Add chicks or grown hen(s)?

[cecil-b]

We've had a visiting coyote, and our little flock over 2 attacks has sadly gone from 4 to 1 poor traumatized gal when their coop wasn't closed up tightly. I know my one remaining girl needs friends, but not sure if I can introduce new birds while she's so traumatized. She has never gone broody, but I'm wondering about getting 3 little chicks and letting her raise them. Have any of your tried this with a single chicken? Do you think this strategy would help give her purpose and eliminate any potential bullying from new grown hens? Or better just to slowly introduce another full grown girl or two, or raise chicks inside and slowly introduce? Not sure how to best add friends--I appreciate your expertise!

 

[Scrambled8]

I think she would love new friends after all thats happened. You probably shouldnt get chicks, grown chickens have a tendancy to want to pick on them if they arent theirs. Sorry for your losses!

 

[Den in Penn]

I have heard stories of lone hens accepting chicks and lone hens not accepting them. If you can brood the chicks in the coop separated from the hens as they grow you will see how much time the hen spends next to the chicks and if she is aggressive. Chances are that by the time they are six weeks and don't need heat you will be able to make a chick portal in the brooder area and let them mix.

 

[humphrey farms]

We've had a visiting coyote, and our little flock over 2 attacks has sadly gone from 4 to 1 poor traumatized gal when their coop wasn't closed up tightly. I know my one remaining girl needs friends, but not sure if I can introduce new birds while she's so traumatized. She has never gone broody, but I'm wondering about getting 3 little chicks and letting her raise them. Have any of your tried this with a single chicken? Do you think this strategy would help give her purpose and eliminate any potential bullying from new grown hens? Or better just to slowly introduce another full grown girl or two, or raise chicks inside and slowly introduce? Not sure how to best add friends--I appreciate your expertise!

My cochin "Puff" became a surrogate Mom to 25 peeps this past March. She was hurt badly by an aggressive breeding roo and needed some special care. So I threw her in the brooder and turned off the heat lamp. She took right over as Mom.Those babies follow her all around while they free range. They roost when she does at night too. It can work if the hen wants to be broody.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

It can work if a hen wants to be broody... but that is fairly rare. More likely, the hen will kill the chicks.

It always works best to add flock members that are physically the same size as the existing birds. In this case, add adults or pullets on the point of lay. Otherwise, if your hen doesn't mother these chicks (and she most likely will not, unless she's raised clutches in the past) you'll have to brood the chicks and your hen will be lonely for 18 more weeks.

 

[cecil-b]

As I'm fairly newer to chicken keeping, what does "point of lay" mean? Thank you!

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

As I'm fairly newer to chicken keeping, what does "point of lay" mean? Thank you!

A pullet at point of lay is just old enough to start laying eggs. Usually pullets are sold "point of lay" or "started pullets" at 18 weeks. Not all hens start laying at 18 weeks, but 18 weeks is often called point of lay regardless.

 

[Mrs. K]

Contact your local poultry club, they will know of someone that has older hens, or point of lay hens. You don't mention the breed of the hen, and different breeds are more or less likely to be broody.

But I too strongly think that full size birds, or near to full size birds are your best bet. This has happened to me too, so aggravating. the loneliness is a factor now, but in the winter the body heat becomes important in order to keep the flock warm enough.

Also if you add two or three birds, they won't be on their home turf, so that will help.


Mrs K

 

[kmpaulick]

I'm sorry to hear about your poor hens! We're in a somewhat similar situation. We've had what I suspect is a fox, recently take 3 hens, leaving us with only two (and another in the "chicken infirmary, healing up from being pecked by an older hen --older hen was one taken by the fox...so, in a strange twist of fate, seemed to have saved the life of the one she attacked, but I digress...). Tomorrow I'm planning to pick up several 10-12 wk old pullets. My thought is that they'll have safety in numbers and won't be so big that they end up bullying the remaining two hens that I have. Hopefully it goes smoothly. I'm planning to section off a portion of the coop for them at night, but let them all range together during the day.

Good luck!

 

[cecil-b]

Thank you for the advice! This weekend I went to a local poultry swap and got a Hampshire Delaware at point of lay to join the Speckled Sussex (3 years old). So far, they're definitely not best friends, but hopefully will get it all figured out over the next few days and weeks. I also got 3 chicks that I have in a separate area so they can see each other, but not yet combine. By winter, we should have a flock of girls that can keep each other warm. Fingers crossed!