My friend and I have both gotten into chickens at the same time but she hasn't gotten around to signing up here yet. She keeps asking me what to do with her situation but I'm new and fairly clueless too so I hope you don't mind my posting it here.
Here is the scoop: She originally bought several chicks from the local feed store over the course of several days. She got to about 8 of roughly the same age chicks and had them in her outdoor coop once they were feathered out enough to handle it. They were together for about 2 months I think when she just couldn't help herself and added one that was roughly a year old, also purchased from the feed store. This bird had been owned by a local guy who decided not to keep it for whatever reason. She layed an egg right in front of my friend who then just had to have her!
You know how exciting an egg can be, lol!
She's now had this girl for about two weeks and the bird has not laid any more eggs. I keep telling her to be patient, that the bird has had some major disruption and needs some time to aclimate but my friend is getting quite anxious now. Oh, and since she's gotten the hen she's also added several other, smaller chicks from the same feed store. She added a couple of silver and gold laced Wyandottes and then decided she wants to join 4-H so she added a couple of baby Cochins as well. I told her that everytime she adds more birds she's probably delaying the hen but I thought I'd ask here in case I'm wrong.
She's also worried about how the hen is interacting with her. I told her it's only been around her for a couple of weeks and she needs to give her time and be patient but again, she's anxious. The older hen seems to be doing fine other than those issues. She will chase the babies out of her spot at bedtime but doesn't harrass them or peck at them unless they bother her. She has provided layer pellets but the hen is going for the grower and scratch instead. I don't know if my friend has provided a source of calcium but I did suggest it. Any thoughts or tips? She keeps asking me for help and I'm about out of ideas! Even if you don't tell me anything new at least I can tell her I checked.
Here is the scoop: She originally bought several chicks from the local feed store over the course of several days. She got to about 8 of roughly the same age chicks and had them in her outdoor coop once they were feathered out enough to handle it. They were together for about 2 months I think when she just couldn't help herself and added one that was roughly a year old, also purchased from the feed store. This bird had been owned by a local guy who decided not to keep it for whatever reason. She layed an egg right in front of my friend who then just had to have her!
She's now had this girl for about two weeks and the bird has not laid any more eggs. I keep telling her to be patient, that the bird has had some major disruption and needs some time to aclimate but my friend is getting quite anxious now. Oh, and since she's gotten the hen she's also added several other, smaller chicks from the same feed store. She added a couple of silver and gold laced Wyandottes and then decided she wants to join 4-H so she added a couple of baby Cochins as well. I told her that everytime she adds more birds she's probably delaying the hen but I thought I'd ask here in case I'm wrong.
She's also worried about how the hen is interacting with her. I told her it's only been around her for a couple of weeks and she needs to give her time and be patient but again, she's anxious. The older hen seems to be doing fine other than those issues. She will chase the babies out of her spot at bedtime but doesn't harrass them or peck at them unless they bother her. She has provided layer pellets but the hen is going for the grower and scratch instead. I don't know if my friend has provided a source of calcium but I did suggest it. Any thoughts or tips? She keeps asking me for help and I'm about out of ideas! Even if you don't tell me anything new at least I can tell her I checked.
