Chicken taken this am. Ok to add chicks?

[ccstarbuckle]

So, my wonderful copper maran was killed by a raccoon this morning. So now I have 3 hens left but am wondering if I should get 8 week old pullets now or wait until next spring. It's at the tail end of chick season here. Irridessa (RIP) was the alpha so as far as the psychology goes, I don't want the younger chickens harmed when they finally are integrated. Or can they even be? Or do they need their own seperate coop and space? My resident chickens are 26 months old and have a decent sized yard.

I guess I'm wondering if it's a good time to add new chickens (young) while the flock is reorganizing or if the resident chickens will be more aggressive to newcomers at the moment. This part really kicks rocks! .

Maybe I need some mini goats. Do they even protect flocks? Lol. Ugh.

 

[Bunnylady]

First all of, I'm sorry to hear of your loss. I assume you have done what is necessary to prevent further losses?

Young chickens will be bullied by the older birds, you can pretty much count on that. How bad it is will depend on many factors, including how many young birds are introduced, how large a space they have to roam in, and the personality of the older birds. Confining the young birds where the others can see them but not reach them for a while may make the integration a bit less nasty when it does happen.

Can't say that the smaller goats would be much help with a raccoon - adult coons aren't much smaller than an adult Pygmy, for example. For a number of years, I had a mixed-breed goat that seemed to consider herself the "matriarch" of my goat herd; she would attack any dog or anything dog-like that entered the pasture. The problem was, she only "patrolled" by daylight, so marauders that roam at night came and went with impunity (that included raccoons, opossums, foxes, owls, and a bobcat).

Good luck with your birds, and your predator problem. I know it's disheartening to lose birds like that.

 

[ccstarbuckle]

Bunnylady, thank you for being so supportive and sharing that information! I took that loss really hard! After I bolstered their security, I did what any chicken obsessed person would do...I ran out and returned with 3 juvenile pullets! A black sexlink, salmon faverolle and an appenzeller spitzhauben!! Just finally let them out of the brooder during the day in an enclosed pen so they've been hanging out with the girls but are still separated. The older girls were surprised the first day but seem to be pretty indifferent since then. I'm wondering if that's because it's a big space and there are a ton of berries they're all eating all day. But could this maybe mean that the transition will be smoother since they don't seem too concerned? OR does that not mean anything until the barrier is removed?

On another note, I named them again. You'd think I would have learned by now. I also keep trying to tell myself that I should use them for soup stock when they are no longer laying but it makes me cringe and feel guilty. I hope that I can become more practical as time goes on since that was kind of the whole point of this journey in the first place! lol oye.

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry for your loss, it's always hard. A predator proof coop for night time is essential. I set live traps at night often, because racoon and possoms are always a risk and usually at night. Hope you got that racoon, because he will be back! Mary

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry for your loss, it's always hard. A predator proof coop for night time is essential. I set live traps at night often, because racoon and possoms are always a risk and usually at night. Hope you got that racoon, because he will be back! Mary