I have 2 bantam phoenix hens and 1 rooster about 2 yrs old. They have always been together and get along great. Yesterday someone gave me a (maybe 1 yr old) bantam hen. Of coarse they are not going to get along at first...but she screams horribly if the rooster even gets near her which then causes "his" hens to attack her. Is this a bad idea? Will they ever accept her? I'm very new with chickens and this is stressing me out...LOL they are all very sweet and love people...Just not sure how to handle this. Don't want her to get hurt.
I would make a partition where they can see her but not get to her for a few days. Then retry introducing them. Make sure she has areas where she can try to hide if she is being bullied.
You also want them sepperated for a few weeks when you first get a new one anyhow. You want to make sure that the new one is not carrying any sort of virus or sickness. Always remember different farms (while they look the same) have different germs and bugs. It could even be your neighbors house and unless all the chickens play together then you are in jepardy of getting your chickens sick with the new bugs that you are introducing to your flock. Hope that helps.
Put her in a sectioned off part and add in wat u think is the top ranked bird after a few days. Then she should be fine with the others after a couple of days. Don't worry if thy fight it's natural contest
i am in the same position i have a group of hens (5-Ex-Bats amd a welsummer). i recently got a wyandotte cock and hen. i put them in toghether and my 2nd boss hen attacked the roo and won but now they all get along fine bar my welsummer and new wyandotte hen. Wyandottes are bantams though roo is a big one and bigger than my hens but my other hens are all large fowl. my welsummer attacks the wyandotte and doesnt stop even is the wyandotte submisses and runs away the well will chase her. my other hens stop when she submisses. im solving this prob by letting my hens into the garden but leaving the roo,welsummer and wy hen in the run and shut out the coop (wyandotte hen hides in there most of the day.). so when my welsumer attacks the wy hen my roo has a chance to intercept and stop the bulling and each time he does it he is becoming more sucssesful at stopping the well. there is still bulling from the well (who isnt even boss shes middle) but its not as bad and is in shorter spurts which are spaced further apart! I hope i could help and happy hen keeping
