Introducing a single chicken to my flock.

[Ettore.fin]

I was put in a difficult situation. I met someone who had a single chicken because the rest of her flock was killed by a fox. So I offered to try and integrate her chicken with my flock. But as you all know this was going to be difficult. So I let them check her out for a while while she was in a separate cage. Then i moved her in at night and two days after I found her with a big hole in her neck, anyway i separated her and cleaned the wound and she's alot better how do I go on? I have no idea how to integrate her and I know its important to help her get a new flock.

 

[4 ever Orpington]

I was put in a difficult situation. I met someone who had a single chicken because the rest of her flock was killed by a fox. So I offered to try and integrate her chicken with my flock. But as you all know this was going to be difficult. So I let them check her out for a while while she was in a separate cage. Then i moved her in at night and two days after I found her with a big hole in her neck, anyway i separated her and cleaned the wound and she's alot better how do I go on? I have no idea how to integrate her and I know its important to help her get a new flock.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Welcome to BYC!

You could try getting her a single buddy from your flock--your friendliest, gentlest hen. Then integrate them together, later. This would give her an ally.

Also, try adding some line-of-sight breakers to your coop and make sure you have enough space in there. Hens should have four square feet of coop each, and ten square feet of run.

Wish you success.

 

[lazy gardener]

Dimensions of your coop and run L x W x H needed before appropriate advice can be given. Also, protein content of your feed and mill date. How many birds in your flock? Integrating a single bird is difficult, and based on flock dynamics, it may not be successful.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC @Ettore.fin !

Knowing about your flock(number ages, genders),
your setup(dimensions and pics!),
and climate/location would help a great deal.

You could try getting her a single buddy from your flock--your friendliest, gentlest hen. Then integrate them together, later. This would give her an ally.

This is a good suggestion.

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

So might this......
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

 

[Ettore.fin]

2.5m long. 80cm tall and a 1. 15 m wide

Dimensions of your coop and run L x W x H needed before appropriate advice can be given. Also, protein content of your feed and mill date. How many birds in your flock? Integrating a single bird is difficult, and based on flock dynamics, it may not be successful.

 

[Ettore.fin]

Dimensions of your coop and run L x W x H needed before appropriate advice can be given. Also, protein content of your feed and mill date. How many birds in your flock? Integrating a single bird is difficult, and based on flock dynamics, it may not be successful.

Also i have two chickens

 

[Daniel-ir-74]

what I usually do is separate an area in the coop with chicken wire and keep that chicken in there for 1-2 week then remove the wire...and from then on the picking rate reduces significantly .

 

[Ettore.fin]

They are two hens

 

[Ettore.fin]

Additional information.
The run is 80 cm tall. 2.5 meters long and 1.15 m wide. It houses my two hens that are 9 months old. They are two big sex link (black star chickens)The new hen is a ginger ranger.