Lost 3 of 4 chicks to hawk

[kchron01]

Over the past 2 weeks I have lost 3 of 4 chicks to hawks, despite them being in cages or pens. Now I'm left with 1 six week old chick to move into the coop with 9 older pullets. It seems so small to not have a similar sized friend with it. Not sure what to do. I did make boxes with a small opening so she can go in and hide from them if need be. I will put one in the coop and one in the pen. Also added a second feeder and water. Suggestions?

 

[sumi]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. You are going to have to be careful with your remaining chickens now, that hawk obviously knows it's on to a good food source and they can be surprisingly determined and able to gain access to your coop if they want to. I thought years ago my chicks were safe in their little coop until I came home one day and found a hawk in there with them!

The best way to introduce the youngster to the pullets and keep her safe would be to keep her in a separate area within the main coop/run from where she can see and interact with the pullets. Keep her in there for a few weeks before letting her mingle with them. If possible see if you can get her a friend or 2 of more or less the same age, as this will make things a lot easier for her.

 

[kchron01]

Thanks, my husband made a box for her inside the coop. Getting her a friend or 2 probably isn't possible at this point so hopefully all will go well.