Unfortunate accident

[Rookie chicken gal]

Hi Chicken friends....I am coming to y’all with a few questions... A week ago I lost one of my 2 hens to a very unfortunate accident and needless to say I was devastated! I started with 7 ended with 2 due to predators and being first time chicken owners. I almost gave up the last two but didn’t due to my husbands insistence on keeping them. In the end I’m glad he did. They were perfect! Now one is gone and I have a friend who is going to give me one of her hens and I need to know if it is best for them to be the same breed and since there is just going to be the two of them I can just put them together right? I have to say my Lucy who survived was the most timid of the two. I’m frightened for her. I don’t want her to suffer any more trauma.....TIA

 

[BDutch]

Lucy will be thankful to have a new sister. Even if she will be lower in rank.

And for all you’re losses.

 

[Chicken Chiquita]

So sorry for your losses . I bet Lucy will love her new friend!

 

[Mrs. K]

They will scuffle at first. Unless one is incredibly violent as in drawing blood, let them work it out. One WILL chase the other, and feathers probably are going to fly, some will get pulled. There will be some squawking and wing flapping. Ignore that. The less you interfere, the quicker it will be over. Every time you do interfere, if you separate them, you start over. I would expect this to be way more show and grandstanding, than serious conflict.

I would wait till dark or near dark, and put the new bird in. I would not recommend adding a single bird to a flock in the dark, but in a one hen to one hen situation, it should work the best.

Mrs K

 

[Rookie chicken gal]

They will scuffle at first. Unless one is incredibly violent as in drawing blood, let them work it out. One WILL chase the other, and feathers probably are going to fly, some will get pulled. There will be some squawking and wing flapping. Ignore that. The less you interfere, the quicker it will be over. Every time you do interfere, if you separate them, you start over. I would expect this to be way more show and grandstanding, than serious conflict.

I would wait till dark or near dark, and put the new bird in. I would not recommend adding a single bird to a flock in the dark, but in a one hen to one hen situation, it should work the best.

Mrs K

Thank you so much For responding! I appreciate you. So how do you feel about a different breed going in with my RIR? And do you think it will be even more stressful on her given her situation with the previous attack on her and her sister? I just worry about her.....guess I’m a little bit of a nervous Nellie.... again, thank you so very much!

 

[Mrs. K]

Personally, I do not think that the breed will make any difference. As for the previous wreck, sometimes I think it is best to add another bird ASAP, so that really there is just one big discombobulation. Kind of overwhelms everyone, and they get over it and life goes on.

Chickens tend to hang together, they are a flock animal, and feel more comfortable with other birds. More lives to pay attention, more chance that some can escape and survive. People sometimes see that as an emotional bond between them. I do not. Chickens forget a bird that has been gone for a week, when trying to reintroduce them back into the flock and will attack like it is a stranger.

Your remaining bird is probably acting a little discombobulated, more because she is alone verse being with another bird, not so much or at all because the other bird is gone, or because she witnessed an attack. In my experience, that really does not bother them. What bothers them is the lack of another bird. Chickens hate change, and this is a change.

I think you are worrying over nothing with the best of intentions for you hen.

Mrs

 

[aart]

First fix what ever contributed to 'losing' them.

 

[Rookie chicken gal]

They will scuffle at first. Unless one is incredibly violent as in drawing blood, let them work it out. One WILL chase the other, and feathers probably are going to fly, some will get pulled. There will be some squawking and wing flapping. Ignore that. The less you interfere, the quicker it will be over. Every time you do interfere, if you separate them, you start over. I would expect this to be way more show and grandstanding, than serious conflict.

I would wait till dark or near dark, and put the new bird in. I would not recommend adding a single bird to a flock in the dark, but in a one hen to one hen situation, it should work the best.

Mrs K

Hello Mrs K! I’m reaching out to you in hopes you can ease my mind once again as you were so kind to me when I started this lil journey.... I replaced the hen finally. It took me a while to find the right person to get one from....anyway there was no big show when I introduced them. Quite the opposite! My sweet lil Lucy gave her a peck on the head and then several more throughout the day. We are on day 3 and when I take Lucy her salad for the day she will NOT let Ingrid close. She chases her off!! Will this ever stop? I feel so bad for her! The friend that gave her to me did say she was picked on in her flock.....and when should I expect her to lay?

 

[Mrs. K]

First, stop feeling sorry for them. They don't feel sorry or picked on.

Set up some hide outs, so you can feed each bird, so that while eating the birds are out of sight to each other. And wait... I too, just got some new birds, and it just takes them a while to settle down to a new place. After a month, you are still having trouble, then you might have a problem, but I would be very surprised.

Mine have not started laying, and I have had them close to two weeks. Just be patient, and don't worry, if there is no blood, they will work it out.

Mrs K

 

[Rookie chicken gal]

Hello Mrs K! I’m reaching out to you in hopes you can ease my mind once again as you were so kind to me when I started this lil journey.... I replaced the hen finally. It took me a while to find the right person to get one from....anyway there was no big show when I introduced them. Quite the opposite! My sweet lil Lucy gave her a peck on the head and then several more throughout the day. We are on day 3 and when I take Lucy her salad for the day she will NOT let Ingrid close. She chases her off!! Will this ever stop? I feel so bad for her! The friend that gave her to me did say she was picked on in her flock.....and when should I expect her to lay?