Lost all my chicks???!?!

[jakomisar]

I have a 12x12 chain link chicken run, with 3 feet of hardware cloth up the sides to protect from predators. I have three hens living there.

Yesterday, I separated off a section in which to raise 4 6-week-old chicks. The cordoned off section is about 3x3 with 3 foot chicken wire.

Last night or this morning one of my three hens flew into the separate section and killed both my RI reds and both my Black Copper Marans. All four chicks are dead. I feel awful. I really didn't think the hens would be able to get over the three foot enclosure.

Do I just have one extra-aggressive hen? Is this completely normal?

I guess in the future, I'll have to put a roof (and maybe a floor too) on the separate section for the chicks.

Any thoughts? I feel like crap.

 

[texasgal]

Sorry for your loss ..

I learned that hens can be WICKED .. don't give up.

 

[BrattishTaz]

Welcome to BYC.

I sorry you lost your chicks. You will need to put a cover over the chicks next time. 3ft is just a hop for your hens. Mine can clear a 7 foot fence with the right motivation.

Try not to beat yourself up. We have all done things that have or could have resulted in harm to our flock. We learn from our mistakes and adjust as necessary. Your hen were just being hens.

 

[feliciamckee]

Don't blame yourself. Good luck with your next little ones.

 

[jakomisar]

Until what age do I need to keep them separate from the rest of the flock?

 

[Nicole01]

That's completely normal. I just integrated my chicks and the same thing would of happened. I used a wire dog kennel inside the coop to integrate. The wire kennel is pretty secure. I supervised them together and kept them separated when not watching. It took 3 weeks to integrate. It's best to integrate when everyone is about the same size.

 

[Nicole01]

Quote:
About 3 months. I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

[mdbokc]

Quote:
Mine see each other but cannot make any physical contact until they are about 13 weeks. Even then, I keep a close eye on things. I play the rooster and keep the peace while allowing the pecking order process to occur. They don't spend the night together free to move about until they have rubbed elbows in the yard for at least 2 weeks. And those first nights together can still be explosive with some of the personalities.

Very sorry for your experience.

 

[nanawendy]

I usually wait until they are a similar size, and then watch closely to see if issues come up.
Sorry for your loss

 

[SoFluffy]

Chickens are unpredictable sometimes...