Little hen being bullied. NEED ADVICE!!!!!!!

[outdoorschick91]

I have 4 hens, none who are laying eggs yet. I have a red sex-link, 2 buff orpingtons, and a silver-laced wyandotte. The 2 buffs and the red sex-link get along fine in the coop and are close in age, the SLW is like half the size of the others (around 10 weeks old). I introduced the SLW to the 2 buff orpingtons and they all get along fine, but the red sex-link is so so mean to the newbie SLW. She keeps viciously attacking and pecking the SLW, not drawing any blood because I don't give her the chance to. So the SLW has been in a homemade brooder in my garage at night and in a small wire pen inside the chicken run during the day. I thought that the red sex-link would get used to the SLW that way but I tried introducing them again this morning and the same thing happened. The SLW is almost outgrowing the brooder and idk what to do. Someone told me to try putting the SLW in the coop with the others at night and when they wake up they won't even realize that the newbie was ever different from their already established flock. But I am hesitant on trying that because I don't want to wake up to a dead SLW. Any advice from someone who has dealt with this before?

 

[TulsaChick]

I found keeping my separated by chicken wire was best for at least a week. Letting them mix only to free range with me present.
I took my 2 new ones and on night 3 took my sweetest old one and put them to bed together. After that went well I added the next to sweetest and so on. Finally I brought in my little **** to join the group. The process want fun but 2-3 wks later they ll get along. Thank goodness.

 

[TulsaChick]

Oh ya forget about the night time will all of them. I read that to. Tried it. It failed me horribly. Don't try it!

 

[outdoorschick91]

Thanks. I have been trying the wire fence separating them but I have been doing it for weeks now and they still don't get along. I wish I could free range them but I live on a busy street and there are hawks and foxes all around my house so they stay in the run. What happened when you tried introducing them at night if you don't mind me asking?

 

[TulsaChick]

I thought my new ones were honestly going to be pecked to death. We live in the city too. And one day we had 7 hawks above our house. No joke!
We let ours range only when we are outside.
At night ours all go in the coop tat is attached to our run.
We put the 2 new ones in the coop at night with be sweet older one. Blocked the door to the run.
Left them that way until we went outside with them after work. Let them out to range. Same thing different night.

 

[dandrews1971]

You could also try putting the newbie in with the others & taking the agressive red out for several days then reintrouding her, thereby rearranging the pecking order, as SHE would then be the new girl.

 

[outdoorschick91]

I think I am going to have to try taking red out for a bit because nothing else seems to be working. Is a week long enough to keep the red hen out? The only other concern I have is the fact that there is only one coop with one run, and red is too big for a brooder. So idk where red would go for the week of separation. I guess I would need to figure something out, maybe just keep red in a large indoor pen for a week or build a new outdoor pen.

 

[outdoorschick91]

Just want to say that I reintroduced my Red to the flock after a week and a half of confinement. There was some hostility at first but then it settled down and everyone s getting along just fine. I am so relieved because I love all my chickies and wanted them to all be happy. Thanks for the advice everyone!!!! This website is amazing!!!!

 

[TulsaChick]

Glad to hear it. Thanks for the update!