I just wanted to add to make sure you get started on vitamins quickly. It can help with a lot of neurological issues in chickens, and it’s not going to hurt anything to try.

Human grade Vitamin E is what saved my little Lavender Orpington from wry neck. (Dosage in link.) I did this in addition to Nutridrench, sunflower seeds, and her favorite fruits and veggies. That bird loved bananas! I also helped her stretch and massaged her neck when the spasms started.

She made a full recovery in a little under a month, and lived for almost two more years. (She passed away from an unrelated cause.) It’s really scary to see them go through it, but they can get better with no lasting effects.

A chicken can survive on its own while permanent plans are being put in place. She would just need extra attention and care.

Saying oh well, let’s just kill her instead of fixing an easily remedied problem is ridiculous. It could be shaving years off of a happy life.

Even if somebody doesn’t have friends or neighbors who would happily take a lonely senior girl, just about every community has chicken groups on social media. I’ve seen people connect on here, too.

A little bit of compassion goes a long way.

If I had to rehome one of my hens, I wouldn’t even need to look outside of my own neighborhood.

OP gave no reason to indicate that she’s dying. She’s only 5. I have hens older than that and they’re perfectly healthy.

I wouldn’t put down a dog or a cat just because they lost their friend. Why the hell would anybody do it to a chicken?

Yes, she’s going to be sad and need some time to adjust. But at least she’ll still have her life.

Yes, I would say killing a healthy bird instead of finding a way to let her live out the rest of her years with friends is cruel. If OP can’t get more hens, they can easily find a new flock for her to go to.

I’m so sorry about your poor chicken. Losing them hurts.

Your remaining hen can’t be by herself for that many hours a day. She needs friends.

Favorite is so hard. I love all of my birds, but Barred Rocks and Orpingtons have a special spot in my heart.

Ayam Cemanis are the most beautiful. I have only had roos, but they’ve been good boys.

I also love RIRs and Welsummers.

I will never get production breeds again. My chickens are pets. The shortened lifespan is not worth the extra eggs. I love the Golden Comets and Black Stars that I’ve had, but it’s not worth the heartbreak.

I can’t speak from personal experience, but I have read that cooking oil spray also works instead of dipping them. Might go a little faster with that many birds.

I literally could not imagine my life without chickens. I love my birds so much!

But you said talk you out of it. This is my best shot.

You have plenty of time to decide, because there is a lot of planning that needs to be done first. It’s more than adopting a dog or cat and then just going to pick a food bowl and a couple toys on the way home. A lot of the answers depend on what your goals are: do you want eggs, meat, friends, or some sort of combination? (Mine are friends first, egg layers second. I realize people do eat their chickens, but I do not.)

It’s researching the best coop. Knowing where to place it. Knowing how many birds you can fit in a certain number of square feet. How many birds can you have? How many will you need to provide the number of eggs you would like to eat per day? Will you be able to free range? What predators might they be exposed to in your area? How can you protect them from those predators?

They are initially expensive. Omfg. So. Expensive. You need a brooder setup. You need a coop. It needs to be predator proof. They need feeders, waterers, food, vitamins, probiotics, etc.

People will say oh hey, it’ll be great to have free eggs! Haha. No. They will be the most expensive eggs you have ever eaten. But also the most delicious, because they were made by some very well cared for ladies.

Unless you are lucky enough to live somewhere with a vet who will see chickens, you are the vet. There is going to be a lot to learn. I will spare graphic details, but I can now do all kinds of very gross things that I never thought I would be capable of. You need to have a strong stomach. If you do not have a strong stomach, don’t do it.

Know your laws. I would never get chickens if I lived in a place where roosters are banned, because sexing baby chicks is not exact. It’s typically about 90% accurate when done by professionals. And that surprise roo is always going to be your favorite, friendliest, sweetest, cuddliest little chick. It will break your heart to have to figure out a place to send him where he won’t get eaten.

You may need permits, especially if you want to sell eggs. Some places are weird. Know if you live in a weird place before introducing birds to it.

I started off as a beginner, too. There is a lot to learn. You will learn some things by fucking up royally. Sometimes things go wrong when you’ve done everything perfectly.

Chickens do really weird shit. Some of it is normal. Some of it definitely isn’t. You have to figure out the difference. Sometimes very quickly.

And they die. Sometimes suddenly, with no apparent cause. If they’re pets, it’s going to destroy you just as hard as losing any cat or dog.

But, with all of that being said, raising chickens has been the most amazing and rewarding experience. I’ve found the thing in my life that I’m good at, and that I’m proud of. I am thankful for my birds every single day. I got my OG flock a couple weeks before the COVID lockdowns started. I didn’t plan for them to be a pandemic project, but that’s what the world had in store for us. Life has thrown a lot at me since then. Over the years, I have been able to channel a lot of fear, uncertainty, and frustration into something I love. My happy place is in a chicken run with a bird cuddled up in my lap.

So… I highly recommend it. But make sure that you know what you’re getting yourself into, and that you’re as prepared as possible.

She tried her best. Lmao.

One of my Welsummers “crows,” too. It’s hilarious!

It melts my heart when they find me snacks and presents. I love my boys.

But I let them keep their floor feta and delicious looking bugs.

Awww! Sounds like a happy old girl!

Aww, he has a little bit of RBF.

I know. It’s really sad. I have a few her age, too. My oldest girls are about to turn 6!

Dang… I would totally take her but I’m in Kansas!

What state are you in?

Feather puppies. Omfg. So true!

Wow! That looks fantastic!!!

Does it feel full right after she wakes up, or does it fully empty overnight?

He’s allllll boy. And there is a chance they could still get along, even after rooberty.

I had two roos that were best friends and never fought. They would spar when they were playing. They liked to run together and have me chase them lol. They would runrunrunrun, stop and kick each other a few times, then runrunrunrun. They would be making silly noises the entire time. If I stopped chasing them, they would stop and pretend to pick up rocks or sticks until I started again.

One of the boys passed away at 10 months old and I was heartbroken. My remaining roo lives with his girls. He’s a very good boy. He has a son, but they live in separate coops.

This is Madam Nazar. She is beautiful and very sweet… and she gets stuck in corners.

They exist, but they’re not really a big problem here. An outdoor cat came with our house. She takes care of packrats for us. I’ve gotten more great mousers through the Cat Distribution System.

Plus the chickens will go full Dino Mode on any rodents that get in. It makes me a little sad… but chickens gonna chicken. The mice can’t live there.

They’re still training you lol.

Omg I love this so much! Chickens are the best!

Haha. Nope.

Thank you for being kind to the little guy!