New hens not going into Eglu Go Up

[Hoggiehall]

In the last week we have mysteriously lost 2 out of 3 chickens from the garden. Its really strange as there were no remains, nor any signs of struggle, nor any feathers on the ground. The chickens were free-ranging as normal. The 2 were lost on separate days. Now we have a last remaining chicken whom we are keeping in the walk-in-run.

 

Naturally she is pining and not very happy at being kept in the run as she is used to free ranging. The problem is that we are going away on holiday this week and we don't know what to do with her. We have a sitter booked to come daily but now wonder if that would be necessary as we've heard single chickens don't fair well.

 

When we return we plan on getting more chickens but to keep them in the WIR.

 

Any ideas / suggestions?

[laurmurf]

it sounds like you may have a fox problem so keeping your chook(s) in the WIR is a good idea. Have your sitter come and check on food and water in the WIR: she'll be fine, if a bit lonely, in that time and when you get back plan on what to do next and how you'll manage introductions, etc in the WIR. For example, you'll need to keep the old chook and new ones separate for both isolation and introduction purposes - possibly for a couple of weeks.

[Hoggiehall]

Kids will be thrilled to keep the remaining chuck.

 

But do you think its a fox or a bird of prey taking them as there's no evidence of a kill.

[laurmurf]

Birds of prey generally aren't big enough to take a full grown chook - even the big ones would prefer them as carrion.

 

A fox could and would pick one up and run for it - so not necessarily any feathers or fight signs. Once the fox knows you have free ranging chooks then it would come back - that would explain the 2nd loss a few days later.

 

It's not likely to be a mink as they wouldn't take them free ranging but at night.

 

The only other explanation is a two-legged 'fox' but you would probably have lost the 3 of them in one go.

[Reikiranf]

Sorry to hear that you've lost your girlies.

 

After losing 2 chickens I had one left and like you wasn't in a position to get her new friends straight away, so she spent her days in the Eglu and run & came indoors and spent her nights in a puppy crate in the conservatory for over 3 months, she was absolutely fine and seemed to enjoy being on her own and even started laying again but she was a total moo to Fifi & Bella for quite a few days after they first arrived

[stu]

I think chickens are far more 'emotionally robust' than we give them credit for, and suspect that we all have a tendency to anthropomorphise.

We ended up with a single hen in the UK after ours were killed (she actually went missing the afternoon of the night-time attack and wanderd home the following morning), and she seemed perfectly happy on her own for weeks. We finally re-homed her to a local community farm with hens of their own, and she settled in there well.

 

I guess... we re-homed her, because 'we' felt bad though, and not her.

 

As an aside... it's important to know what may have taken the hens, and just be aware, a neighbour of ours here lost their seven hens to a mink at three in the afternoon. I agree that they are probably most likely to prefer the darker times of the day, but they are seen here in bright daylight, and I myself go fishing, and have seen them on the banks of Irish rivers at all times of the day. They are very bold, and extremely adaptable.

[Hoggiehall]

Just so you all know, we kept her in the run and when we came back from holiday we added 3 more chooks. After about 3-4 weeks of pecking, order was established and they all got one fine. That was all last August. Now they are all well, but the original chook prefers to be by herself now and finds a corner of the pen and snuggles down turning her back on the others.

 

Sulking or poorly?

[torgrosset]

I'm really sorry to hear of this and completely sympathise with you as I lost Twinkle-toes (who happened to be my youngest daughters chook so it was extra sad and difficult at the time) in mysterious circumstances too - she was supposed to be inside the run at the time of her disappearance and there was absolutely no evidence of a fox attack, or anybody entering the run so it was even more of a mystery! No other chooks have disappeared since.

 

(((hugs)))

[sandyhas3chucks]

Just so you all know, we kept her in the run and when we came back from holiday we added 3 more chooks. After about 3-4 weeks of pecking, order was established and they all got one fine. That was all last August. Now they are all well, but the original chook prefers to be by herself now and finds a corner of the pen and snuggles down turning her back on the others.

 

Sulking or poorly?

She "might" just enjoy sitting and being peaceful as she is older, but keep a eye on her and see she is eating,she may not feel up to fighting the youngsters for food, I would check her crop is full at bedtime and empty first thing on the morning.

Observe her poo and be sure she is looking normal there, and I would feel her butt, check it is not big and hard or big and squishy.

Check her for mites and lice and see if she might be starting a molt.

Then get back to us,,