To buy just one hen to lay one egg per day?

[CityCommuter]

Posting for a friend... she wants to buy just one hen as they only use 4 eggs per week usually in some form of baking so shes hoping that one good hen will provide 7 eggs per week which would be more than enough... she intends to feed her organically so she'll lay organic eggs.

I think having just one hen on her own all day is a bit lonely and I think it would be better to have 2 hens or chickens together for company... she says she couldn't cope with 14 eggs per week and doesn't want to give them away or sell them either. She's also worried about the extra cleaning out of the coop...

Thoughts?

You obviously can’t get one hen on its own.

They are flock animals, 2 at the absolute minimum. Most suppliers won't sell you a single hen.

I think she needs at least two. They are quite easy prey for foxes. Even with a cage. Who can wipe out four or five in one hit.

They're social animals that form a pecking order; there should be at least 3.

it would be lonely - probably better (and less cleaning/fox proofing) to find someone locally who sells them.

You can’t have just one. Also chickens don’t always lay every day. At my school we have 3 hens and probably get 15-20 eggs a week depending on the weather.
She’s better off finding someone else who has chickens at home and buying 4 eggs a week from them.

They say you should have an odd number, I have 6 though 🤷🏼‍♀️

One hen will not necessarily lay every day. Mine lay in fits and starts and don’t lay from about November to March at all.

Cleaning out the house of one hen is not much different to the house of 2 or 3.

Mine interact with each other so I think one would be lonely and if not happy, they won’t lay at all

She’d be better off just buying organic free range eggs when she needs them

No, that would be cruel. Plus she’s being a bit idealistic about the reliability of a pet laying hen.
Also, the extra cleaning would be fuck all. She’s sounding a bit daft.

I've kept chickens for years. It would be very cruel to keep one on it's own. She needs 2 at the minimum.

Definitely not just one, she'll be lonely. My neighbour has three free ranging hens, they're very cute and always together. I've no idea how often they lay eggs or how many.

There's a Chicken Keepers topic on here somewhere, you'd get good advice there I'm sure.

Doesn't sound like she really wants a hen at all. The extra coop cleaning? If you're already cleaning it out for one, what difference does it make.
If she "can't cope" with 14 eggs, and wouldn't even be able to give them away, maybe just stick to buying them from the shops.

Depressed hens do not lay eggs.

A solo hen is a depressed hen.

Who buys one hen for baking??

You'd need a coop, feed, grit, letting them in & out & watching constantly because of foxes...

Nah.

Also, if she's worried about cleaning out the coop, she shouldn't get any at all. Chickens are just poop machines. Regular coop cleaning is just part of chicken ownership, not least to avoid red mite.

She does realise that they don't always lay and have breaks every year from laying when they moult?!

Why is she putting egg production over the welfare of the hen? How could she possibly think one hen would be a happy hen?

She sounds clueless. Could you ask her to Google hen welfare?

Does she also realise having poultry can encourage mice and rats?

I’m not sure why you started this thread. It takes four seconds to google even if you didn’t know hens were flock animals.

That would be cruel I 'm afraid. They need company so two at least, preferably three.

It's a moot point as she wouldn't get any eggs from a single hen.

She'd just have a hen

Thoughts?

It would be idiotic to keep one. They're sociable creatures.

Why would she not give away the surplus?

No, one hen would be cruel. Get three - that way they have company and there's no great rush for a replacement when one kicks the bucket.

What's her motivation for doing it? They'll be the most expensive eggs she has ever had in her life - pet chickens are a money pit not a money saver.

Thank you for the replies, I will forward this link to her... she's obviously not looked into it much if she didn't realise she can't just buy one hen! I don't know anything about hens but I'd imagine you'd need to be quite organised for a start. Would the coop need cleaning out everyday? She had a busy full time job and says herself that she can have an erratic routine so how would hens fit into her life?

Also she wouldn't mind me saying that she's prone to doing things on a whim and then realises she's taken on too much... that's fine with daft clothing purchases but not where animal welfare is concerned IMO...

Agreed at least 3. We have chickens. She could get bantams, then the eggs are small and easier to use.

She needs at least 2 and to be aware that they don't lay every day, and can go for ages not laying, and they need good cleaning as theres a lot of poo and it makes no difference if your cleaning for one or two as it needs cleaning out anyway? She could just buy eggs from a shop if shes not bothered about hen health & welfare? Hens are incredibly social animals, we have 3 and they are all desperate to hang out with us any chance they get, I cant even imagine having one how cruel! You do honestly end up using the eggs you just get skills in new things, I now make fab yorkshire puddings for example. Plus you can save a few and give a box to a friend/neighbour every so often, easy life.

If she has one lone hen, then she'll have a stressed animal that won't lay her any eggs. If she can't be bothered with the hassle of cleaning them out, she needs to keep buying her organic eggs from the shop!