all but one chicken killed

[mtnviewfarms]

I am so sorry for your loss. I would recommend getting a couple of hens about the same age as Gizmo as has already been
suggested. I am relatively new to chickens - we have 48 Barred Plymouth Rocks ( four Roos and 44 pullets ) that we've raised
from day old to now 10 weeks of age. I thought I would enjoy having chickens - never intended to use them as meat birds
but are looking forward to large brown eggs come late August. I was totally unprepared for the level of affection that I feel
for these birds - they are so inquisitive, friendly, funny, entertaining and smart. I find myself not being able to even order
chicken at a restaurant now or buy it at the grocery either - just the thought of eating chicken now seems so wrong. Do any
of you have similar experience after raising chickens?

 

[KathSoCal]

Dear chicken lovers,

Thank you for being here! And please accept my condolences on your losses--these feathered friends are quick to steal our hearts, I have learned. This thread seems to address my issue: We had two hens, and [obviously, mistakenly] allowed them to roam a bit, and now there is one, so, what do we do? (These hens, well, now, this hen, is co-owned and loved; she lives here but her other mom lives elsewhere, where chickens are banned.)

It seems like the options are varied, with mixed results/added questions:

1. Let her be the sole chick. Won't she be lonely? (I live alone and like it that way, maybe some chickens do, too?) We feed her organic pellet, organic scratch, and both organic and non* for treats (*greens, mostly, until I get some growing), and add some of the whole grain homemade feed from Ronda's recipe at greenerpasturesfarm. Can she be happy alone, even with the best of food?

2. See if she will hatch some fertile eggs we sneak in her nest box. Should we get two? Where on this forum can I read more on this option?

3. Introduce feathered hen/s and babysit all day to see if they get along? Sneak them into the coop at bedtime? Aaack, I need a source to read up on this, too.

4. Is there another viable option if my max hen level is three-four, but preferably two? I can't babysit all day, nor can/will I house/tend to chicks, but the co-mom might....

5. She's a 3-year old Buff Orpington, and was the head chick. What sorts of issues might that add to the mix? (Her dear departed and generally devoted pal was an Americauna, smaller and very lovey, just learning to be a lapsitter, sniff.)

Thank you for any advice you may have! ♥

 

[sandykopandy]

What I am learning from this forum and some friends who have had chickens is that raising chickens is as much an art as it is a science- perhaps even more an art. Some people have had excellent results raising chicks with older hens. Others have not. We attempted to integrate Gizmos into another flock and did everything "right" and it was a disaster because the other two hens were very aggressive toward her from the start.

She is docile, sweet and hand tame and I have made the decision to keep her. When I got the call that it wasn't working out, I did what any Chicken Freak would do: Left work at lunchtime, drove across town and brought her home in a cat carrier

. I am so happy to have her back. I realized the moment I got that call that it was right for her to stay with us. So that's one decision.

I have also made the commitment to find her a new flock. The adult hens that were a possibility have fallen through. And maybe that's meant to be, because the truth is, we raised ours from chicks and handled them a lot... loved on them... because of that, they were used to being held and very friendly toward people. I don't know that I want a hen who wouldn't be used to that. So I'm thinking chicks.

Being in Austin, Texas, it's very warm and chicks in the garage wouldn't require any external heat source even at night. My thought and what I want to bounce off of you fellow Chicken Freaks:yiipchick (and I say that with the sincerest respect): I imagine that Gizmos would do well with one chick instead of two. It's my intuition. I have nothing to base this on but a gut feeling. Is it wrong to raise one chick alone? I believe that with slow introductions, she would accept it and be happy for the company. That seems like a better idea than having her adjust to two. But would it be wrong to raise a chick alone? Do they need socialization even at an early age? And has anyone ever taken a lone chicken who was used to company, and placed a lone chick with her? Many of the scenarios I have read involve higher numbers and I'm just wondering if perhaps a different scenario would create different behaviour.

Thanks for any insight. You all are fantastic and I so appreciate the input.

Best,
Sandy
p.s. And btw, for the person who asked about not wanting to eat chicken, well- I don't eat chicken anyway so I can't speak to that, BUT... I will tell you that i won't eat eggs out now because I know that they have come from battery cages and I can't bear the thought that these spiritual creatures were forced into such horrid conditions. Battery cages should be outlawed and I refuse to support any use of them. Yes... most people would think I was nuts but I'm glad to be amongst people who understand here.
p.p.s. And I should mention that when we first got chicks, I didn't even WANT them! I fought and fought until my son finally convinced me. Look who's eating her words

 

[sandykopandy]

Hello Flock,
First of all, I wanted to tell you that Gizmos, our lone chicken, has taken to hopping up on my lap every single evening before bed time. She wipes her beak back and forth on my which I think is affection, we cluck back and forth, and eventually she hunkers down and goes to sleep. Here is a link to a one minute video from last night:

I'm still struggling with what exactly to do in terms of getting her new flock mates. After endless advice telling me NOT to put a chick in there with her, one guy at the chicken place said that if I "slip a newborn in there while she's sleeping, she'll wake up and think it's hers and take care of it." Is this something I should try???? What do you all think? Wouldn't I wake her up? She sleeps on a perch and lays in a totally different area. Would she really fall for that?

All thoughts welcome.
Thanks!
Sandy (the neurotic chicken mama)

 

[ChicksterJo]

How old is Gizmo?
I ended up having a lone Marans pullet at about 9 weeks old. I gave her only flockmate away because he was a rooster and I couldn't keep him, otherwise I would. Their sister died three weeks before that. I kept my pullet separate from the rest of the first batch of chickens, but luckily I had several 4 week olds that needed to be integrated with the older chickens, too. When I released them in with her on her side of the run, she was definitely bothered but at the same time interested. After a week they started getting along with her and now she has a new family.
I did not want her to be alone and knew that even though she'd have some trouble with a new flock at first, she'd be better off with them in the long run. Another good thing is that they weren't that much apart in age.
I hope that you are able to find some companions for your girl. I would not just "stick" a baby chick under her because you might wake up to find a dead chick. I found that overwhelming my lone pullet with five new month-old chicks was enough to get her integrated into their flock, especially since she couldn't keep up with picking on 5 chicks!

 

[sandykopandy]

Gizmos is over a year old. Her coop is only big enough for a total of three so I could get either one or two more. My instinct is to get one for her, but it seems wrong to raise a chick alone... seems like they should have flock mates too... and yet our coop is not big enough to "fence off" a chick. She roosts on one side and lays on the other and there isn't a whole lot of space in between. Not sure what to do. I really can't believe this decision is sooooo complicated.

 

[KathSoCal]

Quote:
No kidding! Shall I let my hen lay two eggs, leave them there and add two fertile ones in case she'll sit on them? Or introduce two young chicks? Or one or two older ones? And all the advice says: you never know. Not helpful

 

[sandykopandy]

Quote:
EXACTLY! You know what the problem is? If it DOESN'T work out, then it's not like you can just return the chicks. Now you have a new set of problems. We need a "speed dating for chickens" event or something- to see who would get along.

 

[sandykopandy]

Hi Everyone!
I wanted to give you an update on our situation and ask for some advice. After endless offers of hens that didn't seem like good matches for us, I ended up with two brand new chicks. I went to the general store to "look" and... well, we know how that goes.

One is a Delaware and one an Americauna- both cute as can be. Anyhow, right now they are in a Rubbermaid in the garage and I take them out a couple times a day to have parallel interactions with Gizmos (the one in the video who gets on my lap every night). She sometimes ignores them, but other times she gets this evil look on her face and starts stalking them and if I weren't to do anything, she would PECK. I've taken to watching closely and when she starts getting that "stalking" look in her eyes, I SQUAWK extremely loudly at her. The first time I did it, she just went about her business and ignored me. The second time she looked puzzled and stared at me as if it say, "HUH? I had no IDEA you were fluent!" I don't know if this is the right thing to do or not, but I want her to get used to seeing them without being aggressive toward them. The babies are getting to the point that I'd like to get them outside. Someone gave me a dog kennel- the kind that is wire and has a metal tray on the bottom. I have a few questions:

1) We live in Austin, Texas and it's HOT here- we're talking well into the three digit temperatures during the day. If I place newspaper at the bottom of the cage and cover it with cedar shavings, it shouldn't get too hot for their feet, right? I know that sounds like a stupid question but if I'm missing something, tell me.

2) Is there a simple way to predator proof a dog crate? I worry about two things:

-that the spaces between the bars are big enough for snakes to get through. Is there something that's easier/ simpler to work with than chicken wire? Or is there a simple way to affix chicken wire to the outside of the crate? Again, probably obvious but it's not popping into my head.

-that they need protection/ shelter in one of the corners of the crate. Is there a simple way to create a barrier in one of the corners to provide protection? (What would be a good material to use and what is the simplest way to affix it to the wire cage?)


3) What's the best material to put on the top to the crate to create a roof that would provide shade but not hold in heat?


Thanks for any thoughts/ suggestions/ guidance. I am obviously not a builder or a handy person. I do however own a drill, which makes me feel quite powerful.

Sandy
proud mama to Gizmos (Production Red) and babies Fayge (Delaware) and Golda (Americauna) along with Cosmo the pit bull and Eddie the mutt

 

[KathSoCal]

hehe handy Sandy with the drill! I wish I had better answers, well, actual answers, but I do have some ideas to throw out there in re "3) What's the best material to put on the top to the crate to create a roof that would provide shade but not hold in heat?"

Pet Screen (which comes in black and grey), shadecloth (black is most common, but it may come in green and other colors), and that sort of thing seem like possibilities, along with repurposed bamboo shades or even an umbrella. All of these allow air circulation, which helps reduce the heat (if the air is circulating, of course!), but you might want to hang or affix a thermometer just to see the various results.

There are numerous things you can try but many may need modification as the sun changes location over the seasons. If the crate (this is where the chicks are, temporarily, right?) is secure except on top, you could surround w/ taller chicken wire and lay the roof on top of that, which would allow more airflow.

There are stronger materials (more in line for protection from predators in their pen/run) like wire mesh in varying sizes, and one can keep adding smaller-holed stuff, but it's best to start with the safest thing you can afford, keeping in mind sun and wind direction.

I hope this gives you some ideas