Had 2 pet chickens one died, brought another in for company-not working!

[wendylee13]

Hi everyone,
I still have Thelma but Louise died. I have no idea why. Louise was my first chicken she was 4 years old found her when she was probably 2 months old. SHe had been alone for 4 months- Thelma was brought in at about 2 month old and I kept her in a containment area in the coop for a week before I let her in with Louise.
When I let Thelma out she did the pecking thing and still ruled the coop after all this time.
When Louise died Thelma was laying next to her it was so sad ! I removed Louise and Thelma was going nuts by herself. I felt so bad and sad! I got a chicken from my neighbor maybe 3 months old to keep her company. Kept in containment in the coop for 3 days , let out of coop the other day and Thelma is pecking it and it is flying all over the place. This new chicken was loose never in a coop also. When Thelma is out it is in the nesting box. Then she goes in and pins it down then it runs out. I cannot get near the new chicken it freaks out but Louise was a pet as well as Thelma . I am in there everyday holding her and talking to her as well as keeping the mini perch house clean everyday. Very spoiled chickens! The coop is the size of a bedroom 10ft x 12ft is about 8ft tall and critter proof, there is plenty of room for 2. Bottom is sand, rocks & shavings which gets cleaned out every 2 weeks, fresh fruit or veges everyday, mealworms and chicken garden delight treats. They were both laying but Louise started randomly occaisionally stopped off and on a few months ago so I am thinking maybe she was impacted? I am so upset over this and now I thought I did the right thing getting Thelma a friend but she is terrorizing her! SHould I just give the the new chicken back to my neighbor?

 

[SueT]

Welcome to BYC! It sounds like Thelma doesn't like the newcomer! I wonder if you gave them more time in see-no-touch set up if that would help. I will be interested in hearing what others advise, and in updates from you!

 

[janiedoe]

Rather than returning the new girl, perhaps you should introduce two more with the "see, don't touch " method.
This will give Thelma something to focus on while she and the new girl get used to each other. Also, if something were to happen to one of your hens, the remaining hens wouldn't be lonely. I wouldn't introduce just one more or you may be in the same boat.

 

[BullChick]

 

[Claires Poultry]

Hello and welcome to BYC!
We're so glad to have you here with us!
Thank you for joining our wonderful community of fellow poultry enthusiasts!

 

[ValerieJ]

Hi! Welcome to BYC! Do you also feed your girls a formulated chicken feed, like All Flock or Flock Raiser? If not, they are probably not getting the right balance of nutrition and that could be why you lost Louise. As for the aggression, I would put the chick back in a see, don't touch pen and add a couple more with her, keeping Thelma by herself. Do this for about a week, and then try integration again with all the birds. She will still want to establish her seniority, but may not be so aggressive to just one pullet.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens have to agree look but not touch is the best hope it all works out for you

 

[PioneerChicks]

Maybe you should get 2 new chickens. You should try to control pecking order a little. Does Thelma do the squat when you walk by?

 

[BlueBaby]

Hello, and welcome! Glad that you joined! Good luck in them learning to get along.

 

[feathermaid]

I'm sorry for your loss @wendylee13 Don't give up on the new chick just yet!

A few days separation in See But Don’t Touch isn't long enough. You were lucky it worked the first time around, probably because Louise was still relatively young and lonely and ready to accept a companion. Thelma, it sounds like, has only known one friend in the last 4 years, so a newcomer is very strange and upsetting. This will be a very difficult and even traumatic adjustment for her. She'll need a lot more time just looking and "talking" to the newbie before being set loose together in the same space.

You could also try containing Thelma for a few hours at a time and let the new bird explore the coop and get comfortable in the space without being harassed. I agree with others it might be better to also get an additional bird or two, because Thelma is older and you don't want to have your new bird go through the same thing in the future. Normal flocks are constantly rotating members and it does seem to make it easier when things change. If you let your birds free range in the yard, that's a good time to let them be loose together, because the younger one will have more space to run away, and chasing is hard work... Thelma might just give up after a while. Only do that after your new bird(s) have learned the coop is home, about a week.

After a couple weeks, when you're ready to let your girls be together inside the coop or run, make sure to offer multiple food and water stations and LOTS of clutter. That means extra perches, platforms, maybe a ladder or chair, a piece of plywood leaning on the wall, open-end hiding spots and line of sight barriers, and some fun stuff to do... like a pile of hay to scratch through, a new dust bath area or some hanging treats. An open empty room is just too boring and so the only interesting thing to do is pick on flock-mates.

Do you know if your new chicken is male or female? If you have a cockerel, Thelma may be more bossy to keep him in line as he matures and teach him some mating manners. Has Thelma ever quit laying before? Most hens will stop laying in fall/winter when days become shorter, and usually older girls may quit laying altogether or just produce an occasional egg a few time a year. Depending on breed, there could be other reasons.

Good luck!