Coyote ate all but one.. Thinking about adding babies for my lonely girl? Help!!

[leandrahuff]

The other night a coyote got into the coop and ate all but my one sweet little bantam. This was my first flock and the loss is more than devastating. But! We do have one left who last night slept in a dog kennel. She's so lonely. She calls for her sisters when we go back outside for a little exercise. When we go to the scene of the crime she gets nervous and tries to tell me the whole story. She won't let me leave her. It's horrible!! We have cleaned everything up and today will be beefing up our security, but I feel like she can't be alone. I'm afraid to just go get a few new laying hens because they will fight and stupid as it may seem I can't handle it right now. It's very, very warm where I live and I was thinking about getting some 2-3 week old chicks? What do you guys think? Do you think the babies may help her heal? Also, I had obviously been feeding my lost girls layer and the babies won't be able to eat it. Can my survivor eat chick food for a while? Any suggestions? Thank you so much for your advice during this traumatic time!

 

[Ameraucanas]

http://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/introducing-new-chickens
Hope this helps! Sorry about the coyote.

 

[leandrahuff]

Thank you!! I think it did. I'm not sure that my one tiny bantam girl will bully the babies.. But now I'm aware!!

 

[bobbi-j]

Thank you!! I think it did. I'm not sure that my one tiny bantam girl will bully the babies.. But now I'm aware!!

It's very likely she will bully and even possibly kill the babies. Chickens don't have a very strong maternal instinct unless they have hatched (or think that they have hatched) their own eggs. If you have the room to do it, you could divide your coop and run, get some babies and keep them separated from her until they are big enough to introduce. It may lessen the stress and severity of the integration and pecking order issues.

 

[leandrahuff]

Very good advice, thank you. She's very very sweet, and although I don't know for sure.. I'm hoping she won't be too dominant. She was pretty broody last month, hopefully she will think she hatched a clutch overnight lolol

 

[bobbi-j]

Very good advice, thank you. She's very very sweet, and although I don't know for sure.. I'm hoping she won't be too dominant. She was pretty broody last month, hopefully she will think she hatched a clutch overnight lolol

There are no absolutes, of course, but I'm afraid you're going to run into trouble if you do go ahead and put babies in with her. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - chickens aren't the brightest animals on this planet, but they're not that stupid. Unless she has been sitting on eggs for sometime (and I would say two weeks at the very least), she's not going to think that she just magically hatched a clutch of eggs overnight. You put babies in there, and there will be trouble. To what degree, it's impossible to say, but I would be very surprised if there are no injuries, or even deaths. You'd be much better off getting one or two adult or nearly adult aged birds. At least they will stand a chance when your hen decides to defend her turf. Chicken society isn't pretty. Chickens hate change, and are very territorial. No matter how many birds of what size or age you get, your hen will see them as intruders. While chickens are flock animals, she will still not be warm and welcoming to new birds. They are not little people with feathers. They don't think like us. Her little chicken-brain is not going to look at baby chicks and think, "Oh, look at the cute fuzzy little orphans. I must love them and feed them and make them comfortable." This is, of course, your flock and the final decision is yours.

 

[donrae]

I'd say look for pullets in the 3-4 month range. That way they're old enough to run away from her, but still young enough not to challenge her much. Plus, they're old enough to be accurately sexed so you shouldn't get an Oops rooster. Having some hiding places for the new birds is always a good idea.