Monday morning one of my 2 barred rock 7 month old hens was dead on the floor of the coop. We examined her closely not a mark, no binding eggs, nothing. The night before they both happily ate meal worms, they waited as usual to be pet, I scratched them and talked they clucked very happily. The other is fine. I got them at 1 week old and only had the two. They are extremely friendly and now when I go in to see her she jumps on me to be touched and is very loud. Everyday we got two eggs from them but never knew which was laying which, they were identical, now we are getting one egg so we assume they both laid one.

My question is should I get her another hen now? They stay in their coop and pen all winter and they don't free range until April. Their pen is quite large and the coop is a 10x10 with raised beds. I just don't want any fights. She is quite large. Should I get the same kind the same age or different, smaller? I feel so chicken stupid, I just dont want to stress her out anymore than she is. I know the whole meet and greet introduction. If they don't get along I have no other place to put the new hen and that worries me.