Advise Please! Introducing new chicken to solitary, blind chicken

[KimberlyMV]

I have a blind chicken that I took from my mom's larger flock. She was being ostracized, pecked ect. To keep her company, I adopted an old Rhode Island Red from the humane society and after a day of introductions and a few pecks from the Rhodie they got along fine. Unfortunately, the Rhodie recently died from unknown causes. I was eager to get her a new friend and picked up a year old sex-link hen. We are on day three of introducing them and the new hen has drawn blood (near her eye and top of beak) and it doesn't seem to be getting better. In three days, we are going out of town for a month (we have house sitters who will watch the hens) so I am desperate for them to get along. Should I give the sex-link back and let my chicken be solo for a month? Has anyone had a chicken die from be "hen-pecked"? I can't decide whether to return the sex-link or subject my blind chicken to more abuse from the sex-link. I really appreciate anyone's advice on this!

 

[desertchick3]

I am not sure If this will work for you, but I learned a trick from a friend about introducing new chickens into your flocks. When it is nighttime and all your chickens have gone in to roost, put the new chicken into the coop to sleep like normal. Their minds reset in the morning, so they will not realize anything is different. Hope this helps!