My chicken is a chicken

[Equest94]

Last month I purchased a new pullet, a Polish chicken, from the country fair. She is now 4 months old and I am still having the hardest time introducing her to the flock.


I only have three hens besides her and I initially introduced her to them gradually, starting from my least dominate hen up. All seemed fine - my three other hens were actually terrified of the new girl at first; all those feathers probably freaked them out, lol. Well things were going smoothly for almost a week, until my original girls got use to her. My dominate hen and the middle hen actually don't mind her and leave her alone... it's my low hen that's been beating the crap out of her. Now that I've had the new girl for a while, I expected things to finally level out - that they worked out their pecking order and the tables were straighten again, but no.... My low hen doesn't tear her feathers out anymore, but she still runs at her to spook her away....

Now, as I've mentioned, my new girl is a Polish pullet, and has the beautiful feathering on her head, which also means, she can't see very well; therefore, it doesn't matter which hen is near her, she'll scream and dart away if she senses anyone of them close to her. I just don't know what to do at this point. She's old enough/big enough to be in with my other girls, but I don't know if it's the fact she can't see well or if she's really that much of a wuss.

The other thing I notice about her, is she seems very clingy to me. Well, any person really, but me especially. If I'm not around or neither is another human, she clings to my dog... I'm not sure if this is some "baby" behavior or the fact she just really really doesn't like my other hens. For all I know, maybe she was imprinted and handled a lot and now has that mentality...

Whatever it is, I don't know what to do!


I know it takes a while for them to work out their places, but I figured within a month all would be good.

I don't know if I have to start over and re-introduce them all again or just keep her locked up with them until they all finally settle. I just want to know what the most proper/fastest/easiest approach to this situation would be...


Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[fldiver97]

I introduced a single hen (around same age/size) to my little flock of 5.....second time I did that, last time it was 2 though (one of them turned out to be a roo). I did the quarantine, sharing coop with a barrier so they could see but not peck and it still took a couple of months. As you mentioned....the previous lowest ranking girl was the most vicious to the new one(s). Both times....the first time my usually meek EE turned into a 'meanie', the second time the (remaining, roo was rehomed) previous newbie is the 'meanie'. After a few weeks they did not have to be seperated or supervised anymore, the worst pecking stopped. But my latest intro clearly is lowest in rank and the BR still chases her from the feeder. No pecking but just the gesture is enough. And my newest girl is also fairly clingy, she comes running as soon as I go outside and stays with me. As long as no one gets hurt, has feathers pulled or is pecked bloody I let them be. If blood is drawn, take the injured chicken away until she is healed, otherwise they may all peck on her. You can also try to take the aggressor out of the flock for a couple of days and then re introduce. Maybe that will adjust the 'attitude'. Now as far as the 'hair-do' is concerned, I have read that some either tie the feathers up a bit somehow or trim them. I don't know exactly how but it sounds as if it helps to see and make it a bit easier on the birds....Hope someone can explain it better though.

ETA: I remember posts about a single polish or houdan with 'hat-less' chickens and it was mentioned that the poofy feathers were so different that the others were pecking a lot....

 

[michickenwrangler]

In my experience, the chicken, horse, goat or even human "next to the bottom" tends to be the biggest bully.

Birds of a feather ... chickens also peck on the different ones. My clean legged birds peck the heck out of the cochin's leg feathers to the point that we separated the two flocks.