Help Please- Getting a new 7 week old chicken!!!!

[wood_sorrel]

Hi everyone!!

I really need some advice. Our full grown (2 year old) chicken (Barred Rock) is all alone. Her sister was eaten by a fox we think. Anyway, we found someone who is selling a 7 week old Barred Rock hen, and we'd like to get her as a companion for our lonely girl.

I have a few questions.

First, is a 7 week old chicken old enough to be outside in an enclosed run and eat the same food as our older girl- we feed her organic egg laying pellets?

Or do we need to get her some kind of special food?

Secondly, how do we go about introducing them?

I know that there is a strong likelihood that they'll need to be separated because the big hen will pick on the little one.

We have a cage (dog carrier) that we were going to put the little one in and place it next to the run with our big girl until they get used to each other.

How long will it be until the 7 week old reaches full size and lays eggs?

Thank you in advance for any help. Am quite new to this, except that we've been raising out adult Barred Rocks for two years. Just don't know how to deal with introducing a new hen, and the special needs of a 7 week old hen.

MANY THANKS!!

 

[silkiechicken]

You'll probably want to keep that new one with a friend her age for another 8 weeks or so till they are the same size as your current hen. Expect fighting during integration. They should lay at about 22-30 weeks old or so. If they share a common outside run starting at about 10 weeks or so, when they are fast enough to run and hide from the adult, intergration to the same sleeping quarters will be easier. All flocks are different though, so you just have to keep an eye on them. No blood no foul. Let them figure it out. Blood from fleshy comb and face bits is ok.