Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[Bootscooter Nell]

I have just had my lovely Lisa Fluffy Knickers put to sleep earlier this week I am now left with Maggie. Due to my ill health, I do not wish to get anymore chickens.

 

I've been told that it is wrong to keep a solitary chicken but Maggie is doing all the things she always has done and seems perfectly happy on her own. I'm more than happy to keep her until her days run out but worried that she will suffer. How can I tell? She is eating, trundling round the garden, tapping on the back door for her treats, putting herself to bed in the evening, infact nothing has changed except she is now doing it all on her own.

 

I'm around during the day and she comes and visits me in my office, but doesn't stay long, our cat is normally sitting in the garden somewhere and we have lots of other birds that visit the garden. My only concern will be keeping her warm at night when it gets cold. Has anyone else successfully kept a chicken on her own? She is 3½ years old and to be truthful, I dont want to find her another home. I worry that will be more stressful than just keeping her in the environment that she has been used to these past 3 years. If she was a young chook I wouldn't hesitate to look for another home but I really want to keep her

 

Helen x

[percy049]

You could get a snugglepad to keep her warm at night, but in the summer, as long as the eglu door is closed, she should be fine.

It is not ideal to have only 1 hen, as they do get lonely. It probably wont be a good idea to re-home her due to her age and it is bad to only introduce 1 hen to an existing flock.

If she is by herself, you need to give her extra attention, and it may be a good idea to give her a little enclosure indoors so you can have more interaction with her so she doesnt get lonely.

I think its usually around 3 weeks of being on their own before they start to get depressed

Hope this helps

[Egluntyne]

Unfortunately, we can't assist with rehoming issues via the forum. Perhaps you could try a local city farm, or even the Omlet Market place if you do decide that she needs to be with other hens.

[Tweety]

I'm sorry to hear about your lone hen, but understand why you want to keep her rather than putting her through a potentially stressful move.

I think you will just have to see how it goes and, if you think she is suffering as a result of being on her own, be prepared to reconsider and find her a new home.

I hope that she will be ok, and adapt to being alone. Perhaps a mirror in her run might help - sounds daft, I know, but it might fool her for a while!

[Tweety]

And maybe at night you could put a cuddly toy in the eglu to keep her company - people do that with chicks hatched in an incubator rather than under a broody, and it would give her something to snuggle up to. Just an idea!

[WitchHazel]

So sorry to hear you have a had to have Lisa put to slee, especially after such a long relationship.

 

I can understand why you want to keep Maggie, and also that you aren't up to getting her more friends. I would imagine it would be hard for her (and you) if you rehomed her.

I wonder if you might consider introducing another older hen as a companion? There are sometimes other people on the forum in a similar situation. Of course, you run the risk that Maggie goes first and you're still left with a solitary older hen... but at least if it was an older Girl then you'd know it wouldn't be for too long.

 

Hope that makes sense.

[suzannejoy]

Im so sorry you lost one of your girls , fingers crossed for you it works well having one .

[cathybc]

Hermione has been a lone hen for 16 months and is doing fine! I think it is unusal, but not impossible.x

[witzend]

what about putting some stuffed animal cuddlies in the coop so she's something to snuggle up to?? Would that work??

[Clunie]

Hi

 

not sure if this will help but when I first kept hens (in the 80's!!), i onlt had two and the older mother hen died. The younger one lived happily one her own for a further 6-7 years. They were both pets and they would happily wander into the house looking for cheese etc. Most of the time she was allowed to free range - except when my mum's vegetables were just coming through. I guess all that I am saying is that it may not be ideal to keep them on their own but they do adapt! good luck with your hen.

[Bootscooter Nell]

Hello Everyone,

Just thought I'd post an update on my solitary hen quandary. I decided to keep Maggie in the end and 8 months later she is still going. Not looking her best tho at the moment after moulting.

 

When the night gets below freezing we let her go to sleep in her eglu as normal and then my hubby sneeks into the pen, puts her into a cosy cardboard box and she gets brought into the utility room to spend the night. This works really well and she doesn't seem to mind spending the night in a box.

 

I think I made the right decision. She is more than happy trundling round the garden, chases the cat and is doing all the things she used to do with the other hens. I let her come in the office with me during the day if she wants my company. She stays for a while then off out in the garden she goes. I'm assuming that she will pass away this year sometime as she is a hybrid and has just turned 4 years old but I will be happy that she has had a good life and certainly doesn't seem to mind being on her own.

 

Just thought I'd post this to let other people know that having a solitary chicken can work.

[Egluntyne]

Nice to hear that she is doing well.

[Olly]

Good to hear that she's doing so well - it's not ideal, but it sounds as if it was the right decision in this case, and she's obviously adjusted to being an 'only'.

[LizzieLloyd]

Thats very sweet to hear. Glad its all going well.

[jackian]

I think it is wonderful..Obviously the best decision and i am sure that your lone hen has been truly loved