Help, My girls are jerks to our rescue hen

[bridgetlas]

I've read a bunch of posts about introducing new birds and we've tried to follow all of that. Now we are weeks of this new chicken not being accepted. Two weeks in a run next to the existing flock and they still won't accept her when we try to mix them.
I know it's better to introduce more than one but she is a friend's bird that is living with us for a while. Her coop was torn apart and whole flock wiped out by racoons. They thought all the birds were gone and a week later this girl reappeared. Guess she escaped the attack but hid in a tree or somewhere. She's not ready for more birds after the heartbreak and they need to rebuild as well. Since we have birds and in rural setting she asked if we'd give her girl a home. Poor thing was already traumatized from an attack and now the hens she so desperately wants to join with peck her like crazy when she gets to go in with them. She wants to be with them. Can tell from her behaviour but they are so mean to her.
I understand the pecking order process, but they are not letting up when we try. They did that when we raised a group of chicks but it was short lived and then they stopped. With this one they just keep on her and won't stop.
Any suggestions?
In our flock we have 3 delewares, 2 americauna, 4 black Australorps, and a bantum rooster who is really worthess but pretty cute so we keep him around. The new one is also americauna.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Can you get the lone girl a couple young pullets as friends? I would get ones that don't already know each other. If they already know each other then your lone gal will still be the lone gal.

Hard thing trying tho introduce single birds.

Another option is to take one of your mid ranking gals and put her in with the lone one. If they can manage to get along in the lone gals pen that may make things easier.

Sometimes things just don't work out and keeping 2 flocks is the best solution.

 

[bridgetlas]

Thank you. That's a good idea about the lower ranking girl. See if that'll maybe get us somewhere. Poor thing has been through so much we just really want to give her a safe happy place to be.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I don't know if your "RESCUED" hen has any health problems but hens and pullets are not forgiving over weak flock members and will often make a weak sisters' life a living hell.

Chickens are not nuns or priest but rather chickens live and die by the pecking order and thus they have none of the milk of human kindness that supposedly exists in the human breast.

Make sure that any "RESCUED" birds you adopt are young enough, strong enough, and healthy enough that they don't become your flock's designated punching bag. Otherwise you may have to cull all your young, healthy, laying hens to make room for one "RESCUED" non-laying bird.

 

[aart]

Try just putting one of the existing birds in with the new one.
If they get along, put in another.
If you could set up a third temporary pen,
put the newbie in first then a couple others.
Keep mixing up who is where, shake up the territoriality thing.

This might help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/