Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[tooties]

Sadly Flopsy one of my ex-bats died this morning, which leaves Lily on her own

 

What happens to a lone chicken? do they pine? How long is it safe to leave her on her own?

 

I'd always planned to get more chickens, but was going to leave it until after we've moved house and it was summer. Now we will have to go ahead a lot sooner than planned, but not sure how integration is going to work as its just starting to get light when I leave home in the morning, and its dark by the time I get home - surely integrating them only at wkends isn't going to work??

 

Have any of you found yourselves in similar situations? How did you deal with it? Do I need to get Lily rehomed? I do wonder if that would be best for her

[Egluntyne]

She will pine, so a bit of company as soon as you are able is the best thing.

 

I'd get 2 hens if I were you.

 

Articles on managing introductions **here**

 

Sorry to hear about Flopsy.

[chelsea]

Sorry to hear the sad news.

 

I would definitely encourage you to get a little friend for your lone hen, not only will it cheer her up - it will you too.

 

Our Ella was left alone when Sam passed away and she sat on our kitchen mat for days looking thoroughly miserable, before the week was out we went and got her 2 more friends to keep her company and she was like a totally different hen - she went from moping to perky as she was immediately promoted to top chook in the flock and thus ended her days of sadness as she was too busy bossing everyone else around to pine.

 

Chickens are better in a flock, so go for it and maybe get 2 friends?!

[sandyhas3chucks]

you could try contacting the ex bat rescues. they will be very sypathetic and will probly bump you up the list for the next recue, many of them will have some that wern't ready for rehoming after a recue and are kept back untill they are strong enough. ther may be another lonely chook or 2 just waiting for you to love her

[Clur]

I was in a similar situation fairly recently and we got 3 chooks to keep Dilys company. Intros were a lot quicker with one lone hen I found, and she perked up amazingly with a bit of company to keep her interest.

 

Go for it