SquirrellyAcres
Hatching
We just started this whole chicken thing in June 2016. We love BYC and appreciate everyone for teaching us all we know!
We began with 2 Gold Laced Wyandottes (Maddie and Tae) and added a Polish (Pebbles), Easter Egger (Miss Brittany), and Faverolle (Matilda) in August. We have an amazing coop (my husband is a master carpenter, and our friends call it the "Chicken Taj Mahal). We were letting the girls free range on our 2-acre property. One day we came home and Matilda was missing, no feathers anywhere, she just vanished. Our friends, who also raise chickens, said a hawk had probably gotten her. About a month later, we came home, and a fox had gotten Miss Brittany. We were devastated! We decided to only let the girls "range" in the middle of the day, thinking foxes were dawn and dusk predators (our mistake!!!) When we came home a few weeks ago, the fox had gotten Maddie! Again, totally devastated, so we decided to only let girls out when we were home. Two weekends ago, we heard Pebbles squawking and ran out to see a hawk flying off through the trees. There were 2 large piles of her feathers in different places in the yard. Not seeing her in the hawks talons, we searched the woods hoping he had dropped her. We didn't find her anywhere. Extremely upset, because we were failing miserably at raising and protecting our chickens, we put Tae in the coop and began to re-evaluate the whole "free range idea". After a few hours, I went out to the coop to check on Tae, worried, because she was now all alone. As I walked across our back porch, I heard a faint whimpering underneath, when I looked under, there was Pebbles... missing most of her middle and rear feathers, but no blood. My husband coaxed her out from under the porch and we took her to the coop with Tae. For the next few days, both hens seemed fine, and Pebbles even laid a few eggs (Tae lays almost everyday). However, over the past week, Pebbles has been staying in one of the nesting boxes all day. When we go in the coop we take her out and she will eat, and peck at treats, and get water, but then she will go right back to the box. She is losing weight and I am very worried about her. Since the ordeal with the hawk and the fox, we have set out traps for the fox (we will relocate him if we are lucky enough to catch him), and started building an enclosed run off the coop (24x8 foot), and only let the girls out when we are outside working on the run. We also got an 8-month old roo, who Tae has taken a liken to. In addition, we decided to order some new chicks (5 each of Brahms's, Easter Eggers and Blue Splash Marian's), who will be 5-weeks old on Monday.
I've read a few posts on BYC about chickens getting PTSD, and I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been for Pebbles to escape the hawk, but I want to make sure she is going to be okay. I was thinking about introducing her to the "babies" to see if that might perk her up. She isn't much bigger than they are. We love our chickens and they have become an integral part of our family. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!
We began with 2 Gold Laced Wyandottes (Maddie and Tae) and added a Polish (Pebbles), Easter Egger (Miss Brittany), and Faverolle (Matilda) in August. We have an amazing coop (my husband is a master carpenter, and our friends call it the "Chicken Taj Mahal). We were letting the girls free range on our 2-acre property. One day we came home and Matilda was missing, no feathers anywhere, she just vanished. Our friends, who also raise chickens, said a hawk had probably gotten her. About a month later, we came home, and a fox had gotten Miss Brittany. We were devastated! We decided to only let the girls "range" in the middle of the day, thinking foxes were dawn and dusk predators (our mistake!!!) When we came home a few weeks ago, the fox had gotten Maddie! Again, totally devastated, so we decided to only let girls out when we were home. Two weekends ago, we heard Pebbles squawking and ran out to see a hawk flying off through the trees. There were 2 large piles of her feathers in different places in the yard. Not seeing her in the hawks talons, we searched the woods hoping he had dropped her. We didn't find her anywhere. Extremely upset, because we were failing miserably at raising and protecting our chickens, we put Tae in the coop and began to re-evaluate the whole "free range idea". After a few hours, I went out to the coop to check on Tae, worried, because she was now all alone. As I walked across our back porch, I heard a faint whimpering underneath, when I looked under, there was Pebbles... missing most of her middle and rear feathers, but no blood. My husband coaxed her out from under the porch and we took her to the coop with Tae. For the next few days, both hens seemed fine, and Pebbles even laid a few eggs (Tae lays almost everyday). However, over the past week, Pebbles has been staying in one of the nesting boxes all day. When we go in the coop we take her out and she will eat, and peck at treats, and get water, but then she will go right back to the box. She is losing weight and I am very worried about her. Since the ordeal with the hawk and the fox, we have set out traps for the fox (we will relocate him if we are lucky enough to catch him), and started building an enclosed run off the coop (24x8 foot), and only let the girls out when we are outside working on the run. We also got an 8-month old roo, who Tae has taken a liken to. In addition, we decided to order some new chicks (5 each of Brahms's, Easter Eggers and Blue Splash Marian's), who will be 5-weeks old on Monday.
I've read a few posts on BYC about chickens getting PTSD, and I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been for Pebbles to escape the hawk, but I want to make sure she is going to be okay. I was thinking about introducing her to the "babies" to see if that might perk her up. She isn't much bigger than they are. We love our chickens and they have become an integral part of our family. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!
I too agree with CT that Pebbles could be broody. Even though polish are not a known broody breed they do sometimes give it a go. All you have described would indicate that to me. If you believe she is broody breaking her of this will help her gain more weight. Hope this article helps you ~ 
But it seems that you've been given great advice so far and I wish you luck with the new chicks! 
