Chicken in solitary confinement

[WinterDeere]

We've kept a small flock of chickens the last 8 years, usually just 3-5 birds, which gives us more than dozen eggs per week... perfect for us.

But the flock has been dwindling down due to old age, and my kids having aged out of any interest in the chickens, I've not been replacing any birds the last 3 years. I also have plans to erect another shed or carport where the chicken coop now sits.

We'd been down to two, since one died of either old age or heat stroke last summer, and now as of this morning we are down to one: our original 8-year old Easter Egger. Ironically, this bird is like a machine, she lays an egg per day, Valentine's Day thru Halloween, almost without fail. She's still laying at least 6 per weeks, even now at 8 years old.

While it'd be great to just let her live out her old age in our coop, I suspect it's probably not good or humane to keep her in what now amounts to solitary confinement. I'm not sure anyone I know would want to take such an old bird, but I could ask, knowing she's still a good producer. My other thought is to offer to take someone else's old retired bird, to give ours a little company, but then there's always the concern over how two older birds will get along with one another.

Thoughts? If she was menopausal, I'd even debate getting her an old rooster, and letting them screw their retirement away. But I don't want chicks.

 

[tacticalturnip]

If you can't be her matchmaker, consider putting her up on Craigslist to a good home? Around here someone would take her in, just out of love of chickens.

 

[ericm979]

There's some chicken people here who take birds like that.

 

[Yander]

I put my 11 on CL yesterday day. I get 8 eggs a day but I'm ready for a chicken break. Three people wanted them. Guy is picking them up tomorrow. Woohoo!

Gave them away.

 

[Rockbadchild]

If you introduce a new one do it at night while she sleep you will have more chance to be successful although in this case since she is alone it might not make a difference, If we introduced a new bird in a a flock we would do it at nigh if not she gets picked on and will die because of it... you can eat fertilize eggs you just have to take them out so they don't incubate.

 

[shooterdon]

I know more people that get tired of keeping chickens than people who want to keep them.

IMO the advice to give her away is the best idea.

 

[WinterDeere]

I know more people that get tired of keeping chickens than people who want to keep them.

IMO the advice to give her away is the best idea.

hah... yeah, I can understand that. I actually think they're among the best pets I've ever had, but really it's something I did because my son (then age 6) wanted them, and I thought it might be something fun to do together. It was a good learning experience, and the kids had a lot of fun with them, but they've outgrown all of that now. I don't specifically mind them, I'd have kept the pair we had another few years without bother, but I don't think I want to start buying new chicks to start all over at this point.

Funny story, a business trip took me out of town the week I transitioned our first batch of chicks from the incubator to the chicken coop, and I left my wife in charge of making sure they were fed and watered. She wasn't a fan (at first) of getting chickens, but realized she couldn't just abandon them, so she somewhat begrudgingly agreed to make sure they were in good care.

Long story short, she managed to lock herself into the chicken coop one night, with a bunch of upset and squawking chickens who were not at all used to her. Our then-young kids were in the house, and her mother was probably asleep in our guest suite, but no one could hear her yelling and screaming for help from the chicken coop located some distance from ours and any neighboring houses. There was a pull cord that releases the outside door latch, but when I tried to show it to her before leaving, I got the "yeah, yeah, I don't care, I'm in a rush" attitude all you married guys probably know well enough.

She tried breaking out the window, but I had heavy expanded metal fastened over that to prevent predators, so there was no chance. She tried climbing out thru the egg collection hatch, but that was also latched from the outside. She ended up sliding up the chicken door, and scooting her narrow hips out thru that into the run, probably totally covered in chicken sh*t.

She came inside filthy and yelling, and my 6-year old boy said, "mom, why didn't you just pull the cord to release the door latch?"

I had no idea what had happened, just started getting divorce threats and other random insults in the middle of the night, six time zones away. She did have to admit I built one hell of a chicken coop, she calls it the Fort Knox of chickens.

 

[NoTrespassing]

My Filipino wife and her friends make chicken stew out of old hens. I don't eat it.

 

[Rockbadchild]

We make cretons with them. Mix ground pork and ground laying chicken with onions, spices, and pork fat. I like it on some toast for breakfast.

 

[Richard]

Gotta admit, I loved the story....(and this might get me in trouble) but especially the part of her getting locked in without having listened to how to exit.

I'm going to burn in heII for having admitted that!!