My one CHICKEN needs a friend

[4Chickadees]

Hello if anybody could give me suggestions I would really be grateful. I had two chickens remaining for the past 7 months we've been together every day. One of them is missing and there is no sign but she was eaten by a predator at this time. I don't want to get rid of my only chicken I want to bring another chick in here or maybe more. How do I do that successfully?

 

[lyleg5895]

It depends. If you free range, you can get a few new chicks and introduce them at around 3-4 weeks. If your current bird isn't too aggressive, they should get on just fine. Maybe but the chicks in one of those octagonal baby gates with some shade cloth over top so they can get acquainted safely. If you keep your birds cooped, you'll want to be a little more careful. Keep the new birds in a cage or brooder where your current bird can see them and get used to them. I'd also wait until the new chicks are closer in size to the older chicken. This is where buying pullets may come in handy. When you do introduce new birds, i reccomend doing it either at night or very early in the morning (well before sunrise). This way, the new birds and the old bird will be less likely to have issues.

 

[aart]

I don't want to get rid of my only chicken I want to bring another chick in here or maybe more. How do I do that successfully?

How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
Adding birds can be tricky.
Putting new birds in at night might work great, or be disastrous.

This might help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

As might these tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[4Chickadees]

Thank you for your replies. My chicken(s) is/were free-range. I live in New Hampshire where there's lots of places to free range

 

[SueT]

The predators will be back, looking for another meal. Keep your remaining chicken confined for a while.

 

[NatJ]

You could get several new chicks (2-4) and raise them together, in a place where the existing hen can see them and interact through a wire fence.

A few hens (rare) will try to adopt baby chicks even when the hen was not broody--if she does this, you're all set!

Most hens will be a bit interested in those new things that peep, but won't do much harm. And some will actually attack chicks. You won't know which kind your hen is until you try it.

You could try an introduction method like this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/

The idea is to give the chicks a place to get away if needed, but let them spend time with the big chicken(s) if they feel safe. And because the chicks are little, the big chickens are more likely to ignore them rather than trying to establish a pecking order with them. When the chicks are old enough to challenge the hen for a place in the pecking order, they are also big enough to deal with the consequences of that.

I suggest more than one chick for several reasons:
a) in case one dies, you don't have to start over AGAIN
b) it's best for a chick to grow up with companions, not alone
c) if your hen is mean to the new ones, she will probably peck each one sometimes, instead of just one always. (probably)

 

[4Chickadees]

Update: I ended up getting 1 hen named Henny Penny because I had placed a lost ad regarding my chicken and a woman responded through Facebook saying that she had a hen that you needed to be rehomed, because she was Broody and the other chickens in her flock were pecking at her and she was bald on the top of her head when we got her. And my chicken and henny penny got along after about 3 days and then they were friends. so yeah having one and introducing another is a lot easier than having seven and introducing one

The black chicken is Henny Penny in the other one is Ducky. This was a picture of them on August 2nd 2020. The first picture is when we first got her with her bald head.THANK you for all your responses appreciate it.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you for updating!

I am very glad to hear that it worked out so well!