Help! Nothing working to introduce new hen.

[Hillbilly Rooster]

I feel your pain I have 54 little ones that are ready to join the flock and I have 31 established hens. The good thing is that for the last month and a half they have been seeing each other through the run and the tractor. I am hoping that they get along.

 

[paddock36]

Mean ol' hens. Ok, so I went and checked on her and two of the other hens were playing ping pong with the new hen pecking at her as she ran back and forth trying to get away, so I squirted them with the hose while I was filling the waterers up. I'm not giving up.

 

[artsyrobin]

I am having a similar problem and was wondering, how long does it take to establish the flock hierarchy and do you interfere when one is being chased? mine seem to know not to mess with them if i am standing there, but if i am out of sight, they go after the one pullet- the older ones are 3 months old and have been with the others who are 2 months old with a divider, the older pullets are fine unless the RIR starts up again, then its a freefor all chasing Pipi the production red around... beginning to think i will have to keep pipi away from them?

 

[Critt]

I too am having problems introducing 2 point of lay Light Sussex to my 2 1 year old Australorps.

I let them grow up in a separate cage next to them so they could see each other. The advise I took was to put them together when they're the same size, which I've done, but this was 2 weeks ago and the Australorps will just not let up attacking the new Light Sussex.
I tried distracting them with lawn clippings in the run and by hanging up a head of cabbage but it did nothing.
I cut a hole in the chicken run so the new ones could escape to take refuge in their old pen which brought some peace but the older hens would never let them out again to access food or water, so I gave up on that idea.

They spend their days cowering in a corner of the run with their heads hidden under a ledge while the other two peck at their legs to the point of drawing blood.

I've been separating them for a few hours after half a day to give the poor things a break.

Is beak clipping an option to minimise the harm?

I'm going to try the water spray technique.

Any more suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Critt]

Ps, the water spray trick has worked for the short term anyway... It sent them all flapping back to their perches in the hen house to sit quietly and reflect peacfully upon the situation ;D

 

[kschuetz21]

I have 3 white leghorns, 1 black sex link and 1 freedom ranger that are about 11-12 weeks old...I have gotten 3 barred rock hens that are maybe a week or two younger...When they are free-ranging, the birds stay separate and have no issues. Sometimes in the coop they get along and lay on separate sides of the coop. In the mornings however, the "old flock" is ruthless to the newcomers! They chase them all over and peck at them. At night, the freedom ranger blocks the coop door and sits there for a little while and then eventually the new BR girls get into the coop to sleep and are fine. Is there anything I can do to get them to accept the new girls? They have been together from Sunday afternoon...