Introducing new chicken to flock of four. Not going well. :(

[thappy]

Hi everyone... I'm new to posting, but been hovering around reading this site for a while now.

I've only had chickens for a few months, but thanks to a middle school science experiment our family fell in love with four cute little fuzzy chicks. We all thought it was great fun watching the first four grow up; they were one big happy bird family even though we had three different breeds.

The fun ended when we got two more chicks a couple months later. One of our new pair didn't make it and we were left with just one "new" hen who we are trying to introduce. Our four cute chickens turned into evil, mean birds! How could they be so mean!!? I had no idea this would be so difficult. I feel like a terrible chicken mommy.

So the current situation is four free ranging hens who are all four months old and a new two month old hen who is trying hard to make friends. Less than ideal, I know.

What should I do!? The four sleep in a coop and I've put a different cage next to the coop so "the four" can see "the one" every morning, but when I let them all out, "the four" run off and leave "the one" by herself. Every time "the one" tries to approach "the four" she is run off. Very sad. The One spends most of her time pooping on our porch instead of grazing around the yard with the others. I feel so bad for her I just spray the deck off every night and let her take over our porch... This probably isn't helping.

Here is my completely novice thoughts/plan; and I'm looking for thoughts:

I will attach a small run to the coop and I will force them all to spend a week together opposed to free ranging all day. They can get over their differences and become a happy family. ?

My other plan is to give the little one to the neigherbors who have 100+ chickens. I've really grown attached to The One, and this would be sad, but I could still visit her and really I just want to do what would make her life easier. It makes sense in my mind that with 100+ birds my little loner hen could make some friends?? Or would that be worse?


Any suggestions?

Thanks!!!
tara

 

[Den in Penn]

Welcome to BYC.
The way I read your post is that the four month olds are just chasing the two month old away from them, not really chasing her down and beating her up. This is normal. The four are nearing maturity and don't want the one around them, think teenagers vs pre teens. The age difference is too much at present for them to mix readily. Whats going on is good. In two months the one will be close to mature herself and the four will begin to let her hang with them. If you can keep the set up you have going, it will work out. When the one does reach maturity, enclosing them together so she resets that as home will help. If you have the room and a run will help. Having a 40 + sq ft run will help in the future If you have to keep them in for some reason.