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[Sokokomo]

Hi, Today I've ended up with a lone chicken Snowdrop's friend Annie has passed away this morning after having EP.

Unfortunately after having kept chickens for 7 years I have now moved away from my parents house and they go away quite a lot now, which means we aren't looking to be chicken-keepers in the future.

We want to do the best for Snowdrop and although she is a big bold girl, I worry she will be lonely.

Has anyone kept a lone-chicken before successfully? She is a 3yr old hybrid (Light Sussex) but very healthy and enjoys free ranging in my parents' large, acre garden. She doesn't seem to be upset right now, or looking for her long-lost friends. 

Please if you have any advice for a hen on her own, I would love to hear it.

Thanks, Goldie

[Blackrocksrock]

I have had a lone chicken since last year - she has come all through the winter and is fine on her own - I also have had chickens for a long time and we are not replacing them now - I need my garden back and although we will miss the eggs and we have enjoyed it - we are all chickened out!!.   Mine free ranges all day too and no problem.   She does like company when we are outside and loves to come and be with us.  Your girl will be fine.

[Patricia W]

I have a friend with a 10 year old blind bantam who has been alone for over a year.  She is given lots of attention, is ‘friends’ with the rabbit and seems happy.  So it can be done. 

[Sokokomo]

So pleased to her some positive responses. She seemed to want to stay around us tonight at dusk, but once I put her back in her run she went upstairs to bed ok!

I was wondering if I would eventually have to rehome to her another flock  Glad to hear of some people who keep lonely hens! Hopefully she won't be too alone. 

All advice welcome still x

[Reikiranf]

My Dottie was a lone chicken for about 3 years after she killed her nest mate Skye, I didn't dare risk getting more in case she attacked them too, she lived until she was 7 and seemed to love being the only one, she was still laying occasionally until a few weeks before she died too! 

[grahamrhind]

I've regularly been left with lone hens and I've never had any problems with any of them. They’ve all been quite happy and just got on with the job of being a chicken.  In my experience the idea that chickens need to be kept together because they're flock animals is over-emphasized.  My three are happy to go off in different directions during the day and they don't even sleep in the same place.  I'm sure your lone hen will be just fine.

[Beantree]

In my experience some take to it well but others don't. If she stops talking, eating and goes into a daydreamy state after a week you know it isn't going to work. They are a flock animal and certainly need some full-time company, but that doesn't have to be another chicken. It does depend on their occupation throughout the day and wandering free can work, but confined to a small run alone doesn't ever I think.

[grahamrhind]

Yes, that's a good point @Beantree. If they are alone and confined, they are certainly less likely to adapt well.

[Sokokomo]

Thanks all - I will try and suggest to my parents that she free ranges most of the time. She usually lays most days, but with the garden being nearly an acre we usually wait until after they had laid before letting them out. Do you think she will find her way back to lay, or will she lay in random places if allowed out too soon?

Thankfully she was always the top hen who did go off on her own, and even found a new house to sleep in a few months ago (alone!). I think she misses bossing the others around though....

[Beantree]

Most probably she will go back to the coop to lay. The only time we've seen hens laying elsewhere was when they couldn't lay in the coop, either because of bullying, going broody or red mite in the nest box.

[grahamrhind]

Yes, hens normally roost and lay in the same place, but I do have one hen who changes her laying place frequently for none of the reasons Beantree lists, so it's not a hard and fast rule.

[Cat tails]

I had a chicken who was dead set on laying between the radishes yesterday... she kept pacing and pacing in the run and once I let her out she immediately flopped in the container between the radishes. They don’t free range, so why she decided she needed to lay there is beyond me.

[Sokokomo]

I ask about laying because the hen who just passed away was hilarious in her chosen places to lay. It was her mission to keep us on our toes.....she used to escape the large run (scaling a 4ft fence) just to do it. One week it would be in the vegetable beds, another, underneath the greenhouse potting bench....the funniest and most ludicrous was on the bonfire which was waiting a few days to be lit....it was 6ft high and we found a clutch of eggs perched on top of some foliage haha! We always had to follow her surreptitiously to find out where she was going.  Best chicken ever.  Don't think Snowdrop quite has her sense of humour and will probably return to the box (I hope). Thanks all x