Advice: fox attack & introducing new chicks (sorry for the long post)

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achell

In the Brooder
Nov 19, 2021
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So I am relatively new to raising chickens, we got our first 6 last March. Early on one was taken by a hawk after I walked inside for only a few minutes. We took care of that by putting a top on their chicken run and moving the coop to the back which had coverage from the trees (We have 10 acres, mostly wooded area). We eventually allowed our girls to free roam and they loved it and always went to sleep in the same tree. Greeted us every morning by coming to the back door and always came when called. They were amazing and couldn't be happier. A few weeks ago we had a fox attack, turns out there's a den with 3 living on our property (my beagle found it). They got all of our chickens except 1. She didn't seem traumatized at all just sad and confused about where the rest were and why they weren't coming when she called. We were able to get her another full grown chicken to keep her company but I knew we needed more than 2 in a flock so I just got 8 more chicks recently. It will be a little while obviously before they can join the other 2. My one from my original doesn't seem as happy now that she's confined to her coop and run but I can't risk anything happening to her. I would let her free range during the day but 1. The hawks are back now that they can see them with the leaves off the trees and 2. She's tough to catch, always going right back to her tree when it's getting dark and doesn't come when I call like she used to. She actually runs away if I get too close. I'm just wondering what I can do to make her happier and to trust me again. Is there a way to allow her to free range without actually free ranging if that makes sense. I just feel awful for her and don't know what I can do to make her happier and to just have a better life. I'd also like to know when and how I should introduce the new ones to the other 2. Should I introduce when they are little and still living in the house or wait till they are ready to go in the coop? And how should I go about it? I'm sorry for the long post, just wanted to provide a bit of back detail. Also, we're actively working on the fox issue just haven't had any luck yet. I appreciate any advice, thank you!
 
You can use bird netting on the run to keep the hawks out and they will feel secure. When introducing any new birds it's best to keep them in a separate pen where they can see the others but not touch for a couple weeks. If you have a large run you can still put netting over the whole thing and that's a good compromise to free ranging all the time
Chickens can be "trained" to come to a call (I say "here chick chick" in a high-pitched voice) when you bring treats and you can use this in the evening to get them back in the run
 
If you can divide the coop, you can raise the chicks in one part and let the adult hens have the other part. A divider made of wire mesh will let them see each other and start to get acquainted safely.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
This article discusses and interesting way to integrate young chicks with adult chickens.
The author broods the chicks inside the coop, and provides chick-sized doors to let the chicks join the adults when they want to (but the chicks can run away through the little doors, where the adults cannot follow, so this protects the chicks from being bullied.)

Other than a bigger chicken run, I have no ideas for letting your hen "free range" without being in danger.

You can probably tame the hen a big by regularly bringing treats for her.
If you carry the treats in the same container each time, she will learn to come running when she sees it, and that can be used to lure her back into the coop when you need to. Or you can call her when you give treats, and she will learn to come when called.

For treats, I suggest wet chicken food (a small amount of the usual food, with water added). She can eat as much as she wants of that, without any nutritional issues.

I also suggest grass and other safe plants, cut into small pieces so they are easy to swallow. It is probably safe to let her have as much as she wants of that, too. (Long grass blades can tangle in the crop and cause problems. But if you take a pair of scissors and cut them into short bits, they are fine. It doesn't take long to cut a little bit, and chickens who are confined to a run usually love to have some green things.)

You can also give her chunks of sod, or plants with their roots attached.

(Too many "treats" are usually a problem, because most treats are not nutritionally balanced, but the specific ones I recommended should be fine. The wet chicken food is just as well balanced as dry chicken food. The grass & greens do not contain many calories, so they will not make her fat. And a hen will usually eat enough chicken food to get her day's calories even if she has all the greens she wants to eat, and when she gets enough calories from the chicken food that means she has eaten enough to get her protein and other nutrients too.)
 
Thank you so much everyone! I'm really glad I found this site, so much helpful information on here. I can't wait to get my girl back to her happy self. She was more of a follower than a leader in her old flock so I'm hoping once my new girls are older and can join her she'll be happier. She started behaving the same way the new hen I got behaves, being skittish and not answering or coming when I call. My girls used to always answer and come running when I'd yell for them, I always used the same phrase and had treats in hand. Anytime I was outside they followed me everywhere. I'm hoping when everyone is introduced and has established their flock ranks I'll have the same experience. For my chicken run we use a fenced in dog run so they do have a good amount of room and we have the top covered with chicken wire. I plan on digging a few inches down and burying the hardwire cloth to keep them a bit more protected. When it gets warmer I'll be able to stay out with them longer so they can free roam a bit but I'm thinking for now this is probably the best I can do. I wish I had known that once the weather started getting cooler a fox attack was more likely to happen. Thank you again everyone, I really appreciate it!
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
Sorry for your losses.

Honestly, having your original very skittish is a good thing if you want to allow the flock to free range again. It's a great survival tool.

You can either start a new thread in the Flock Management forum or post pictures here of your current setup, inside and outside of the coop and run for suggestions on enrichment and the pending integration.

I would brood the chicks in the coop in an area sectioned off with 1/2" hardware cloth and something solid over the top so the adults can't jump in and the chicks can't fly out. Use a brooder plate as they are far safer than a heat lamp. I would NEVER use a heat lamp in a coop.

When the chicks get about 4 to 4.5 weeks old, fashion a couple of chick size doors through the hardware cloth wall that only they can fit through. Let the big girls out of the coop and lock them out then let the littles out to explore the coop for a couple of hours and keep showing them how to get back into their safety zone. Then let the bigs in and monitor to ensure the littles have figured out how to get back to their brooder.

I would also add branches and stumps for perching on, wood chips for digging through, old wood chairs, pallets leaning against the walls and so on to the run for the birds to use.
 

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