Cat tails Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 On 8/15/2021 at 10:51 PM, Brian111 said: Hi, i have an 4 year old ex batt hen. I Live in Northampton and only one left from 3. If anyone has a similar age hen i would take her and give hef a good home. Thanks Brian We don’t really rehome hens here, but you could check preloved. There are also some Facebook communities that are specific to rehoming hens. Hope you find your hen a new friend! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flopsy Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 On 8/15/2021 at 9:51 PM, Brian111 said: Hi, i have an 4 year old ex batt hen. I Live in Northampton and only one left from 3. If anyone has a similar age hen i would take her and give hef a good home. Thanks Brian Have you tried BHWT or fresh start for hens? 4 years old for an ex batt hen is a well good age. She must be really well looked after !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ronson Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 I realise this thread is a decade old but I’m doing the work now in advance of the inevitable. in 2019 we inherited 8 gorgeous chickens but they were already at least 7-8 years old then. sadly we lost Betty last year then Daphne back in June this year. they have a massive run and coop on a plot of land we rent. When Betty got poorly we moved her into a little coop in the garden while we cared for her until we lost her; Sadly we found Daphne in the big run, she was unharmed, her crop was full and we can only conclude she succumbed to the effects of old age. we realise that the clock is ticking, the remaining 6 are still incredibly cheeky and confident but we’ve already started to plan for what happens down the line.. we’ve applied the rule of 3 and decided that, once they are down to 3, we need to move them within easier reach and then we can be close at hand at all times. we’ve racked our brains around the whole issue of what to do when there’ only one left and all I can conclude from other comments is, it really does depend on which one survives the rest... they are so completely different in character, in fact despite Gertrude’s arthritis in her right foot, which causes her to limp conspicuously (and would normally be vulnerable to exclusion by the rest of the flock), plus the need to give her daily metacam, she remains the most vocal, confident and naughty of the lot.. I’ve appreciated reading others’ insights, we really aren’t in a position (under current circumstances) to get more girls when we are down to the last and really need to have a plan in place for when that situation arises. best wishes Rob, Barbara (and of course Bessie, Deirdre, Gertrude, Gladys, Mildred and Molly) 🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ek2 Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 Hello, I know this thread is really old but I wanted to see if anyone was still around to answer a question. I have an 8 year old non-bearded white crested blue polish. She is all alone and has been for over a year. She is very sweet but I had been told by someone else that since she is old we shouldn’t try to re home her to a different flock. I cannot get any more chickens, she is at my family home and I am at university. Because of this she doesn’t get a lot of attention. She of course gets snack and everything, but I just feel like she could have a better life. I was curious what you guys might think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 I certainly wouldn't re-home her to a different flock. She will be terribly bullied and i doubt her then miserable life would last long. General rule is never to introduce a single hen to a flock. The only options I think are to introduce her to another single or bring two youngsters to her. If she is doing fine where she is leave her. Some chickens are fine being single and some pine away very quickly; within a few weeks. Seems to me she is fine as she is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamrhind Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 I agree with Beantree. It comes down to the hen in question. I'm also down to one hen at the moment, and she's always been docile and doesn't seem to care either way about being alone. It helps that she can free-range all the time. I've had other lone hens who clearly did care and took matters into their own hands by crossing the field and joining my neighbour's flock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted December 24, 2022 Share Posted December 24, 2022 Definitely do not rehome her as a single hen. 8 years old is a very good age but younger birds are very likely to bully her. Even more importantly, she will be disadvantaged by her crest, and won't be able to see the others if they attack her. It is usually a bad idea to run polands in mixed flocks unless you are sure about the other birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ek2 Posted January 4, 2023 Share Posted January 4, 2023 @Beantree @grahamrhind. @Daphne Thank you all so much! I will not find her a new place then. Yes she does seem rather fine by herself, not to mention that this has been her home for 8 years. I really appreciate the replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haze Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 Hi all, I have a lone hen, her mate died around 2 years ago now. She is elderly (8ish) and seems ok. She is fully free range, roams the garden, sleeps in the trees. I have a wooden coop that they used to use for laying only, she shelters in there when the weather is bad, but always roosts in the trees at night. I have just purchased a new eglu and plan to get 2 more hens, keep them in the coop/run for a few weeks initially to get them used to each other and then let them out and hope my existing hen will start sleeping in the coop too. Will this work or is it a terrible idea? Any other thoughts or comments welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted January 24, 2023 Share Posted January 24, 2023 That's unlikely to work @Haze. The Eglu, run with feeder and drinker will be the territory of the new pair and they are likely to fight to keep your lone hen out. If your lone hen is fine I wouldn't change anything. If you do get two new youngsters keep them separated and don't try to integrate them. They may show an interest in each other at some stage but forcing them together will result in problems I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haze Posted January 25, 2023 Share Posted January 25, 2023 On 1/24/2023 at 1:37 PM, Beantree said: That's unlikely to work @Haze. The Eglu, run with feeder and drinker will be the territory of the new pair and they are likely to fight to keep your lone hen out. If your lone hen is fine I wouldn't change anything. If you do get two new youngsters keep them separated and don't try to integrate them. They may show an interest in each other at some stage but forcing them together will result in problems I think. Oh. Well that's disappointing. I want her to live out her life happy, but I do also want new hens that will lay as she stopped laying a while ago. Is there anything else I can do that would make it easier eg keep her roosting in the trees but let them mingle during the day, or just get one new hen? Thanks for replying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted January 25, 2023 Share Posted January 25, 2023 If there is enough space outside they should be fine; might be a little argument because that's your old hens' territory. My point was don't expect your old hen to go into their coop and run and certainly don't put her in there. Seems she is happy as she is. Of course with avian flu any new hens should be kept inside a covered run anyway and not let out to free range. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamrhind Posted January 25, 2023 Share Posted January 25, 2023 @Haze Introducing two hens to one should be fine. It has worked for me on many occasions - the remaining hen tends to end up as top hen and, after some bickering, as you have the space, it will settle down. But, as Beantree said, don't expect the old hen to move back into the coop. I'm in exactly the same situation as you. What tends to happen is that the new hens follow their new leader and learn to roost up the tree, instead of vice versa. Naturally, birds want to find a place to roost high off the ground. In my case, I leave them to it. I lock them in the coop only if there is a storm coming, which they find a little stressful, looking for a way to get out to get to the tree, but eventually they do then roost in the coop for that night. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haze Posted January 25, 2023 Share Posted January 25, 2023 Thanks guys, much appreciated. I am not in mainland UK so avian flu regulations are different here & birds can still free range - but thanks for the advice. I hope they don't start roosting in the trees as well but if they do, they do I suppose! I do have plenty of outside space and have got one of the houses that has a ladder to give them that impression of roosting off the ground, but we'll see what happens once I find some new hens. I was half thinking of trying to rescue some ex-farm hens but now I'm thinking now youngsters would be better. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted January 25, 2023 Share Posted January 25, 2023 Ex-farm hens can be quite aggressive @Haze, so i think your choice of youngsters would be much better. In addition Ex-farm can become a medical problem quite quickly because they lay like crazy and are basically burned-out, so you get prolapses, thin shelled eggs and peritonitis. Whilst it's a nice gesture to give them a fuller life it can become difficult. We have considered them ourselves, but really don't want the stress. With avian flu issues here we may change our minds; free-ranging isn't restricted, but if there is an outbreak nearby slaughter will be compulsory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haze Posted January 26, 2023 Share Posted January 26, 2023 OK, thanks Beantree. Fingers crossed AF doesn't get anywhere near you or your chooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
