Unsecure chicken perches

[Green Tea]

Sadly my Speckledy (Thursday) had to be pts today. The vet thought it was a neurological problem and she had got so bad that she was just standing and not even attempting to eat anymore

 

So, Pepper is now a lone hen. I have others but they are pekins and kept seperately. Tomorrow I will be searching for a new playmate for her but can't decide whether to get two this time..........at least then I won't be faced with the same problem if something happens to one of them again

 

Pepper is (as far as I can work out) about 2 yrs old now. How difficult would it be to introduce to POLs to her do you think? Am I safer just to stick with one more?

[laurmurf]

you can mix hybrids and pekins - it might be the way forward if they are used to seeing each other, even if they haven't actually lived together. Why not try that approach rather than adding new ones immediately?

 

otherwise i'd go for 2 of a fairly calm breed at POL or a wee tiny bit younger so that they don't try to bully your lone hen back and know to back down.

[Space Chick]

I think you'd be better with 2, she will still be top, but can't bully 2 at once... And also you won't find yourself in the same problem of a lone hen if anything happens to her

 

I agree though, the pekins could be integrated, I've had bantams and large fowl living in harmony

[Sam]

I'd get two, but have no advice, never done it myself!

Have a look at this blog. I watched the video earlier and thought it was great!

 

To the blog owner, sorry I couldn't find your thread to comment on it, and I hope you don't mind me posting it

[Green Tea]

Unfortunately integration isn't really an option....... the Pekins free-range in the garden but the hybrids have a big fenced off area so that they can't wreck the grass. I don't want to put the Pekins in the pen with her as they would be on soil instead of grass and could have problems with their feet feathers.

 

So, perhaps I will be brave and get two.......I really hate new introductions. Pepper was lone before when my ex-batt Salt died and I have to admit she was extremely easy-going when I introduced Thursday to her so hopefully that is her nature and she will be kind to all newcomers

[Green Tea]

Have been thinking about it over night and have decided to go for ........ none

 

I'm going to try integrating her with the Pekins, I've taken the gate off her pen and am hoping that on her own the damage to the grass will be minimal (not like she hasn't loads of other places to do her scratching!). I know my other half would love to do away with the 'big chicken' pen so hopefully this will be a solution to both problems (him being fussy about the garden and her being lonely!).

 

So far the Pekins are keeping their distance and shouting a bit ...... although they have met before because I have let the hybrids out on the grass quite often when I've been out there to supervise. Luckily the entrance to the Pekin coop is way too small for Pepper to squeeze through so they do have somewhere to escape if she does happen to get nasty