integrating chicks with one hen?

[southclarkson]

This morning I caught a fox running off with my last chicken. I got her back & she seems ok...but stressed for sure.
Meanwhile I've had 4 silkie mix chicks in brooder box for about a month now and they are not fully feathered, I'd guess they are about 6 weeks old. My one hen is a sweet natured ameraucana. (I probably spelled that wrong). Should I take this opportunity to put the chicks in there with her? She's all alone now and maybe since there are 4 of them, they won't get picked on too much? I'd put a light in there for warmth with the chicks, we are in piedmont (think Charlotte) area of NC. so it's just starting to get in the 30's and 40's at night.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'd give it a couple days and then she'll appreciate the company.

I'll add that silkies are more vulnerable to predators than most other breeds.

 

[Sara Ranch]

Putting the babies in with her could be a good thing....make sure the babies have a safe place to get away from her.

Would you tell us more about the space the hen is in?

How will the babies be safe from the fox?

 

[southclarkson]

The coop and run is pretty secure, my daughter went out to put the chickens up last night...except she didn't apparently. The door to the run was wide open this morning & I am beating myself up for not going after her to check. She's 6.
Anyway, I will keep the hen shut up in the coop & run area for at least a week, then (this happens about once a year so we have a process now) I'll start letting the survivor out for short supervised free ranging and increasing the time incrementally until we feel the predator has moved on.
Since she is the only hen now, (that's new to us, we've never been down to one hen,) I'm thinking I might just extend the time that she or they stay put up. and with the chicks still being little, I won't let them free range at all for at least another month.
Or another thought is: just giving the chicks supervised visits with the hen for a few days to see how they mix.
Usually when I integrate new chicks, there are more hens &the chicks are at least 2 months old and I put our dog crate in the run so they can get in there & hide from aggressive hens. Then I let the older hens out in the afternoon and keep the younger ones in so they have a break from each other. So see this is weird for me to figure out. Ireally appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Sara Ranch]

Hhhmmm....this is just me being sympathetic to the lone survivor...but I'd probably put the babies in the run with the hen. I'd keep the babies semi-separated by a fence. Something that they could go around (if they figured it out) and be near the hen. The hen (if she figured it out) could go around and be near the babies.

The babies *might* be ok with free ranging - supervised - with the hen. This might help them bond.

And I would consider letting them sleep together too.

I had an urgent situation where I had to put three flocks together in a coop. There was no time to intergrate as I normally would. In the coop, I deliberately didn't put in nesting boxes (no chickens are laying right now - either too old, too young, or too cold) or roosts. I put in two exercise kennel fencing so at night, I could put the two baby flocks separate from the sr flock. The first night I made sure it was secure and the old ladies couldn't pick on the babies. The second night, I "closed" the kennel fencing, but didn't secure it. The third night, I left the kennels open, but created different spaces that the two younger flocks could go to. Within a week, I removed the fencing completely. In the yard, I put in 40 gallon barrels and a gate and made sure there were plenty of places for the girls to hide or chill out. There's been no fighting that I know of. Everyone is getting along, but the three groups are definitely sleeping separately, but all in the same room. There's starting to be a little co-mingling, but not very much. Next week, I will add roosts for everyone. Same height. I am trying to get all three flocks to be on "equal" footing in the new space.

Please keep us updated on how things work out.

 

[sourland]

It may or may not work using the 'supervised visits' method you have suggested.