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Chicken keepers

Meet others keeping chickens on our Mumsnet Chicken forum.

Original poster

And then there was one...

12 replies

AgeingDoc · 03/05/2023 14:41

We've had chickens for quite a few years now and of course the inevitable has happened as they have aged. We've only had 2 for about a year now. My penultimate lovely girl died this morning. 😥 I'm heartbroken, but what makes it worse is that the last one is now pacing around the run, clearly looking for her sister. We were a bit ambivalent about getting more. I am very fond of them but they were our children's pets and now they are off to University we are finding it a bit tying when we want to go away etc. We had more or less decided to let nature take it's course and then not get any more. I think it might be quite traumatic for the last one if we were to try to introduce new chickens at this stage anyway. But what's worse? A lone chicken also seems cruel. Plus I have to admit that now we're actually facing not having any left I feel a lot sadder about it than I expected. What has anyone else done in similar circumstances?

OP posts:
BigglyBee · 03/05/2023 21:11

Do you have any other poultry, or just chickens? We are down to our last 2, but they are kept company by the ducks and turkeys (the hens aren't allowed near the quail). We won't be replacing them because we prefer duck eggs and I'm hoping some of the goose eggs I have in the incubator will hatch too.

I think that getting more would lead to either your older hen being bullied or being the bully and attacking the new birds. Does she enjoy human company? Spending more time in the garden with her might help. One of mine does love company and likes to be held, and the other treats us with total contempt!

Tuftytail · 03/05/2023 21:28

We were left with one and gave her to a farm for disabled children so she had the company of other chickens.

PimpMyFridge · 07/05/2023 08:33

I haven't dealt with this yet and not looking forward to it, but we're going to be in the situation eventually as we too want an end point to our hen responsibilities in the future for the same reasons as you.
I think if I could give the hen companionship and interaction maybe it would work to keep her, but I'm doubtful as they really are flock animals, so I think I'd likely find someone to take her in to their flock (there are various people round me who I could ask) to see out her final time. I think there would be some stress in the transition but less stress than being a solo hen.
But that's just my intention, I can't speak from experience.

SOWK · 07/05/2023 09:03

We were in the same situation, and the remaining hen died about 48hrs after her sister. she was old and I genuinely think she couldn’t cope on her own.

Gremlinsateit · 09/05/2023 04:31

I think I would try to re-home with someone responsible, who would introduce her very slowly to the flock, in a separate area to begin and then one at a time. I was facing the same possibility earlier this year - down to 2 and one of them wasn’t well - but decided to take on another pair of rescue chickens to delay the point of getting down to one.

Original poster
AgeingDoc · 19/06/2023 18:01

Just thought I'd update in case anyone is interested. After much thought we decided to get another chicken. We did consider more but decided that being invaded by multiple strangers might be too much for our existing old girl. Plus a friend offered us one that was something of an outcast in her little flock. Younger than ours but a fairly subdued character. We were warned she'd never laid but weren't bothered as we were just after a companion anyway.
The first few days were tricky. Lots of fighting and we had to separate them at night. But they have settled down and whilst they still have the occasional disagreement they seem to be getting along ok and they snuggle up in the same nest box most nights now even though they have others to choose from. And the best thing is that after about a month of being with us our newbie started laying and now produces an egg most days. Plus our older girl who more or less stopped after her bereavement is laying regularly again. I take that as a sign that they are happy and all is well!

OP posts:
PimpMyFridge · 19/06/2023 18:48

Oh that's lovely!
Win win. 🐔🐔
Sounds like it has worked out very well indeed. 👌

Gremlinsateit · 20/06/2023 00:22

Lovely!

CuteCillian · 20/06/2023 00:27

Gosh- that snippet of chicken life has made me very happy.

pinkhousesarebest · 31/12/2023 13:38

Oh what lovely news. I have just lost my ( almost human) lovely girl today, leaving me with two. I had four originally. They are ex batts and very fragile. They have cost us a fortune in vet bills and my dh doesn’t appreciate the poo everywhere, but I would be so sad to see an empty garden.
When do you know it’s time to stop I wonder?

CrotchetyQuaver · 31/12/2023 13:51

What a lovely update.
We don't have chickens any more after the fox killed the last lot. We had done so well for so many years and generally lost our girls to old age. Then one morning I went down to feed them and there were none at all, eerily quiet and the electric fence was off no idea how. Fox must have seized the opportunity. We were so sad and decided we couldn't bear to get more and risk it happening again. We do miss them, such gentle souls.

tealgate · 31/12/2023 14:52

Oh that's lovely to hear.

When our last but one chicken died, our solo girl was so lonely, she would come around to the porch and sit down next to our dog Smile it was so sweet going out and seeing them sit like old companions on the porch steps!

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