Replaced chicken and old chicken doesn't like new one.

[underneaththeash]

One of our chickens was sadly attacked on Thursday and my daughter found her dead on Friday morning. Other chicken (Penny) was really upset, as were we, so we managed to get a replacement chicken - same breed Goldstar Saturday morning.

Unfortunately Penny does not like the new chicken and is quite agitated if they're in the coop together. They're pretty much free-range during the day and she's currently running around the garden clucking and trying to find the other dead chicken.

How long until they get on?

Chickens are notoriously cruel to newcomers to the flock, it’s where the term pecking order comes from. Theres not much you can do other than keep an eye out for sustained attacks that draw blood.

If the first chicken was taken by a fox, I wouldn’t be free ranging them unless you are in the garden. It’s still cub season so any fox will be delighted with a restocked takeaway at their disposable - they don’t just take chickens at dusk/dawn. We learned this the hard way

They may never become best friends, people always say they mix and it’s fine in my experience they stay in the groups but tolerate each other. In a garden setting they will a) tolerate each other b) bicker/fight until one dies. If your original one is the bully getting 2/3 will spread the bullying if it’s low level. Ideally get 2/3 keep them in pen next door mix free range together and keep your original by herself if needs be she can have her own space and company free ranging and in time you may be able to mix them. But unless they have a huge pen with plenty of enrichment she may never tolerate them in her house

It was actually a kite who attacked her, we were in the garden at the time and I saw the bird diving. She had a small nick on her neck, but I don't know if the shock killed her or the neck injury.

We've another coop on order from eglu, but the current one isn't really big enough for another - we had to get quite big hens as we also have a cat who likes bringing us squirrel presents. So Penny is used to tolerating the cat!

I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope they get on. Penny spent the whole of our roast dinner tonight tapping on the window to get into the house.

Thank you both for the advice.

Just an update to say that they're fine and even sat near each other yesterday, whilst Penny was in her chicken hole.