[nerdle]

I'm advised that I must have more that one hen.

The advantages of one are: less food, less cleaning, she can have my entire garden (its sutainable as she can only do so much damage) with all its nooks and crannies as her run as it's now foxproof, less likely to attract the attention of a fox. No henpecking/squabbling.

The disadvantages for her are - no-one to groom/be groomed by and no snuggling up at night. No-one to go on garden exploration adventures with.

She seems so happy - she eats well, grooms herself constantly, goes for walks, pecks leaves, dustbathes and settles down on her bed at night quite happily.

Her history isn't known but the previous owner tells me the others in the gang didn't like her.

Am I really getting it wrong?

Kate

[joyfull]

I know the general opinion is that they are social creatures and they must have company of their own kind (of which I usually agree with) but I have one hen who came to me with two other hens. This older hen had lost her previous best friends so following the general opinion two new ones were sort. This hen hated the new ones and wouldn't allow the in the coop or anywhere else that she wanted to be. The owner perservered but sadly things did not improve. Due  to other circustances the trio came to me and as I have a few other birds and several coops they all settled down.
So to cut a long story short if she is happy and you can interact with her a lot of the time in view of her past I would keep her as she is 

[nerdle]

Thank you.

I saw lots of loopy chicken goings on when I travelled around Asia and I'd love to know more about their natural behaviour. We are used to seeing hens in groups.

I posted this on Facebook and a friend commented that she looked lonely - I suppose she does!

[joyfull]

as I said if you can interact with her a lot then she will be ok but otherwise get her a couple of new friends. Try and get her two friends who have never met each other before this way all 3 are new to each other, there will be fights whilst they sort out the pecking order but as your girl is older and bigger she should start out as top hen at least for a while.

[clairerey]

Heya
I have two hens, did have three but we had a fox attack
Whilst they seem absolutely fine, no sad looking chickens here and they spend absolutely no time together at all. When i open the run in the morning they come out and go to seperate ends of the garden and i honestly dont think they see each other all day.lol At night when i have looked, one hen sleeps in the house bit where the food is kept and the other sleeps in the nesting box.lol
yet they seem totally fine apart, so i dont know whether if one wasnt around the other would even notice.lol
claire xx

[nerdle]

Thank you - we are swayed by what others think rather that what's before us sometimes!

I've heard pecking order seaon is Spring so I might offer a home to a 'pecked' one at that time.  I'd rather my garden wasn't totally trashed though...

Let's see.

Kate

[joyfull]

sorry but the pecking order is all year round until it has been established. It can also rear up again when one of the underchooks gets braver and tries to get higher up the order. Spring is usually the cockerel pecking order season when their thoughts turn to doing what cockerels do (but my boys think it is spring already  ).

[nerdle]

OK - I thought it was about competing for prime nesting space (I'm reading too many books)!

I'm at home most of the time so I think we'll be OK.

Feeling reassured!

Kate