Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[guildfordchick]

Well, I'm new to all this posting business but have been reading all the good advice for a while and am hoping someone can help.

 

We had two girls for a few months before a fox tragically got to them last week. One died (couldn't believe it) but the other pulled through and is currently living, all stitched up and a bit poorly, in our lounge. She can't put weight on one of her legs yet but we're hopeful.

 

What I'm curious about is how to get her some new friends once/if she recovers. All the advice seems to be about introducing new hens 'to an existing flock' but of course we just have Doris, not a flock, and she's in recovery. We'd like to get two new hens, but will they just gang up on poor Doris? As Doris hasn't been living outside, should we put all three of them out at once or return Doris to her normal routine first?

 

Any ideas???

Thanks!!

[Plum]

Hello there What a terrrible time you have had

 

I really don't know the answer but I think if it was me I would either go ahead and get another couple when I felt ready and the sound of them outside may perk your Doris up.

 

Or if I didn't feel up to it yet wait until Doris is back to normal but I wouldn't get them and put them all out together because Doris wouldn't be strong enough to stand up for herself even when she starts using her leg.

 

I would follow the advice on introductions for an existing flock, and take it gradually whether it is introducing Doris to 2 or introducing them to her.

[Space Chick]

Welcome to the forum, and sorry to hear about your fox attack.

 

Tricky one this On the one hand, Doris will need some chickeny company, on the other hand she won't be strong enough to stand up for herself.

 

My thoughts are not founded with experience or science, but if I found myself in your shoes, I would give Doris a week or so to get some strength back, and so she is able to put weight on her leg and feel more herself. Then I would introduce 2 girls which are nearly but not quite POL say around 16-18 weeks old. This way, the new hens are not going to be old and bolshy enough to really pick on Doris, but should be old enough to cope if Doris tried to pick on them.

 

I would try to put Doris and the newbies all outside at the same time, so it would be almost like starting a brand new flock, so I would get the newbies on the same day that you feel Doris is ready to go outside.

 

If anyone thinks I am wrong, feel free to correct me

[sadietoo]

So sorry to hear you lost your girl to a fox. The same thing happened to me just before christmas. Although it goes against conventional wisdom, it is possible to introduce one new bird to one existing one ( I have just successfully done this and there is a great post from Lesley-Jean about how she went about this too...I followed her advice and it worked very well) and I just wonder if your girl isn't full strength whether it might be an easier option to just introduce one new hen to her instead of two?

[Chook n Boo Mum]

How about, when Doris is stronger & ready to go outside introduce a single girl to her, similar size/slightly younger so Doris has the upper hand & once they are a happy little twosome, add another pair to the flock with the usual separation introduction techniques..of course this is a longer period of introductions, but may be better than adding 2 newbies to one who is not necessarily as strong as she might be.

 

Just a thought! Good luck whatever you decide......

 

Sha x

[Egluntyne]

I'd wait till Doris is fully recovered, and just go ahead with adding some more.

 

The chances are that the other two will be strangers, unless you get 2 of the same kind which have been reared together by the same breeder, so won't be best pals anyway.

 

Might be sensible to make sure that this is not the case, unless you have a burning desire to have 2 the same.

 

Doris will have the home advantage, however you go about it.

 

There are never any guarantees in any case about how the team building will pan out.

[guildfordchick]

Thanks to everyone for the replies! I can't believe how quickly everyone responded. Everyone is so supportive here.

 

Another vet visit today... we're to do home-physio to try to get that leg working but... she stood up for a few seconds! Pretty wonkily, but still

 

I think we will wait till she gets stronger then possibly introduce 2 who won't know each other anyway - watch this space.

 

Thanks again. Great community here!

[guildfordchick]

Wow, ok... so...

 

New girls arrived yesterday. Following all the advice we'd read, we coated all 3 with talcum powder so they smell the same, and slipped the two new ones in with Doris in the night. Woke up this morning to find things going pretty well... pecking order being established but not too vicious. An extra feed tray seemed to be helping too.

 

The problem is.... Doris is making an ALMIGHTY din ALL the time. We've never known her to be so noisy. Is this normal????

 

We've decided to leave them all in the run for a time until the new ones get used to 'home' and we thought perhaps Doris is making the fuss because she wants to free range? (She's used to varying degrees of free ranging, but is usually in the run for most of the day while we're at work, and hasn't free ranged at all since the fox attack 3-4 weeks ago).

 

At the moment the two newbies are in the house together... not sure if they're both trying to lay or are just hiding from noisy Doris!

[Pikey]

Noise is normal......all 7 of mine are making a racket today due to introducing 2 new girls yesterday.

 

They are prob just a bit scared. I've always found that its best to let newbies and current girls free range together so have plenty of space to run away if any bullying.....perhaps I've been lucky but they have always found way back to roost at night.

 

Hope it all goes well.

 

One more thing....where are the pictures of the new ladies???

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Congratulations guildfordchick, once everyone has settled I think she'll quieten down, my 4 Orpies created absolute murder every time somebody new came into the garden until they'd been here a while Not quite church mice now but infinitely quieter than they were

 

Noise is normal......all 7 of mine are making a racket today due to introducing 2 new girls yesterday.

 

One more thing....where are the pictures of the new ladies???

 

 

Err Pikey have I missed your new girls then....I didn't see them on Saturday as I left when Tom was still bidding & he says you'll post piccies........have I missed them

 

Sha x

[Plum]

Come on we need more info. What type of chickens, how old, colours, lots of pics

[guildfordchick]

Ok... the photos aren't great because the weather has been so wet lately, but this is what I could get whilst protecting the new camera from the rain

 

http://s864.photobucket.com/albums/ab204/guildfordchick

[guildfordchick]

All your advice was totally right... the girls are perfectly happy and content now after less than a week together.

 

It's funny, though, one of them seems totally disinterested in treats. She also happens to be bottom of the pecking order... coincidence?

 

Even when we get her alone and offer her some tasty delectables she tends to ignore them. Has anyone else experienced that?

[Plum]

Wow that's good. Is Doris top of the pecking order? My Motmot didn't take much interest in treats to begin with. It's changed now

[guildfordchick]

Doris is SO top of the pecking order. It now seems farcical that we were worried about her being bullied by new hens, because her trauma has turned her into some sort of superchicken with clear dominance over all other hens.

 

I'm sure the taste for treats will change as you say