Chicken Compatability Question

[r-l-newell]

I had ten chickens that were about six months old killed over the weekend. I have two remaining chickens that are a Rhode Island Red and an Americana. If I purchased some other six month old chickens would they have issues staying together? just want to make sure before I spend money for some new ones and then have them kill the old ones that I have raised from chicks or the old one kill the new ones.

 

[Overeasyplz]

Wait. what? What killed them? Did they kill each other? sry, confused

 

[r-l-newell]

I'm not really sure what killed them. We went out of town for the weekend and when I came back yesterday evening I looked in the coop and ten of them were dead. Didn't see anything that could have killed them but didn't think that they killed each other since I have had them all together for the last six months and they have never picked on each other except when they were younger one was killed by the group after he was pecked until he bled and then the melee was on and they all killed him.

The roof of my coop had a place on the top towards the end where the wind whipped it up and it flopped up a lot and I have seen some raccoons in the area before we left town and I wonder if one of them could have went in the roof opening while it was flapping and then killed what he could and then left the coop and planned on coming back later for them.

My neighbor said that he has seen numerous raccoons around everywhere lately.

Needless to say I repaired the roof today.

 

[chookchick]

I am assuming you meant that the older chickens killed the younger ones--is that right? This would be an extreme example of why introductions need to be made carefully and slowly. There is no way to put them in together suddenly and not expect some violence to occur, but 10 dead! I'll get a link to the chicken intro thread. Make sure you have plenty of room, and at least 2 each of waterers and feeders.

Here's the thread--from learning center:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

 

[r-l-newell]

No actually I started off with thirteen chicks six months ago and then while all of them were younger one of them got pecked until he was bleeding and then the rest of them killed him by pecking him to death. Then there were twelve ever since and this weekend sometime all but two of them wound up dead while we were out of town. Other than as I stated in the previous response about raccoons I have no idea what else could have killed them.

I am considering purchasing some six month old pullets to put with teh remaining hens that are about the same age.

Will this work ok?


I have a five gallon waterer and a 30 gallong self feeder that the two hens have grown up eating and drinking out of.

 

[Kittymomma]

It can work, but you need to go slow.

First, Quarantine, quarantine, quarantine! You should keep the new ones seperate from your two for a month. This is always a good idea and even more so since you don't know what happend to your 10 pullets.

Second, after quarantine is over it's usually better to introduce them slowly. If you can, rig up a run where they can see each other but not have actual contact.

Third, since the new group is going to be so much larger then the original one I'd intoduce two of the more docile or mid-ranking hens from the new group into the old one. I like to do a trial run during the day time when I can supervise, if it goes pretty well--some chasing and pecking is ok, just as long as it's not relentless, I put them in for good at night. After that add to the group keeping the number roughly equal until you have everyone in the same pen. It takes awhile to do it this way, but is safer and less stressfull then just throwing them all together and hoping for the best.

Good luck!

 

[chookchick]

Looks like our posts crossed in cyberspace! I am actually relieved to hear that the other hens did not kill ten chickens--though losing that many is awful! Sounds like it was probably the raccoons. Please be sure that your coop is super secure now, because he/they will probably be back to look for more dinner. You might want to get a trap or two set up also. As for intro--Kittymomma has good advice, good luck!

 

[chickbird]

Quote:
i've mixed chickens several times without any problems. i just wait until night and place the new ones in the coop/hen house and when they all way up in a.m., no fighting, however i do let my chickens free range in the day and they all roost together at night. i think as long as you are putting in 6 month olds, you will be o.k. if you do it at night.