Lost our Flock Leader Hen - suggestions please.

[Mmueller12]

Hello, we have a small flock (just 6 now) after losing 2 hens this fall - the latest a few weeks ago, our beautiful Dolly, a huge light brahma hen that had held flock leader for 4+ years (we don't have roosters). She was kind and brave and loved to free-range. Now, our hens cower inside their walk-in coop and will rarely even go into the enclosed run. We have trail cams up and have caught no predators inside their fence and I haven't even seen any hawks lately. Since this coincided with the 2 chicken losses, I'm guessing it could be connected. Does anyone have suggestions on how to encourage my hens to be a bit braver? We have more chicks coming, but not until April.

What I've tried:
Staying out in the fenced in free-range area - they do come out, but not very far away from the coop/run.
Sprinkling treats outside the run - they come out to eat (sometimes) but go right back in...

Thank you,
Melissa

 

[sourland]

Were the previous losses the result of a predator attack ?

 

[50-45-1]

Does anyone have suggestions on how to encourage my hens to be a bit braver?

their flock leader is gone...they probably saw it happen.
they know now that the area is not safe.
why do you want them to go out in an area that just recently lost you a bird?
they are being smart and avoiding a dangerous area.
have you determined what is taking your chickens?

 

[jolenesdad]

Chickens can get incredibly stressed after predator attacks, and in a small group it can really change dynamics of the flock for several weeks or more. After a few hawks this season, my chickens have not explored the perimeters of their fields in months.

After a hawk attack, I actually prefer the chickens to stay close to the coop where they are safer with cover. If you lost a Brahma and did not find lots of feathers anywhere, I would imagine it was something else. I would likely be locking them inside for a couple of weeks hoping it passed along.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Does anyone have suggestions on how to encourage my hens to be a bit braver?

Patience on your part. Let them work it out on their schedule. Each flock has its own dynamics based on the personality of the individuals in that flock. Especially if they lose a forceful personality the whole flock dynamics can change. You may have lost a bold leader.

That sounds like pretty typical behavior after a predator attack. I don't know when or what your trail cams were covering during the attacks, what your fenced area looks like, or what took those chickens. I don't know what evidence was left. It would take a pretty large bird of prey to carry off a mature Brahma hen. I don't know what continent you are on let alone more of a specific area so I don't know what the potential predators are. I'd suspect a big cat or canine if the bodies disappeared. Maybe a large eagle? Maybe something migratory? It's really hard to guess over the internet, especially when you have no clues.

 

[Mmueller12]

It was not a predator attack - both hens died of different illnesses (nothing treatable).

 

[Ridgerunner]

I guess that shows you can't just assume. It's still possible there was a predator threat (or what they perceived as a threat) that scared them but it's also possible you just had a change from a dynamic exploring leader to a more cautious one. I haven't seen that major of a change in flock dynamics when I removed flock leaders but you can never tell. I'd still recommend patience, let them work it out.