Can I mix a submissive outcast with 7 week old chicks

[Rainekitty]

Hello. I have a small flock of adult chickens. I had three (two hens and a rooster) and attempted to introduce three more (all hens). But they've been together for about five months and things are still not going well. One red has been anxious and terrified the whole time, and her panic attacks cause the others to pick on her. I bought eight BC Maran chicks in mid-May and just relocated them outdoors to the spare coop. My anxious red is no better and I'm considering relocating her from the main coop with the other adults to the spare coop with the Marans chicks. The red is very submissive and has only one eye. I'm not so much concerned about her hurting the chicks as whether this is the right thing to do for her. It seems as if she is picked on left and right in the regular coop, she is so timid and having only one eye is definitely inhibiting her. The Marans are young and are also pretty docile, so I'm hoping she'll be more accepted by this group. What do you think?

 

[cavemanrich]

I would say... TRY IT .. The handicapped may be accepted by the young chicks and all will be well. WISHING YOU BEST

 

[DCortez]

My guess would be yes, but keep an eye on them. Our lowly Buff Orpington became a bully.

 

[Mini Meat]

Try it, but, I would watch out for signs that she may be a bad influence on your younger birds. If the chicks start picking up on her neurotic behavior that would be bad. She may also, as suggested, flip the script and become a bully or remain a victim.

Some times when an animal is unanimously rejected by a herd or flock, it is for a reason, because they are not right in the head or have a physical handicap and there for their mates think they put the rest of the group at risk. The unfortunate animal puts stress on the whole group.

Try it, but keep in mind the well being of all your birds. If she is still a disruptive influence for any reason I would cull, re-home or other wise be ride of her for the peace of all.

Best of luck to you and her.

 

[azygous]

You are seeing chicken psychology at work, and you're doing a fair job of interpreting it. Your blind hen, being disabled by not being able to see well, is noticed as such by the flock and they pick on her. They could even seriously injure or kill her.

And yes, her continuing persecution is robbing her of what's left of her self confidence. Even if you didn't have the smaller chickens to put her with, placing her in protective segregation is a very good idea. It will give her a rest from all the brutality and she may actually re-grow some of her self confidence in the process. I've seen this happen in my own flock.

Placing her with the chicks should be done asap before they get any bigger. They will still be too afraid of her being so much larger than them that they won't gang up on her, and if you start them all out together, they will look to her as alpha and probably won't pick on her because of her disability. As they grow as large as she is, this could change, though.

I have a hen with a disability and she was brutalized so much by the flock, even the junior members, I had to give her a pen and a sleeping crate all to herself. However, my growing chicks, which are around the age of your chicks, have access to her pen and spend a lot of time with her. It has worked out very well, although she occasionally gives them a warning peck on principle as they start to eat something she's working on.

A chicken with a disability, unless it's very high in the pecking order, will be thrashed mercilessly by the rest of the chickens. It's life isn't worth living under those circumstances. You need to either cull it or provide it with sanctuary. Leaving it to the predations of the other chickens is thoughtless and cruel. So taking the steps you're considering is the right thing to do.