicken again.

[Olly]

Sorry to hear about Cava.

 

Get two new young 'uns. They'll be fine while you're at work, they will keep each other company and if you get two POL hopefully Merlot will take control because she's older and bigger than them.

 

go on, you know you want to!

[*mummy_hen*]

So sorry you have lost your girl

 

Don't leave her alone....she will not be happy and inevitiably a lot of lone hens will pass away before their time.

I think you should get two more hens (3 is a better number than 2 as you don't want to end up in this situation again), it will give you a bit of time to do the intros before you go back to work full time. They will all keep each other company and you can just let them out as and when you have the time.

[chelsea]

Sorry to hear about Cava.

 

We were in the same position a few years ago with a lonely Ella, she pined for days for Sam and we decided then to get her 2 new friends and she was transformed into a completely different chicken......gone was the moping and she was immediately promoted to top chook and kept busy keeping the wee flock in order!

[Rona]

Well Merlot and I have been very busy today and have dismantled the mezzanine floor in the run, put the eglu on a pile of concrete blocks and installed an introduction cage in the run. Over the weekend we (OH and me - not Merlot) will go shopping for some little friends for her - I have decided I want to get some bantams. Melsop Park Farm have some adult Wyandotte bantams and Clootie is going to check out what they got at the Hen House tomorrow.

 

I ache all over now as Merlot really didn't pull her weight, preferring to take on a supervisory role.

[Olly]

Fantastic!

 

Let us know what you get (as if you'd dare not to), I'm sure Merlot will be very happy ... eventually!