And then there was One ...

[kristi54]

Thanks to my ***hole neighbors (who let their dogs out and killed four out of five of my flock in one afternoon), I am now left with one lonely girl, Thelma. She's a Welsummer. She now hangs out with my two goats (one of them who's mother was also killed by the above neighbor's dogs) and it's quite a motley crew (the issue of the dogs is being handled, so no advice there please).

However, now that my daughter has grown out of 4H and off to college, I'm re-homing the goats to a great new 4H family and trying to decide what to do with lovely, lonely Thelma. She was laying up until the time of the attack, but I think the trauma of that coupled with she has no flock left, she's stopped. She may begin again if with a new flock.

I've found a home for her too but she'll be going alone. The family that is taking her is new (two years) to raising chickens but they have around 10 hens. Best advice on how to let Thelma be absorbed into her new flock - GO.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Thanks to my ***hole neighbors (who let their dogs out and killed four out of five of my flock in one afternoon), I am now left with one lonely girl, Thelma. She's a Welsummer. She now hangs out with my two goats (one of them who's mother was also killed by the above neighbor's dogs) and it's quite a motley crew (the issue of the dogs is being handled, so no advice there please).

However, now that my daughter has grown out of 4H and off to college, I'm re-homing the goats to a great new 4H family and trying to decide what to do with lovely, lonely Thelma. She was laying up until the time of the attack, but I think the trauma of that coupled with she has no flock left, she's stopped. She may begin again if with a new flock.

I've found a home for her too but she'll be going alone. The family that is taking her is new (two years) to raising chickens but they have around 10 hens. Best advice on how to let Thelma be absorbed into her new flock - GO.

Oh, that is so sad! Can’t you keeps her and buy her some new little friends?

 

[kristi54]

Oh, that is so sad! Can’t you keeps her and buy her some new little friends?

I'm moving soon and not sure if I can have chickens, so getting more is not an option right now. Also, with the *blanketity blank* neighbors and their dogs, I'm always worrying about my outside animals. I can handle the wild critters where I live; it's about eating. But those dogs just killed one chicken and then moved to the next one. Over and over. I can't go through that again.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm sorry for your trauma.

I'm sure there are some here who can advise you on integrating Thelma with a new flock better than I. It's usually advisable to integrate more than one at a time, but the situation is what it is. What I would do is put her in a wire dog crate and put the crate in the hen house at night. I would leave her in the crate for about three days and nights, of course being sure she has her own supply of water and feed. On the third night I would open her crate door so that in the morning she could come out and just be one of the flock. We've had success integrating small flocks of up to 4 or 5 with our existing flock this way. Our hen house is 8x10, the yard is about 30x50, and in the afternoon they have unlimited free range with a dog on guard against predators. They put themselves up in the hen house in the evening and once they roost we shut the gates and the hen house door.

Others may have better advice. I wish you well, and all the best to Thelma.

 

[kristi54]

I'm sorry for your trauma.

I'm sure there are some here who can advise you on integrating Thelma with a new flock better than I. It's usually advisable to integrate more than one at a time, but the situation is what it is. What I would do is put her in a wire dog crate and put the crate in the hen house at night. I would leave her in the crate for about three days and nights, of course being sure she has her own supply of water and feed. On the third night I would open her crate door so that in the morning she could come out and just be one of the flock. We've had success integrating small flocks of up to 4 or 5 with our existing flock this way. Our hen house is 8x10, the yard is about 30x50, and in the afternoon they have unlimited free range with a dog on guard against predators. They put themselves up in the hen house in the evening and once they roost we shut the gates and the hen house door.

Others may have better advice. I wish you well, and all the best to Thelma.

This is how I introduced 3 hens to my flock (when I had a flock) a few years ago. And it worked so well. I think I was more concerned due the fact she would be the only one. I told the new family about crating her until the other hens were used to her being in their space. I'm happy to have a bit of affirmation that this procedure might work. I'll update next week as the goats are leaving Monday and I don't want her being alone; she'll go to her new home at the same time.
And yes, crying will be on the schedule as well. I've had the goats for over 10 years now and we got our first chicks around the same time. So getting used to an empty barnyard will be my new normal.
Thanks for the input.

 

[happy duck]

Sorry for all the loss. Hope this can be dealt with.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

May your new normal be a new beginning, and your tears water a bright future.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

So sorry for your losses. Can I see the pictures of the goats?

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I'm moving soon and not sure if I can have chickens, so getting more is not an option right now. Also, with the *blanketity blank* neighbors and their dogs, I'm always worrying about my outside animals. I can handle the wild critters where I live; it's about eating. But those dogs just killed one chicken and then moved to the next one. Over and over. I can't go through that again.

That’s horrible and too bad for you. I just don’t know why people are so irresponsible with their animals.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@SurferchickinSB, people are irresponsible with their animals because it's easier than being responsible. Sigh.