death of the top bird

Hello
I recently moved to my new home and have inherited my landlady's hens who are at the bottom of the garden by default.
She was going to take them, but me being me said that maybe it would be too traumatic to move them so 'leave them here' I said. My landlady only lives down the road but anyway I have been looking after them..........And first there were three.
Last tuesday,my new neighbour's pet ferret Eric aka the little B managed to get into the hen run and kill the top bird Maud (I have named all of them) and needless to say it was horrible.The only way to get Eric out was attached to poor Maud.
The other two, Mabel and Mildred were naturally, terrified and witnessed it all.
I have never looked after hens before and all this is new to me.
However I do not under-estimate them and I shall tell you why.
My mother's family were farmers on the West Coast of Ireland, and my Mum told me the story of my Grand mother who when she was alive looked after the hens.
One of the hens broke its leg, and Mama ( which is what we called her) splinted it.
The leg healed and the hen who became known as Peggy showed her gratitude by walking down to the house every day for the rest of her life, going into Mama's room and laying her egg on her bed.
Anyway I could really do wth some tips so that I can give them the best care possible. Since the traumatic event they have only laid two eggs, is this normal?
So I have some questions:
What treats do they like?
What do I need avoid?
How can I keep them as safe as possible?
When will I stop worrying?
What is the best bedding material?
I hope that these questions don't seem silly to the most seasoned of hen carers but I really want to do the best I can.
Any guidance will be most welcomed.
Mary

Congratz on getting new chooks! Your story is so sad though. I hope I can answer some of those questions! Here:

Well, with the treats, every chicken likes different things as they all have their own personality but one treat I love to give mine and is REALLY healthy for them are sprouted wheat. I leave some wheat in a bucket and soak it for 24 hours. Don't worry, it only goes moldy after a few days so your chickens will not get sick. After I see some little white sprouts sticking out of them I bury them in soil. After a few more days, they will turn into little sprouts and the chooks LOVE them!
As for the things they need to avoid, it depends on whether you mean foodwise or safety. Some foods that are absolutely TOXIC to them include chocolate, coffee, avacado and rhubarb. Try to avoid including these things in their food scraps or diet.

If you want to keep you chook safe, you must learn the signs of an unhealthy one aswell. Here are some symptoms:
A drooping tail
Weight Loss
Lack of Eating
Lack of Drinking
Scaly Feet
Dull looking
Ect.
If these symptoms are shown, immediately reffer to a vet about your problems.
Also, your chicken should be wormed every 3-6 months and sprayed for mights every 6-12 weeks.

It is all up to you to decide when to stop worrying. If you feel content about your chickens wellbeing then you shall stop worrying and I beleive that if you do all you can to help your chickens, you will definately stop worrying soon.

There are alot of bedding materials to choose from and not long ago I was facing the same question you are facing at the moment. I beleive there is a topic somewhere on this forum about this but am not sure. I faintly remember posting my opinion so you should probably look for that topic soon as I may not give you the best answer.

I hope you got something out of my information and I will help you with anything if you ask.