Should I replace lost chooks??

[Tubaman]

Hi,

I am relatively new to chicken keeping and have 2 Black Rocks (1 year old). We also raised 3 Welsummers from birth - about ten weeks old now. We sadly lost two of our Welsummers to the fox, still not quite sure how, if the chooks got out or he got in. Our run has now been re designed and is now higher and stronger.

This has been obviously very upsetting for us but even more upsetting for the one remaining Welsummer. She is visibly missing the other 2, always on her own and appears to be very lonely - the 2 Black Rocks will tell her off every now and again (not bullying) but don't let her spend time with them.

My question is should I get some more chooks the same age as the Welsummer to keep her company and share the occasional aggression from the Black Rocks or will she not care for two new friends and will it cause more problems with the Black Rocks.

Any advice would be great-fully received.

 

[valeriebutterley]

Hello Tubaman,
I would replace the Welsummers, if possible with girls about the same age. They can then, when they have integrated a bit, take on allcomers - in this case Black rocks, I'm sure they will cope, but better as a little cohesive family. Wish you the best of luck.

 

[Tubaman]

Thank you both for the replies. I thought we would be better off getting some more, just a few questions.... 07
If we want to avoid having one of the hens 'on it's own' then should we get 3 more?? (making 4 - 2pairs)
Also, the chooks were in the same run but a different coop. Now because the Welsummer is on its own I have been putting it into the same coop as the Black Rocks at night. If I were to get 3 / 2 more hens at 11 weeks (same age as Welsummer) shall I just continue to put all of them in the same coop at night straight away?

p.s. the new run I am building (should be finished today ) is away from where they normally patrol so will be new to all of them - if this makes a difference !?

Thanks again for your (invaluable) help!!

 

[Marigold]

I'm sorry, I didn't read your first post carefully enough and I missed the important fact that your Welsummer is only 10 weeks old. So I have deleted my post, which didn't make much sense, being based on the misconception that the Welsummer was an adult bird,apologies!
f the Rocks are even accepting her in the coop at night that is good, but of course I agree with Valerie that others of a similar age would be better for her. If you could find a couple of new growers they are more likely to integrate as a group of the same age, than if you tried to get older birds to do so, and my original idea of getting POLs would've been quite inappropriate . If you could get a pair of new growers and keep the three young birds together, separate from the adults until they reach POL, they could be fed growers food which is better for them than layers pellets , and then integrated with the adults at about 18 weeks, by which time the group should have gelled and the little one won't be so alone.