The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: MonmouthshireGal on December 06, 2020, 05:42:16 pm
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Very sadly I've just lost two of my three chickens to a buzzard (we saw it happen on our camera so it definitely was a buzzard). I'm worried about my remaining girl in terms of being on her own (we're fixing netting across the top of the electric fencing now so she will be safe). Ideally I would like to have four or five hens but I don't know how to achieve that. Does anyone have any ideas as to whether I should just introduce one or two now and another two later; or three or four at once ... and how soon should I do it? I don't want to traumatise the poor thing any further but I know she won't like being on her own.
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How old is your hen? If she is older, it may be easier to have her pts/cull her and start again with a new batch of pullets that already know each other. Introucding one bird to a new group (other than a cockerel to hens) is always difficult and will most likely lead to her being bullied by the newcomers.
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She's 10 months old Anke - as she has managed to escape the buzzard twice and has always been my favourite I feel rather mean culling her. Would it be completely ridiculous to introduce one hen and then another two or three at a later stage to even up the numbers a bit?
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You can try, maybe one at a time, see how it goes? Maybe a younger/smaller one? Just be prepared that it may not work...
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Really sorry to hear about your two hens. You must have some very hungry buzzards in your area. I agree with Anke - a young, point of lay hen may be the best option.
Do let us know how you get on.
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I was definitely thinking of a younger one. She seems quite happy on her own at the moment but I'm thinking an introduction sooner rather than later might be better. She was always at the bottom of the pecking order - might that help or does that leave her more likely to be bullied?
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My sister had one old hen left and then took on a hen from a friend after the others had been taken by a fox. They quickly settled down together even though they were both older birds.
I think I would introduce at least 2 pullets and to be honest I'd pop in another 4 if that's the number that you'd like. She is the established bird so that might help but there is always a pecking order so one bird is always going to be at the bottom of the pile.
If they have plenty of space, food etc they usually rub along ok.
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If the new hens are not already in an established group ie they are strangers to each other, then your survivor will be just another stranger, so it would be an easy introduction with no worries about numbers.
If you aquire an existing group, then she will be the stranger and may have trouble integrating.
She will not necessarily be at the bottom of the pecking order this time, but she could be - there seem to be no discernible rules!
I once lost a clutch of ducklings when I had failed to put a cover over their pen. They were taken by a gull, which just kept coming back for more. Lesson learned!
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Your surviving hen is on home ground and if you introduce two youngsters, she will be top hen (usually). You may be OK introducing more, but I have no experience of that. As said, don't introduce an established flock or she may be driven out?
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Thank you everyone for your advice - I've introduced one POLer today and fingers crossed it seems to have gone smoothly. We'll see how things lie in the morning. All being well I am planning on introducing a group of 3 next week. The place where I got the hen was very helpful and thought that this might be the easiest way - as did a number of people on here. It's great to have access to such a font of knowledge.
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Both hens are doing fine this morning chatting away to each other - the buzzard was back again but foiled by the netting which we've rigged up. Huge sigh of relief on all fronts!
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You can try, maybe one at a time, see how it goes? Maybe a younger/smaller one? Just be prepared that it may not work...
Put the new one in the coop at night when it's dark. They'll both sleep and in the morning when the food is there for them they'll get used to each other
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You might find it’s now illegal to move hens for next few months after the 14 dec
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Good point Harry. I think I might bring the introduction of the other three forward then. They incomers are currently in a large crowd of about 40 hens and will be picked out randomly for me to bring back (I can choose). Do you still favour putting them all in at night into the coop or should I divide them up in the run?
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I have never had problems mixing hens anytime day or night. Bung them in together they will sort out pecking order during the first week. Some people might want to quarantine for desease reasons. Even if you isolate them for a week they will still sort out pecking order even amongst the new hens when they can. Just watch the current hen for signs of bullying.
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We always put new hens with the rest of the flock at night, after quarantining them for a couple of weeks, during which time they will have been able to see and hear each other without contact. Never had any problems in 25 years.