Need help, nothing seems to be working to help a hen integrate with flock

I would try taking out the dominant hens. After a couple of days, maybe try adding her in with them and if that works, add the whole group back to the flock at one time? The, before dominant hens, will have to reestablish a place in the pecking order and adding 2, 3, or 4 birds is better than 1.

 

Try putting them one at a time in with her. Waiting a couple of days between adding the second allowing time for the first to bond. One on one can work to a new chickens advantage, because she has only one to deal with at a time. When the second hen is added there is then two to face the pair. With a larger flock you would continue until there is a sufficient number to introduce to the main flock. With your small flock I'd just keep adding one at a time. With her being lame she may always be the bottom bird.

 

With her limp, its highly possible they think something is wrong with her. In a situation like that, the flock would drive her off her kill her to protect themselves (a sick or injured chicken is a calling card to preds). Have you tried putting her in a cage in the coop so they can see but not get at her?

 

First off, it sounds like she was really too young when you started this. When I've tried to introduce even healthy chicks to a flock of mature hens, I've had dead chicks if they're younger than 3 1/2 months old. It's usually advisable to wait until they're roughly the same size as the grown birds, this gives them a fighting chance at least.

How old is she now? If less than 4 months, I'd just hold off and wait a good few weeks before doing anything.

Second, accept that if your chicken has a limp, the other birds may never allow her in the flock. Chickens don't do "special needs", they're big into survival of the fittest, and they see an ill or injured bird as a threat to the safety of the entire flock. An older, established bird may get away with sustaining an injury and keeping their place, but a young bird that's compromised doesn't stand much chance.

You can try removing some of the older hens, things like that, but you might also have to come to terms with rehoming her. It's hard, I know, but you need to consider what's best for her. There are folks out there who would absolutely love a tame pet chicken. I have a hen in a similar situation, she's just too submissive for the roosters and always looks beat up. I'm not going to get rid of my roosters, and all my other hens look great, this one hen just won't stick up for herself. I've got her separate to grow her feathers back in, then I'll be selling her to a flock that's rooster free, and preferably with more docile breeds of hens. She's not a pet, like your bird, but she's a great layer and I hate to lose her, but my flock is not a good fit for her and it's best for her to go to a different home.

 

I'd leave her with that one other hen for a week or so, then try to get them all back together.

 

Hi there.
chicken social behavior is sometimes tuff to figure out. I think a seperate run is a great idea myself. last year, i got 2 americanas to add to my flock as i wanted multi colored eggs. At the farm after about 5 minutes of looking at a HUGE amount of birds, this one golden one inparticular caught my eye and was my first pick, named her penney. soon after i found another that seemed pretty submissive. named her patty. Well, within a week, i found patty was quite ill and i was still pretty new to birds. after another 4 days, patty expired. (story in my history) that left penney as the sole newcommer to a flock of 6 and it was a lot like your scenerio, but less... violent. whenever i went into the run, penny made a run straight at me and would jump into my arms to get away from everyone else. a few weeks later i went back to the farm for another hen hoping to give penney a comrade and well, i ended up with 2 outcasts that didn't care for each other very much. After about 6 months or so, they settled into their pecking order and are doing fine. Now, i have another rooster that was born here and got pretty big. i mean HUGE. when he came into puberty he was terrible with the hens, especially penny. for about 5 months she had a completely bare back and would hide all the time. i decided then to let the big rooster free range in the yard and keep the rest of the flock in their run. the big rooster sleeps in the garage alone (which is good because he is LOUD) and only has contact with whichever hen wants to "escape" the run and play with him, which is fine with me. Penny is very happy with the arrangement and the others don't seem to mind either. i DO have a much smaller roo in with them and he is top roo, even for being over half the size of the other. he can't mount any of the hens, but it sure is fun watching him try now and again. If i decide i wish to fertile the eggs, i'll swap penny with the big rooster for a few weeks, maybe seting up a smaller run for her, but at this point my flock is large enough. If you love your hen, keep her. she sounds like she is a great fit with you and your son. altho penny is very (too) submissive to the big roo, she now gets along fine with all the other hens and i wouldn't get rid of her for anything. good luck to you.