How long till they accept her?

[musikfan]

Hey everyone.

Yesterday I introduced a new Delaware to my flock of three chickens which include a Buff, a Lavender, and a Barred Rock. The Delaware is about 7 months old and up until now has been accustomed to free ranging. My girls have not attacked her, but they have certainly been treating her unkindly - chasing her away, not accepting her into their circle, nipping or threatening to peck her if she gets too close. How long will this last before they finally accept her? I feel bad for her simply because she is being shunned at this point. LOL...my sympathetic heart goes out to her. She's pretty and seems to have a decent temperament from what I can see. I wish she'd muster up some feistiness and stick up for herself a little bit. My lowest on the pole, Lucy (the Buff)- is enjoying no longer being on the bottom.

This is the first time I've introduced a new hen to the flock of three. Suzi (Lavender) and Prissy (Barred Rock) were together when I got them, and Lucy (Buff) did not mind them nor did they mind her. There were no issues then, but this time around it's different.

Addendum: I wanted to make it clear that their behavior has not been what I would call violent. There is no blood, no injuries to the newbie. They are just what I would call mean - intimidating. The newbie is able to get away with very little issues, and they will usually tolerate her from a distance if she's on the other end of the run. If she gets too close, then they run after her. She is able to get away into the coop when that happens. At night the others are on the roost and she ends up sleeping in the nesting box.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Did you just put her in with the rest with no introductory period? Or did you have her separated in a “see but no touch” arrangement for awhile and now are trying to integrate her?

 

[Dhkoenig]

I have had this experience and it really is just the pecking order. The OGs don't want the possibility of anyone rocking the boat so they treat her like an outcast. I had one in my OG three that the other two were mean to. Like yours, they didn't attack her or hurt her, but they didn't mind giving her a good peck on the head for no reason and if there were six plates of bok choy around for everyone, they would only go to the one she was at and chase her for sport. My outcast and I have bonded so much over the past few years. If one of my mean girl buffs comes over and tries to take her food when I am in there I block her. I sneak Nellie off and give her mealworms and only her LOL. Over time I think she now thinks I am her big sister hen that comes and goes!

When we recently added 6 new babies (obviously we first isolated and then did "look but don't touch" for several more weeks...) My three are so unfriendly! Even Nelly, my outcast, is really just being unkind. Chases them for sport. I think it is really a matter of establishing who is boss. Since you only have one newbie they may never really embrace her as a "bestie" but you may find that she just becomes accustomed to her spot low on the order. Do what I do and spend lots of time with her so she has something happy until they get more used to her. Good luck! Keep me posted!

 

[musikfan]

Did you just put her in with the rest with no introductory period? Or did you have her separated in a “see but no touch” arrangement for awhile and now are trying to integrate her?

I did put her in the pen in her crate for a while and she was fine - they were fine - didn't mess with her. When I let her out, they started just being "mean"/intimidating, but not harmful.

 

[musikfan]

I have had this experience and it really is just the pecking order. The OGs don't want the possibility of anyone rocking the boat so they treat her like an outcast. I had one in my OG three that the other two were mean to. Like yours, they didn't attack her or hurt her, but they didn't mind giving her a good peck on the head for no reason and if there were six plates of bok choy around for everyone, they would only go to the one she was at and chase her for sport. My outcast and I have bonded so much over the past few years. If one of my mean girl buffs comes over and tries to take her food when I am in there I block her. I sneak Nellie off and give her mealworms and only her LOL. Over time I think she now thinks I am her big sister hen that comes and goes!

When we recently added 6 new babies (obviously we first isolated and then did "look but don't touch" for several more weeks...) My three are so unfriendly! Even Nelly, my outcast, is really just being unkind. Chases them for sport. I think it is really a matter of establishing who is boss. Since you only have one newbie they may never really embrace her as a "bestie" but you may find that she just becomes accustomed to her spot low on the order. Do what I do and spend lots of time with her so she has something happy until they get more used to her. Good luck! Keep me posted!

I hope I can somehow develop with her. She is scared of everything right now, and if I try to go near, the others come over to me because I've had them spoiled for a while - they see me and know that I usually have treats! Yes, they will have multiple food sources but always go to the one that she is at, just to be intimidating. I'm not sure how I'll be able to defend her, but I'll see what I can do.

 

[abenardini]

Hey everyone.

Yesterday I introduced a new Delaware to my flock of three chickens which include a Buff, a Lavender, and a Barred Rock. The Delaware is about 7 months old and up until now has been accustomed to free ranging. My girls have not attacked her, but they have certainly been treating her unkindly - chasing her away, not accepting her into their circle, nipping or threatening to peck her if she gets too close. How long will this last before they finally accept her? I feel bad for her simply because she is being shunned at this point. LOL...my sympathetic heart goes out to her. She's pretty and seems to have a decent temperament from what I can see. I wish she'd muster up some feistiness and stick up for herself a little bit. My lowest on the pole, Lucy (the Buff)- is enjoying no longer being on the bottom.

This is the first time I've introduced a new hen to the flock of three. Suzi (Lavender) and Prissy (Barred Rock) were together when I got them, and Lucy (Buff) did not mind them nor did they mind her. There were no issues then, but this time around it's different.

Addendum: I wanted to make it clear that their behavior has not been what I would call violent. There is no blood, no injuries to the newbie. They are just what I would call mean - intimidating. The newbie is able to get away with very little issues, and they will usually tolerate her from a distance if she's on the other end of the run. If she gets too close, then they run after her. She is able to get away into the coop when that happens. At night the others are on the roost and she ends up sleeping in the nesting box.

Gosh, it’s hard integrating a single bird. The existing flock has their own little bird pecking order and she is their only target. Not saying it’s impossible, but it absolutely will be a challenge. Can you isolate a section of the run for them to see her but not get at her?

 

[musikfan]

Gosh, it’s hard integrating a single bird. The existing flock has their own little bird pecking order and she is their only target. Not saying it’s impossible, but it absolutely will be a challenge. Can you isolate a section of the run for them to see her but not get at her?

I did put her her crate in the run for a while and they didn't really bother with her much. My run is not very big, and I don't really have a way to block off any part of it at this point. I'm just hoping that they'll eventually accept her. I suppose it will take some time

 

[abenardini]

I did put her her crate in the run for a while and they didn't really bother with her much. My run is not very big, and I don't really have a way to block off any part of it at this point. I'm just hoping that they'll eventually accept her. I suppose it will take some time

Can you add some clutter / visual blocks (if not already,) to the run? Sometimes, it’s great to have visual barriers so the focus isn’t only on the new chicken.

 

[musikfan]

I went out this morning to check on her. They are continuing their intimidation tactics but not being violent at all. They do some "nipping" but nothing serious. It's crazy. It's almost like they each take a turn at coming up to tell her who's boss. They had her forced into one of the nesting boxes. I opened the egg door and reached in. She actually let me scratch her breast and didn't really even try to peck me. Poor girl. But I was watching and she's getting food and water inside the coop when the others are in the run, so I think she's fine for now.

 

[3KillerBs]

Please define "a while".

It's usually recommended to have the see-don't-touch period last for roughly a week before releasing the birds to mingle.

I have often read that when introducing a single bird that, after a time, you add one, docile bird from the middle of your pecking order to her see-don't-touch area so that they can bond and then, when they're released into the flock, the newbie has a buddy.