- Mar 22, 2012
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I've searched the forums and have yet to see an answer to this question.
Last spring I built a little chicken tractor and stocked it with 3 leghorn hens. They were a year and a half at the time. I just wanted to "stick my toe in the water" so to speak - before building a bigger coop.
I loved my girls! Those 3 sweet girls were laying machines, but not very people friendly. I let them out to forage, and locked them up at night.
Late last fall, however, one passed unexpectedly. I have no idea why, there was no sign of trouble. Then Dec. 23rd of last year, I got extremely busy with Christmas projects and (gasp!) forgot to lock up the coop. I remembered at 2am when I was preparing for bed, but it was too late. Something had taken one of my chickens (a sickening trail of feathers leading to the woods
) and the other was found the next morning highly upset - roosting in a tree.
We've dubbed her "Lucky" and she'll die of old age. The dear has earned her spot, but she's alone and has been since Christmas. She's still laying nearly every day, and she and I have bonded. I've avoided getting her "friends" until I decided what we needed to do for us as well. I didn't want to add a couple of hens, then more later.
Now - I'm planning to add a flock of Easter Egger chicks. They're arriving in April. The plan is to brood them in the little tractor in and out of the garage until they get to be 4 weeks old or so. I have another A-frame lightweight portable pen that I use for daytime use only, that I'm planning on putting a division in to introduce Lucky to the chicks.
Lucky - during this time - will be housed in the new coop that will house them all eventually.
My question (finally) is - it seems to me that 15 chicks introduced to one lone hen shouldn't be in too much danger by 5-6 weeks or so. Lucky is a small chicken. She was at the top of the pecking order of the 3 before we lost them, however. So I suppose she has a little fight in her.
Anyway - advice? Thanks! (and sorry for the book!
)
Last spring I built a little chicken tractor and stocked it with 3 leghorn hens. They were a year and a half at the time. I just wanted to "stick my toe in the water" so to speak - before building a bigger coop.
I loved my girls! Those 3 sweet girls were laying machines, but not very people friendly. I let them out to forage, and locked them up at night.
Late last fall, however, one passed unexpectedly. I have no idea why, there was no sign of trouble. Then Dec. 23rd of last year, I got extremely busy with Christmas projects and (gasp!) forgot to lock up the coop. I remembered at 2am when I was preparing for bed, but it was too late. Something had taken one of my chickens (a sickening trail of feathers leading to the woods
We've dubbed her "Lucky" and she'll die of old age. The dear has earned her spot, but she's alone and has been since Christmas. She's still laying nearly every day, and she and I have bonded. I've avoided getting her "friends" until I decided what we needed to do for us as well. I didn't want to add a couple of hens, then more later.
Now - I'm planning to add a flock of Easter Egger chicks. They're arriving in April. The plan is to brood them in the little tractor in and out of the garage until they get to be 4 weeks old or so. I have another A-frame lightweight portable pen that I use for daytime use only, that I'm planning on putting a division in to introduce Lucky to the chicks.
Lucky - during this time - will be housed in the new coop that will house them all eventually.
My question (finally) is - it seems to me that 15 chicks introduced to one lone hen shouldn't be in too much danger by 5-6 weeks or so. Lucky is a small chicken. She was at the top of the pecking order of the 3 before we lost them, however. So I suppose she has a little fight in her.
Anyway - advice? Thanks! (and sorry for the book!
