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sophiec'shens

fox got 2 out of my 3 hens

By sophiec'shens, in Chickens, Eggs and Hatching

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sophiec'shens Freshly Laid Egg

sophiec'shens

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Hi, this is my first post and I'm looking for advice...on Saturday night a fox got 2 of my 3 hens, who I've had for about a year. I felt terrible as I'd got complacent and let them freerange most of the time. I forgot to close their door and in went the fox. Now the problem is the survivor, Pie who is very shaken. Are hens very miserable living alone? I will get some friends for her, but not sure when or how to introduce them? Has anyone any ideas? Thanks

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cluckbok All Knowing Superchicken

cluckbok

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Hi ya, very sorry to hear that. There's been alot of this at the moment on here which is ashame. I would get some new hens asap but maybe introduce them through some netting or in a run next to the other one. Some people say the best thing to do is put them in together at night when they are most docile.

 

Another Omleteer will be a long in a mo I should think with more advice.

 

Really sorry for your losses. :cry:

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daj198 Frequent Layer

daj198

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I'm so sorry to hear that. One of mine was killed by the neighbour's dog about a week ago because I'd got over confident about letting them freerange. The other two are angry at me though because I'm only letting them out of the run for about 30 mins a day because I have to be out there with them.

 

I'd recommend getting some more ASAP, she'll be lonely without new friends. :cry:

 

Dom

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Janepie33 Chatty Chicken

Janepie33

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So sorry to hear about your girls.

 

We had 2 chickens and one died. The remaining one was very distressed and paced up and down in the garden crowing like a cockerel.

I went out the next day and bought 2 very young chickens (10 weeks old) and gradually introduced them all to each other, first of all through netting, then free ranging, then finally all together in the Eglu. The babies had a couple of weeks being pecked and chased (no blood fortunately) and then they all settled down and became best of friends.

It's a good idea to get new chickens ASAP as they are very social creatures and get sad on their own.

 

Hope this helps

 

Jane

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sophiec'shens Freshly Laid Egg

sophiec'shens

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thanks so much for your replies...I'll get some more chooks this weekend. It's amazing just how attached you get to them and it's so sad seeing Pie looking so lost. I'll get reading about how to introduce new chickens to her.

I feel a bit of a fraud as I've got a wooden coop but this forum is so helpful, I hope I can be forgiven!

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Tara.F Frequent Layer

Tara.F

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I'd get her some friends as a matter of urgency...and I'd bung them in with her while she's asleep and just let them all get on with it the next day :?

 

If there are at least two of the new, younger chickens being introduced the bullying shouldn't be too bad. Your existing chook will be glad for the company and will only need to establish the new pecking order for a bit,

rough to watch but completely natural :?

 

And try to bear in mind....losses to foxes are a part of the food chain that is well recognised. Your girls didn't die of neglect, please don't feel bad! Foxes have cubs to feed at this time of year and the circle of life is an unstoppable force!

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HENthusiastic Chatty Chicken

HENthusiastic

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hi.

Im sorry about your sad losses. I hope you manage to get some new friends for Pie this weekend. You are not alone in not having an eglu, Ive got a wooden hen house too. I just personally prefer the look of them. It doesn't matter. What connects people on omlet is that we all love our chooks and we all want to do our best for them. Welcome. You can learn such a great deal from this forum. Ive only had my girls four weeks and I've learnt so much from here already.

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LJ's Chooks All Knowing Superchicken

LJ's Chooks

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So sorry to hear your news, it must have been terrible :(

 

I've recently introduced new chooks, with not great success.... though they are settling down a bit now (day 10!).... my advice would be, make sure you can easily and quickly separate them day and night if necessary, but so that they can see each other and gradually allow them to spend time together but with escape options!

 

Please get her some new friends, she'll miss the other girls terribly. Lots of info on here about ex-bats, maybe give that a try as they will need lots of love too to get them into good health and may be less of a threat?

 

good luck!

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Trixabell Chicken Eggspert

Trixabell

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I feel a bit of a fraud as I've got a wooden coop but this forum is so helpful, I hope I can be forgiven!

 

I've got a wooden hutch too babe but this forum is more about the chooks not the place they live.. So sorry about the fox attack, its easy to become complacent though i've done it myself, even though ihaven't let the girls out to free range yet i've been known to leave the top of the run every now and then whilst i 'pop indoors'. I have to tell myself off for it.

 

Get Pie some friends to play with she will be a lot happier x

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The Pearsons Frequent Layer

The Pearsons

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I've recently introduced new chooks, with not great success.... though they are settling down a bit now (day 10!).... my advice would be, make sure you can easily and quickly separate them day and night if necessary, but so that they can see each other and gradually allow them to spend time together but with escape options!

 

 

I've always just introduced new hens at night by putting them in with the existing flock then leaving them to get on with it.... If blood is drawn I've fitted bumper bits but have resisted spliting the flock up unless it gets very nasty. I've only had to pull one hen out of the flock as she was being so badly bullied and re-introduced her successfully once she had recovered and grown quite a bit. During her seperation she was in the eglu and omlet run inside the walk-in run so not completely isolated. It was quite strange as she was a chick I had hatched and had been with the flock all winter before she was attacked. It was her Mum who started the attack (the top chook) and the others all joined in. Maybe she had over-stepped the mark and Mum was putting her in her place then things got out of hand. Anyway she is back in the flock now and all seems well although she has not laid since the big fight.

 

I found that although it might look bad when they square up to each other and pull a few feathers it is more "handbags at dawn" than anything else and if you can ignore it things settle down much faster. I also find I tend to get two groups "olds" and "news" in the run for about three weeks even if they are not fighting. Peckadilly is top chook and she is also the largest. A swift peck from her and most fights are sorted out very quickly.

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