How to look after a solitary old hen

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unouno

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Having decided to stop keeping hens after many years we are now left with just the one old hen - a pure bred hen of around 8 years old who was actually hatched from a fertile egg and so has spent all of her life in our garden! She seems to be shivering when it is cold as it is now here in East Anglia, and spends a lot of time inside the hutch. She eats little and is not tempted by the usual treats. We have been bringing her indoors at night and returning her outdoors every morning which she seems to be happy with. As she is old and not laying any more we felt that the only option was to keep her on her own, rather than stress her by trying to find a new flock that would take her. All in all a difficult situation and any advice would be bery helpful. :-)19
 
Poor thing Unouno and a difficult problem. She is probably not eating because she is on her own and chickens need company. I can only suggest getting a couple of young ones for the rest of her life and then finding homes for them. Moving her on her own would effectively kill her- the stress of the move at that age. It will be stressful with new birds but if they are young enough she will assume command and be happy.

Welcome to the forum by the way.
 
This may be a terrible idea, but could someone loan you a gentle cockerel for her remaining years? Like a little bantam fellow who is smaller than her but might make her feel safe as he'll be company and will look out for her? I know introducing a cockerel doesn't always go smoothly but when they're nice, they're lovely!
 
How nice to have replies so quickly. Unfortunately having had a bad experience of a cockrel and somehow I am doubtful that he will want to look after a girl who is not in lay. If I add a couple of hens to the flock she will have the trauma of getting used to them, and vice versa - and I might as well try and bribe a local hen keeper to accept her. I am glad I asked for advise as it does make me realise that our current approach is not working.
 
I would keep the old lady on her own and carry on as you are doing. Now is not a good time to put her with new stock or a male as both may pull her about too much. They eat less when they are no longer laying and like us, they slow down.
 
Thank you everyone for your advice! The update is that I found a home for Uno with a neighbour who has recently taken in some ex-battery hens. As no pecking order had been established Uno almost literally jumped right in to join them. As she is twice their size I imagine she will enjoy mothering/bossing them! I was worried that we were going to loose her, but so far her move seems to have been just what she needed.
 
Fingers crossed for a happy ending then - might print this post and show to my neighbours, who've got a solitary ex bat whos very miserable too :)
 
That's very good to hear - the problem of the last hen is always difficult. A man near us had kept hens all his life but was getting on a bit and decided not to get any more, and so they gradually died off until one old girl was left, all on her own, covered in scaly leg and looking really scraggy. It was a relief when she died. She took her time about it as well, several months all through a winter.
 
unouno said:
Thank you everyone for your advice! The update is that I found a home for Uno with a neighbour who has recently taken in some ex-battery hens. As no pecking order had been established Uno almost literally jumped right in to join them. As she is twice their size I imagine she will enjoy mothering/bossing them! I was worried that we were going to loose her, but so far her move seems to have been just what she needed.
Click to expand...

Good news! Well done on finding somewhere perfect for her :)
 
Dear Unouno,
Thanks for starting this thread. I'm picking up my first 3 ex-batt hens tomorrow & dropped a Christmas card around to my neighbour today. She asked if I'd take in her sole remaining (Araucana) hen, as she stopped breeding chickens a while back & now has just the one bird left.

Purely as a result of having read your thread & the replies, I said "Yes" without hesitation, for the sake of her Araucana, even though at 7 years old I know she's unlikely to lay many (if any) eggs any more.

On her behalf, Thank You.
 
She seems to be settling in well so far, thanks. I've posted a photo on the photos board.
 
This is a reply for Icemaiden. I have only just read your posting and I am so pleased that my simple request for advise led onto benefits for others. If your Aurocana is a pure bred hen she might even lay again next Spring! Thank you for making my day!
 
Have I followed this correctly? Unouno's Araucana is now living with Icemaidens 3 exbatts? Wonderful ending if I have pieced this all together right. Or is it all a co-incidence at other ends of the Country?
 
Close, Chris, but no cigar...
Unouno's remaining hen has, I understand, been rehoused in very similar circumstances to my next-door neighbour's araucana.
Both have been taken in to live out their retirement with some ex-batts, just not the same ones ;)

My neighbour's araucana, Millie, is now matriach of my run, keeping the 3 ex-batts in check with a watchful eye & the odd gentle peck.

Out of interest, what are the chances of a 7 year old araucana laying any more eggs? (I'm not putting money on it, mind you, but apparently she used to lay green ones...)
 
Thanks Marigold. I'm just happy to be able to give her a happy retirement with some other hens for company. She looked a bit miserable when she was on her own.
 
Just for the record in case there are any more 'lone' chooks out there, my friend kept hers with a rabbit! Everyone happy as could be, both spent the days in the garden (the rabbit inside a run, but the chook got in over the low fence when she thought his grass was more lush!) Seems the company was enough to keep her happy even though it wasn't another chicken!
 
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