My flock is gone......

[coop-er]

How did the fox get your birds? If you free range, you might want to reconsider. If it was getting into a run/coop, it sounds like you have some re-working to do before you add more birds. If one predator can get to them, so can another, and it's naïve to think another predator won't take that one's place.

I live in the country and we have approx 20 acres of crops surrounding our yard- my coop is at the edge of the yard and the corn planted this year provided
cover for the fox to get close enough to attack- I was most surprised that the attacks happened in the middle of the day while myself, my kids, my husband
and our 2 dogs were all outside-I will be looking into a larger coop with possibly a run, as I am quite sure we have not seen the last of our local troublemakers

 

[DelcoChix]

Piping up with my humble opinion! I wouldn't hesitate to raise another batch of day old chicks if you are unsuccessful in finding good quality, healthy pullets--there's always a concern with bringing older birds to your flock, you'd still want to have them quarantined for a minimum of 30 days--and that means totally apart so they wouldn't carry anything (mites/disease,etc.) to your remaining girls, and sometimes illness doesn't show up right away. There are folks who feel a minimum of 6 weeks is necessary and others who don't feel it's necessary at all and just take their chances.
That being said, if you cannot find what you want in a similar aged pullet don't rule out more day old chicks. Once fully feathered and past the brooder stage you'd just need a short time of intro and you'd be back in shape. I know, that would mess up your egg production, but might work as a back up plan, and you could be pickier and get exactly the breed you wanted.
Sorry about the losses, though the fox sounds like he was in rough shape and desperate...sad all around.

 

[coop-er]

That's a thought-if I got chicks when would they be able to go in with my hens.. Who are 7 months old right now?

 

[DelcoChix]

Chickens don't check ID's to see how old they are...as long as they are a similar size, fully feathered, and have time to adapt to each other they should do fine. I just integrated my 14 new chicks (bought as day old at the end of March) with my older girls (range in age from 3-5 years) with minimal fuss...like I said, the birds don't check ages, just need to make sure the younger ones are similar in size and able to get away from each other...as a matter of fact your older girls might accept them easily since you only have two. I think it would be a lot easier than you think...plus you could raise babies again. I love that part! Missed it, couldn't resist any longer so finally ordered more fluffies this spring Problem is, I really like (love) my older girls, even though they don't lay eggs quite as ambitiously as they did when they were cute, young chicks...so had to hold off on getting more chicks until I couldn't resist any longer...

 

[lazy gardener]

Chickens don't check ID's to see how old they are...as long as they are a similar size, fully feathered, and have time to adapt to each other they should do fine. I just integrated my 14 new chicks (bought as day old at the end of March) with my older girls (range in age from 3-5 years) with minimal fuss...like I said, the birds don't check ages, just need to make sure the younger ones are similar in size and able to get away from each other...as a matter of fact your older girls might accept them easily since you only have two. I think it would be a lot easier than you think...plus you could raise babies again. I love that part! Missed it, couldn't resist any longer so finally ordered more fluffies this spring Problem is, I really like (love) my older girls, even though they don't lay eggs quite as ambitiously as they did when they were cute, young chicks...so had to hold off on getting more chicks until I couldn't resist any longer...

I also would choose to go with chicks, simply for the bio-security reason, as well as being able to pick my breeds. But, starting chicks this late in the season will give you birds that are reaching POL during the shorter days of late fall/winter. Unless you plan to provide 14 hours of artificial light for them, they may not lay until the days are getting longer in late winter/early spring. There are some charts out there that you might want to google that tell you how to tweak day length to optimize POL. Are you set up to be able to brood chicks and provide separate housing for them until they are old enough to integrate with your RIR??? Sorry for your loss, and I wish you the best of luck.

 

[coop-er]

I can brood and keep separate until integration but I specifically got my chicks in Feb of this year so I would have all my hens laying by July... Oh well, the best layed plans... Right? I suppose I can start over at square one....sure miss my birds though

 

[lazy gardener]

No easy solution here. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would check and see if I could get point of lay hens and a roo to go with them. See if there are any poultry clubs near you. If you know where the hens come from, and you only have two hens at home, I would skip the quarantine part (which is difficult to do properly and if you don't do it properly you may as well not do it at all). It is true that you could bring home a disease, but it is not like you are risking a flock of 50 or more. If things look healthy, they generally are.

A roo has really helped me with day time predators. I am rooless right now, and having tough losses if I leave them out very much at all. UGH!

Mrs K

 

[coop-er]

Thanks for the insight-I really enjoyed my flock and would like to get things back to where they were before my birds were taken. And I would like to do it as soon as possible. It is a little sad to go out to the coop and see only 2 birds. I will be looking locally to try to find some pullets that need a home-I am a little surprised, it is not as easy as I thought it would be to find birds (unless I am not looking in the right places). What type of losses are you having without a rooster?

 

[Mrs. K]

I am not sure what, must be a fox or a bobcat, cause I am losing them in broad day light. We have had so much rain, the vegetation is thick, so I don't think it can be hawks. But I have lost way too many this summer. I got spoiled having a wonderful roo. I live in tough predator-rich country, and losses were common until I got a roo. Once he turned a year old I did not have a single loss for more than a year!!!!

I have 4 rooster chicks, and 3 hen chicks left, hoping desperately that one of those roo's turn out to be a good one. I think I lost two more hens tonight. WE are in code red strict lock down. It sucks, because this is the best time for chicken to free range nutritionly speaking.

Mrs K