My chickens are attacking my new chicken.

[hoosiersphynx]

I did what I was told and put the new chicken in a crate next to the coop so that the chickens can see the new chicken. Well I have had her there for over a month and I thought that all would be well to putting her in with the others. SO last night when they were sleeping I put her in there. Well I go to check on them and she is in the corner with the others pecking at her and she is bleeding on her leg and on her wings. What did I do wrong? She is such a sweet girl. I just hate to see this happening to her. If I can not get her in with the others then I will have to find her a new home. Is there anything else that I could try?
Thanks for your help
Rebecca

 

[cherylcohen]

I've had some success isolating the bullies for a week or so, that takes them down a notch.

At the point you are at though you want to protect the bloody one. Put the anti-peck medicine on her and make sure her wounds start to heal while she is isolated.

Then you can either take the bullies out for a bit and only put her in with some more timid ones. OR you can choose one of the nicer chickens and put them in with her so she can establish a firendship.

 

[hoosiersphynx]

If I put another good girl in with her how long will it take to get the others to warm up to her? I just dont understand why they are doing this. There is the one that I saw going at her the most. Her name is Shelly and she is an Americana, she also just started laying. Could this be why she is attacking her?
Thanks

 

[PeeperKeeper]

When introducing new stock: You should have the newbies in a caged or fenced off area where the old flock can see them but not get to them. It takes about 4 weeks ( 1 mo) for them to regonize them as beloning there. There will still be the pecking order spats that will happen once they are mixed. They just have to work theses things out.
I saw an interesting thing earlier this Fall. Two of my older hens were going at each other, more than one time on different days. Just don't know what set off that squabble off and why just those 2 hens.

 

[cherylcohen]

I put a dog fence that I made into a cage INSIDE the run with the nice girls together. You could introduce another girl once the others are getting along. This in my opionion is the hardest thing (short of losing one) about raising chickens. It's best if after 4 weeks that they work it out but sometimes they don't. Look under flock management on this site, as we have all been through it.

It's a bit of trial and error becuase each girl has her own personality so you just have to play around a bit, then once things seem a bit more clam, you can introduce them back into the flock, but understand there is deffinatly a pecking order and they just have to work it out. I'd keep the peck-no-more solution on the new one so if she does get pecked they bad girls get a yucky taste