Introducing an older hen?

[plymouthrox]

I currently have 2 Plymouth rocks that are 6 months and not yet laying. They are very "wild" for lack of a better word? Chickens I've had in the past come running to me when I come outside and would sit on my lap, but these two I have to chase around the yard to get them back into their coop every night. I've tried treats and being patient with them every day but they just don't like people! I have found a hen for sale who is very sweet and loves humans. She is already laying and is a couple years old. If I introduce her to my flock of two will she help my Plymouth rocks trust me and come to like me?

 

[sourland]

After the initial social order restructuring she may very well serve as a calming influence on the young pullets.

 

[aart]

After the initial social order restructuring she may very well serve as a calming influence on the young pullets.

Let us know how that works out.

Integrating one hen into a flock is the hardest integration....hopefully your existing two will welcome her company.
But in case they don't, here some tips:

Here's some notes I've taken on integration that I found to be very helpful.......
......take what applies or might help and ignore the rest.
See if any of them, or the links provided at the bottom, might offer some tips that will assist you in your situation:

Integration of new chickens into flock.

Consider medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
Poultry Biosecurity
BYC 'medical quarantine' search

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. Integrating new birds of equal size works best.

For smaller chicks I used a large wire dog crate right in the coop for the smallers. I removed the crate door and put up a piece of wire fencing over the opening and bent up one corner just enough for the smallers to fit thru but the biggers could not. Feed and water inside the crate for the smallers. Make sure the smallers know how to get in and out of the crate opening before exposing them to the olders. this worked out great for me, by the time the crate was too small for the them to roost in there(about 3 weeks), they had pretty much integrated themselves to the olders.

If you have too many smallers to fit in a crate you can partition off part of the coop with a wire wall and make the same openings for smallers escape.


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 blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down, 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 and/or up and away from any bully birds.

Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock