Cube mk2 and WIR

[hayley]

I am relatively new to chicken keeping, got 2 Black Rocks in March and have been doing fine. But today I arrived home to find chicken Tikka had been got by a fox . Now I am left with a solitary chicken, and am not sure what to do. My local supplier will not sell one chicken as he says introductions between single birds can be nasty. I'm not sure that we really want 2 more, unless we get 2 smaaler birds. We have been thinking about maye getting 2 bantams to keep with the black rock. Is it ok to keep bantams together with the Back Rock? Any advice would be great, as would any suggestions of a suitable breed. I want to act quite quickly as Fern is looking lonely :

 

Hayley

[Scramble]

So sorry to hear about your chicken

Hope your other chicken isn't too lonely, and that someone can help with this dilemma.

 

Lots of hugs.

[Sandychick]

I think another 2 would be a good idea as it would be much better with the intros. It would prevent being in the same situation again with a lonely chicken the future. (sorry to sound dismal but it is inevitable one day).

 

I don't know anything about bantams so can't help there, but hope you sort out a new friend or two for her soon.

[BeckyBoo]

Hi there, sorry to hear about chicken Tikka, it is better to have three than two then like the others said, if something happens you've still got a pair. We've got bantams in with standard hens and it's not a problem at all, although we've got more than three so it's not quite the same. Just take your time with any introductions and you should be fine. If you can get two more I think you'd be saving yourself a headache in the future, but you obviously know your situation best and don't be forced into more hens than you want.

 

Good luck

 

Mrs B

[munchkin]

Hi,

 

I am new to chicken keeping as well - so not sure if this is the correct advice but i was in the same position as you last weekend.

 

Margot was taken by a fox and that left Barbara on her own . After following advice, we decided to get 1 other chicken as we were told that if we got 2 they would gang up on Barbara.

 

We have a 12 x 12ft run with an eglu inside. We put one section of the eglu run back onto the eglu and kept the new chicken in the eglu run whilst Barbara could see the new one she couldn't attack her.

 

When we could see that Barbara was not intent on murder, we let the new one into the main run - opened the eglu run door.

 

We put several bowls of food around the pen so Barbara wasn't threatened that new one would take her food, as she was trying to stop her getting to the food at one point and squabbles were breaking out.

 

The first night the new one slept in a large cat carrier and Barbara slept in her eglu. The 2nd night Barbara let the new one sleep in her eglu.

 

So far so good - there have been a few squabbles - but mainly just noise with the occasional peck from Barbara.

 

They are now free ranging together in the garden - under strict supervision - I wouldn't say they are the best of friends but they are working on it.

 

Hope this helps

[moomin]

That sounds like totally the right approach! I'm not an expert but i have read lots of posts on here, i would like to intro 2 new girls to my 2 next year and so i am getting prepared I would do it sooner but have an anti-chicken for a husband.

 

I don't regret getting just the 2 chooks they are the best of friends and look after each other, they have never had a crossed beak

 

But i do worry if one of them goes

 

One step at a time but def i am increasing my flock 'cos i would hate to see one of them on their own & pining