Having backyard chickens can be an incredibly rewarding experience. There’s nothing quite like collecting fresh eggs from your feathery friends or watching them happily cluck and scratch around the yard. However you may notice that one chicken seems to frequently isolate itself from the rest of the flock. This solitary behavior can seem puzzling at first but there are a few key reasons why one chicken may choose to be alone.
The Pecking Order
Chickens naturally establish a social hierarchy known as a pecking order. This determines which chickens have priority access to food, water, nesting sites, and other resources. The pecking order is established through aggressive displays like pecking, chasing, and confronting each other. The most dominant chicken will be at the top of the pecking order while the most submissive will be at the bottom.
The chicken that is frequently alone may be the lowest ranking bird in the pecking order. It is being intimidated and ostracized by the more dominant flock members, so it opts to isolate itself to avoid confrontation. Chickens at the bottom of the pecking order can experience severe stress and health issues if they cannot get adequate access to food and water. Rotating multiple feeders and waterers around the coop can help ensure the lowest ranked bird is still able to eat and drink.
Sickness or Injury
A chicken that is feeling under the weather or suffering from an injury will typically isolate itself from the rest of the flock In the wild, a visibly sick or injured chicken would be targeted by predators So chickens have an innate instinct to segregate themselves for self-preservation.
By being alone, an ill or injured chicken reduces its chances of being further picked on by aggressive flock mates. Isolation also limits the spread of contagious diseases among the rest of the flock. If you notice a chicken isolating itself for more than a day or two, inspect it closely for signs of illness or injury and provide medical treatment as needed. Common ailments include respiratory infections parasites, impacted crop and bumblefoot.
Broodiness
Broody hens have a strong maternal instinct to sit on a nest of eggs until they hatch. When the broody bug strikes, a hen will stop laying eggs, lose interest in food and water, grow increasingly protective of the nest, and isolate herself from the rest of the flock. This dogged focus on incubating eggs can last for several weeks. To break the broody spell, remove any appealing nesting sites and limit the hen’s access to dark, enclosed spaces. Distractions like a cabbage head to peck at, extra treats, or time in a special “broody buster” pen can also help.
Genetics and Personality
Chicken breeds have varying behavioral traits that can make some birds naturally more independent and solitary than others. Breeds that tend to be aloof include Australorps, Orpingtons, Plymouth Rocks, and Wyandottes. More outgoing and social breeds include Cochins, Brahmas, Faverolles, and Silkies. Even within the same flock and breed, you may get the occasional hen or rooster that marches to the beat of its own drum and prefers solo time. Providing adequate space and enrichment in the coop and run can help more solitary chickens feel secure while still allowing social interaction when desired.
Stressful Environments
When the coop or run feels unsafe, crowded, or chaotic to a chicken, they may choose isolation to feel more secure. Make sure fighting is minimized, the coop is large enough to accommodate all flock members, and that food, water, perches, and nest boxes are made easily accessible. Free range time also provides an outlet for chickens lower on the pecking order to enjoy some alone time away from more aggressive birds. Introducing chicks or new chickens properly through a quarantine period can reduce fighting that may cause social stress.
In the end, occasional solo behavior is perfectly normal and healthy as long as the chicken is otherwise alert, active, and free of illness or injury. However, if you notice a chicken spending the vast majority of its time alone or seeming lethargic and unwell, take steps to identify the underlying cause and improve flock dynamics. With attentive care, you can ensure your whole flock lives together happily.
Help! I just have one chick
Keeping a chick alone is even worse than keeping a single chicken! Chicks are especially distressed by being kept alone. Isolation as a chick can cause long-term behavioural changes and other issues.
Never buy just one chick to raise. Even if you have a flock for the chick to join when it is grown, you should always raise at least 2 chicks together.
Sometime if a hatch is poor, you can end up with just one chick. A single chick being raised by a mother hen is fine, but a single chick in a brooder is not ok. If you end up with just one chick, either give it to someone with similar-aged chicks or buy it a companion of a similar age as quickly as you can!
Sick and injured chickens
Sick and injured birds should always be isolated from the flock. It is easier to treat unwell chickens in a separate cage, and it prevents other chickens from picking on them. Injured birds can be kept in a hospital cage within the coop or run, but sick birds should be well away from the flock to stop the disease from spreading. Being within earshot of the flock is always preferable. Once the chicken is on the mend, provide opportunities to forage and dust bathe to help them cope with the isolation.
Chicks with spraddle leg should be separated from their hatch mates during treatment to avoid further injuries. But chicks are particularly stressed by isolation, so we like to provide a mate and keep them within earshot, or sight, of the other chicks.
New chickens can carry diseases and should always be quarantined well away from the chicken coop to protect the health of your flock. We recommend getting at least 2 chickens and quarantining them together, and providing plenty of boredom busters!
Can Chickens Live Alone? The Truth About Solo Hens!
FAQ
Why does one of my chickens stay alone?
There are many reasons why a hen may be left on her own. Perhaps her flock mates have died and there hasn’t been an opportunity to replace them, or circumstances may have changed, and the hen keeper doesn’t want to take on more hens.
What does it mean when a chicken isolates itself?
Sickness behaviors, on the other hand, can include lethargy (fatigue), anorexia, self-isolating, and hunching. These behavioral changes are often a symptom of the immune system responding to infection, tissue damage, and stressors due to cytokine action and cytokine signaling.
Why does one chicken stay away from the flock?
Check if she is getting broody. Look for signs of multing. I would give her a thorough check to make sure she is completely healthy, no pests, ect just to make sure they aren’t pushing her away to protect the flock.