Chickens are naturalsocialanimals that live together in a herd with a complex social order.
Chickens gather every evening at dusk to settle in for the night. Sleeping next to each other helps them stay warm. If a chicken is left alone for a few weeks it will do fine, but after a while many chickens kept alone seem to become lonely and depressed. They become lethargic or begin pacing and manically pecking at random objects.
Do chickens get lonely?
As humans we cannot get into itchicken brainto determine if they have an emotional sense of loneliness. But we can tell from their behavior that they are happy or satisfied with their lives.
Spanningbehaviors you should take into account are:
- Reduced foraging(Happy chickens will wander around and scratch the ground looking for insects
- Increased vocalization(Chickens make quite a lot of noise when they lay eggs or look for their chicken friends; a lonely chicken that won't stop crowing is looking for company.)
- Walks back and forth(this is not normal chicken behavior and is caused by stress)
If you have a chicken and it doesn't exhibit any of these behaviors, it's fine to keep it to itself.
Is it okay to have only one chicken?
In general, it is not a good idea to keep just one chicken as this is against their nature. Chickens thrive in a flock. However, some people keep a chicken as a pet. The difference between keeping a chicken as a pet versus a farm animal is the amount of attention and interaction you give the bird.
Anecdotal stories of people who have kept a chicken that was full of life and happiness all have a common theme: the chicken was close to their person. Many of these stories are about people who actually let the chicken inside, sometimes just at night for warmth, but sometimes also in the house.
These birds are happy because human interaction replaces the social relationship and structure that other chickens would provide.
What to do when you only have 1 chicken left?
Pretend you're a chicken. No, you don't have to peck at the ground or cluck, just keep the chicken close to you and provide the social interaction the chicken craves.
There are a few situations where you may need to keep one chicken. Sometimes you are left with the last chicken in the flock and you have no intention of keeping any more chickens. Older chickens don't lay as many eggs and some are quite stuck. It can be tricky to rehome an old chicken. At other times, you may simply be very attached to the bird you raised from a chick and want to care for her in her old age.
If you have an older chicken, you can try keeping her without having more chicks. Be aware of the behavior that tells you your girl is unhappy. You can try to remedy this behavior by spending more time with her or moving her closer to home. If she's still walking around, screaming and not happy to scratch the ground, then it's time to find her some friends or find her a new home.
What if local regulations only allow you one chicken?
Some urban environments have strict rules about how many chickens you can own at a time per square meter of real estate. You may only be allowed to have one chicken, but you really want one, either as a friendly pet or for the nutritious eggs a chicken can provide.
If you only want to have one chicken, it is best to raise her alone. Young chicks will bond with each other, and they will also bond with you if you hold them a lot. So instead of adopting an older chicken who is used to the company of others, get a small chick who will be used to your company and bond with you as if you were her flock. This is your best chance to get an adult chicken that will be happy alone. Just remember that to keep her happy, you need to spend more time with her and treat her like a pet.
Can chickens die of loneliness?
There is no evidence that chickens can die from loneliness. However, if they are very stressed, which can be caused by being alone, this can shorten their lifespan and reduce egg production. Like all animals, they do not thrive when highly stressed. Therefore, it is important to change a chicken's living conditions when it shows signs of stress.
As social animals, chickens thrive in the complex social relationships of groups. While it is possible to keep a chicken, it is generally not recommended. If you are in a situation where you have one chicken, remember that the bird still needs to be socialized and that you should treat the chicken as a pet, spend a lot of time with her, keep her close and be happy for her. . If a chick is used to companion birds, even this may not be enough to keep her happy; watch for signs of stress and relocate if necessary.
