Will our chicken be ok on her own?

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Stevie mcqueen said:
A fox got into our coop and killed 3 of our 4 chickens. Stevie played dead and survived. We’ve had her live in the house whilst her wounds heal but going forwards can she live outside. She has an Omlet house and secure area but I worry she will be lonley. Or get cold without her friends. She has settled in to the kitchen and seams happy around the dogs. The only issue we have is our Bengal kittens that we are having to keep out of the kitchen. Stevie is about 4, all our hens had stopped laying eggs before the fox struck. Looking for advise to let her see out her life happy and safe.
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Welcome to BYC! I also second what others say. The fox will remember your area, so make sure the coop is fully secure.
 
:welcome :frow So sorry for your loss. I agree with the others that she should have some flock mates. Chickens are flock animals. The fox will be back lurking for an opportunity. I have electric wires around my pens, good heavy duty netting covering my pens and concrete under the gates all due to losses from predators in the past including fox. I also have several game cameras on my property and see predators on them quite often mostly at night here. Good luck...
http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/tips-for-protecting-poultry-from-predators
 
Welcome to BYC. I'm so sorry for your losses. Are you able to add some chicks?
I'm sure Stevie would prefer to have other chickens around. If, for some reason, you can't add more chickens, you might consider keeping her inside, at least a few hours a day.
Good luck with Stevie.
 
I am so sorry for your loss. But congrats to your Stevie for outsmarting the fox.

One of my hens was the only survivor of a mink attack that killed her three coop mates. She was initially pretty shook up; I put her into another coop with some other hens overnight where she was totally unhappy and standoffish. Eventually, she decided on her own coop mates from within the flock and is now housed with them.

Most chickens are happier with other chickens, it's true. However, I have an accidental house chicken who, when given the chance to hang outside with other chickens, politely says, "no thanks." Dottie is fine with outdoor field trips but lives contently in a huge dog crate indoors. She doesn't have to contend with predators, weather conditions or finding a safe place to lay her eggs.

A perfect solution is to find Stevie a new flock, with you or somewhere else. But if she has to live alone for a while -- even a long while -- it's not impossible for her to live a contented life.

I hope Stevie recovers from her trauma and that you find a workable solution for you both. And, yes, the mink came back; it took one of my runner drakes. An easy meal is too hard for predators to resist. I installed new fencing for the ducks and lots more hardware cloth for the coops.

I'm sorry for the circumstances that brought you to BYC but am glad you found people who can offer solutions and empathy.
 

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