Maybe I'm not cut out for this ....

[Craftygirl]

You made a great decision. congrats!

 

[GreenChicken07]

Thank you for the kind welcome. And congratulations on the new hen, I hope that things will run smoothly from now on!

 

[PrairieChickens]

Our first year, we bought over 20 chicks. By the time March rolled around the next year, we'd lost more than half of them. Stray dogs, foxes, illness, etc. took their toll on our flock, but each loss was a learning experience, and we became better chicken owners as a result. It can be very disheartening to lose so much of your flock so early in the process, especially when you've already become emotionally attached to your birds, but rest assured that these events do not make you a bad chicken owner. As you live and learn, you will get better at preventing casualties and protecting your flock.

I am glad your hen has a new flockmate. They will scuffle a bit while they establish a pecking order, but with only the two of them, it shouldn't be too bad.

 

[coop-er]

I went to my local feed store. They have adorable chicks which temps me but I'm not set up for them. They also had some Buff Orpingtons, 1 1/2 year olds.

Meet my new Mother Clucker - Buffy #2

They appear to get along. Earline is being a little territorial but I guess they just need to figure out who's boss.

I'm glad you found a new hen. This is, indeed, the tough part of chicken keeping. Losses are hard on you, especially when you don't know the cause. In my first year I lost 6 birds to a fox, 1 bird to extreme heat (I confined them to the coop to keep them safe from predators), 2 to unknown illness. But the good thing is I learned ALOT ( thanks mostly to this website and the friendly, helpful folks here). I am a better "chicken keeper now. Live and learn.

 

[Murs]

My new chicken is not used to a hen house. I thought she might follow the other one in but she didn't. So after dusk, in the rain, I picked her up and put her inside. She didn't want to stay in but with a little persuasion she did. I didn't want to lock them in because they get up before I do and I wanted her to be able to "escape" if Earline started picking on her. I checked a few times during the night and she was still inside.

It's been raining most of the day. They can go under and inside the hen house but instead they're walking around in the rain. I guess it's part of establishing pecking order. I'm a little concerned about the wet and cold so I put a roost in the corner with an umbrella over it but they've ignored it. Am I being overly concerned??

 

[GD91]

I lost a chick. Unfortunately I was naive enough to leave our rottweiler looking after them in the garden when they were too young. She would follow them, lie down, follow, lie down & not take her eyes off them & guard them. The chicks loved her & would run to her & snuggle up into her thick fur to warm up.

I left her for an hour thinking it would be fine, she was a broody dog & we'd never lost a chick before when she had been looking after them (this was her second "batch")

Needless to say, it was a very small bantam chick & she accidentally squashed it when it was snuggled up. It seemed she had twisted around to keep her eyes on the others & unintentionally pressed her weight down on the chick. Usually she would have sensed & taken the weight off when she realized it was wriggling underneath her, but not that time, the chick was just too small.

When I went outside I found her licking this little flat chick trying to revive it. I think she was more upset than me that one had died.

She loves chicks,

If there were not so many cats at our old home then I may not have taken the precaution of having her watch them.... but sadly, we had no pen & she volunteered.

Now she watches chicks in a pen

Anyway, the story is, don't beat yourself up. Look on the bright side - you fed a hungry raccoon!


As time goes by you'll get an instinct for it.

 

[coop-er]

"Anyway, the story is, don't beat yourself up. Look on the bright side - you fed a hungry raccoon!"

?????????? Huh?

 

[GD91]

"Anyway, the story is, don't beat yourself up. Look on the bright side - you fed a hungry raccoon!"

?????????? Huh?

Joke!

 

[SlipsWife]

My new chicken is not used to a hen house. I thought she might follow the other one in but she didn't. So after dusk, in the rain, I picked her up and put her inside. She didn't want to stay in but with a little persuasion she did. I didn't want to lock them in because they get up before I do and I wanted her to be able to "escape" if Earline started picking on her. I checked a few times during the night and she was still inside.

It's been raining most of the day. They can go under and inside the hen house but instead they're walking around in the rain. I guess it's part of establishing pecking order. I'm a little concerned about the wet and cold so I put a roost in the corner with an umbrella over it but they've ignored it. Am I being overly concerned??

Last year we had a pretty massive cold rain and half the chickens went in, the other half stayed out. I went out and had to 'herd' the ones that weren't smart enough to go in. Never...again...I think they are smart enough to know to go in if the weather is to much, if not, Darwinism kicks in...Of course shelter should always be offered but you can't always be there.

 

[PrairieChickens]

Some of my chickens love being out in the rain. I haven't lost a chicken to hypothermia yet. Their feathers are remarkably good at keeping them dry, and when they do decide they've had enough, they'll go in.