all but one chicken killed

[sandykopandy]

Thanks again my fellow chicken lovers, for your endless support and good ideas. You are all such a wealth of ideas and I really appreciate it. I wanted to give you an update and ask yet ANOTHER question, as we move forward to full integration of the two babies into the remaining flock of one:

I spent a good three weeks working with them, placing the chicks outside while Gizmos (adult) was grazing. I quickly learned the "look" when she was getting ready to peck a head, and I would quickly SQUAWK as soon as I saw it, which seemed to teach her to stop in her tracks and do something else. (If I happened to be on the phone at the same time, it also succeeded in making the listener believe that I was a lunatic.)

The chicks have been sleeping outside in their modified dog crate for three nights now. They also stay there during the day. I placed a cat crate inside the dog crate so during the heat of the day, they are often inside the cat crate and at night they perch on top of it. Whether it's increased exposure, increased size or the alignment of the stars, Gizmos seems to be starting to accept them. They have frequently ended up stumbling on her coop when they are all out grazing, and then she joins them in there and has essentially stopped being aggressive toward them. I've seen her occasionally look like she may peck, but it turns out that she will either peck the grass nearby or give them more of a warning nearby peck. Today they are all in there together by choice, and Gizmos is laying while the chicks stand in an adjacent corner, chirping, eating and drinking her food and water, and watching her. This same thing happened yesterday and I removed them out of respect, but today I am leaving them because she doesn't appear to mind it. Before the other two were killed, they often laid together or one would stand guard, so maybe there is something she finds normal about this.

This gives me hope that we are very close to full integration. (The chicks are 4 weeks today.) The question: If I integrate the babies into the big coop, it seems impossible to keep them from eating her food and vice versa. Our coop is too small for barriers. Would it be okay to feed them all the same thing without compromising their health? If so, what would that be?

Thanks in advance for your expert advice!
Cluck Cluck,
Sandy

 

[sandykopandy]

Never mind! I searched the site for this, realizing that it must be a fairly common question. Duh. Here's the link to the answer, in case anyone else is interested. In a nutshell, feed them all starter feed, offering oyster shell supplements to only the adult. It's more important that the babies get their high protein than the hens get the feed they need, but babies shouldn't have all that calcium. I can offer the oyster shell to Gizmos when she is grazing.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=78666

 

[sandykopandy]

I wanted to tell you that as of about a week and a half ago, the babies are sleeping in the big coop with Gizmos! I put a second perch in there. For several days they huddled in the corner under the shelter. They sometimes tried to get up on the perch with her but she would shoot them a look and they would jump off. Now that a little time has passed, I have a sense that if the perch were big enough, they may even sleep on it together. But Gizmos is used to hogging the king sized bed alone so they sleep facing each other, the babies on one perch and Gizmos on the other. Yesterday the babies were taking a dust bath and she was taking one just about a foot away. Things are looking VERY great! Thanks again for all your support with this.

 

[flowerchild59]

I am glad things worked out for you. Even thought this tread had a sad beginning, it should be added to the "warm and fuzzy" category someday.

 

[gavinandallison]

Quote:
Good luck!

 

[Gullygarden]

meanwhile, is that dog still around? if so I would get an electric mesh run as soon as your chicks are big enough, around eight weeks.

 

[sandykopandy]

Well, the thing about the dog- he jumped out of my neighbor's car window and the chickens had wandered to the front yard when it happened, so even though it was my yard, it was also my fault for being so lax. I am curious to know more about that netting that you mention- is there a link you can send me to? I have two dogs as well- one is somewhat visually and cognitively impaired and afraid of the chickens (especially since he was pecked in the face once). The other one would kill them in a heartbeat and must be on leash at all times. He walks past their coop no problem and never stalks them with me there (on leash), but I don't even think the worst kind of shock would keep him away if he was off leash. He doesn't feel pain when he's a predator, if that makes sense. It's why as heartbroken as I was about losing our two precious girls, I couldn't put blame on anyone but myself.

 

[ChickzenDeeba]

ok , so i am new to having a flock. Well, day b4 yesterday, all buy 1 of my flock was carried off and killed leaving just the lone surviver in terrible traumtized shock. She cried and cried and cried and i think the attack mustve began in the coop because she was going crazy tryig to peck out the corners and walls etc. Well yesterday i went and purchased a new flock of 2w old chicks. The lone survivor was 6w old. What i did last night was fix a plastic brooder box with all the trimmings and then i sat the whole box inside the coop itself. Now i had to hunt down my lone survivor and found her roosting at shoulder height in a bush in the chilly wet air. I gatherered her to put her in her coop and thats when i noticed her bizarre behavior. I thought her hearing the babies, shed feel more at ease but i was wrong. SOOOO this is what i did. I gathered her up and held her close to my heart and firmly while stroking her chest feathers. I then opened the brooder box and with both my hands still cupping her , i held her inside the brooder box near the food. Then, all the babies began to snuggle up under her and like magic, she stopped crying and i let her go . I wanted to be nearby in case she pecked etc. She stood at the feed and hunkered low, she ate while allowing the babies to also eat. They all kept going underneath her and i was shocked that she was letting them. Shes a light Brahma. So i decided, after 15 minutes in there with them, that id leave the lid off the brooder box and let my new mommy / lone survivor keep them warm and trust her not to squash them. SOOOO IM PRAYING SO HARD TONIGHT that when we go open the coop in the morning, that all of the babies will be healthy and quiet and our new mommy will be more at ease. WISH US LUCK AND ILL LET YOU KNOW TOMORROW HOW IT WENT> Sweet dreams.

 

[Binos1984]

I am so very sorry for your loss.

We had 13 silkies last year and we came home to find that a fox had attacked them and there were no survivors. 1 rooster, 2 hens, and 10 babies. I was devastated. I also cried for days.

In my grief, I went and bought 3 new silkies that were about 1 month old. They got along famously and gave me something to care for, which helped my process. I now have the exact same amount of silkies, funny enough, as the 3 ended up being 1 roo and 2 hens. Hatched 10 babies.

I suggest perhaps starting over. Your lone chicken will have integrated with her new flock and moving her back may stress her. Wait until you're back and start fresh. Best of luck!

 

[cuilleree]

Hi Sandy. I know this happened a long time ago, but it just happened to me two days ago. We had three hens, and two were killed by an unknown predator. We are trying to figure out what to do with our remaining hen, and I'm so thankful for this thread because it gives me hope that we can introduce two chicks eventually (and carefully!). I hate the thought of her being alone--she's not even two years old, and she was raised with her two "sisters" since ten days old. I hope you and your chickens have done well these past few years, and I'm sorry this happened to you.