Flock hasn't accepted new hen and it's been a month

[bluespeckledhen]

We got a new hen December 21st and it has still not been accepted into the current flock. For the first week we had the new hen outside of the enclosure where the other hens were. Then we moved the entire enclosure to a new area, hoping that the space would be new to all of the hens and the current flock wouldn't be so aggressive or territorial, but it hasn't changed anything. The three original hens attack the new one and she is all alone, is that normal? They will go after her and sometimes she will just go to another area by herself and sometimes if the new hen happens to be in a place where she is cornered and can't get away they will peck at her. I haven't put her in the coop at night with the others for fear that they will just attack her and kill her, but maybe I need to? They are coexisting in the space together, but the new hen is definitely an outcast, whereas the other three are always together. Is this normal? Or should she eventually be accepted and be with the others? The original three we hatched and they grew up together.

thank you!

 

[sillychicks123]

Hi, I had kind of a similar thing happen to me, but not quite. I had introduced a new hen into my flock because she was a rescue, but she didn't want any part of the other chickens. (this was about four months ago). The other chickens were more curious than agressive, but the new one was older and made it clear she wanted to be left alone. She was never really aggressive, but would go after them if they got to close to her. Anywho, in terms of introducing them, is there a part of your yard that you can bring them to and possible give them meal worms or uncooked oatmeal to distract them possibly? That helped with my chickens and getting them used to each other. Also, it may be a good idea to leave her in with them over night, or at least put her in with them over night because thats when they will be the most passive, but you may want to get up at dawn for the first coupld of days just to be safe. Also, its fine if the chicken is an outsider, as long as she doesnt seem depressed. My chicken is very independent as I learned and likes to be left alone. When I ;et them all out of the coop on suny days she does her own thing and stays away from the other chickens because thats just her personality. Good luck!

 

[kingfrodo]

I had this same EXACT problem. I received some great advice from other BYC members and it worked like a charm.

Here's what you do.
1. do you have a roo? If so remove all the other ladies from the pen but keep them where they can see what is going on. Put outcast hen in with roo only. The other hens will not like it but in a couple days they will be over it.
2. then add ONE other hen at a time until the roo-hen combo get along. it was about two days for each addition of a hen to the group.

Good luck!