New girl not being accepted. =(

[misspoppins]

I was just given a new hen and my other hens aren't accepting her at all. I know I just can't throw her in with the others, but for the past two days I've been letting them have supervised play time, and it's always cut short because the other hens are pecking at her, so.
Do y'all have any advice on how I should go about adding her to the flock?

Thanks so much!

P.S. She's the same age as my others, but a great deal smaller, so she doesn't hold up much of a fight.

 

[The Chicken People]

Can U seperate her by fencing but right next to the others so they can get use to her but not peck at her?

 

[misspoppins]

I have her inside a cage, right now, so the other girls are looking at her but they can't peck her. But I can't leave her in there forever!

I've been switching them out. So Alice(the new girl) is in the cage for a little bit, and then I put the rest of them i the coop for a while so Alice can run around.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Pen her up with the lowest hen in the pecking order. It is ALWAYS easier to introduce more than one bird at a time because the attention of the rest of the flock is set up between the two "new" birds rather than one.

 

[misspoppins]

Thanks! I'll try that!

 

[NYREDS]

Actually it sounds like they are exceping her while not accepting her.

 

[misspoppins]

Quote:
Sorry! I just noticed that too! =P

Sorry, if I confused anyone. =/

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Here are some other things you can try as well:

(1) Mix up all the birds on the roost at night when it's too dark for them to see to rearrange themselves. This will shake up the pecking order a bit.

(2) Make some changes in their coop and run... Move their food and water or add a second food dish... Add a large branch or other "toy" for them to jump on and play with... Hang up a cabbage. Give them some distractions so that they have other things to concentrate on other than the newcomer.

 

[misspoppins]

Quote:
Thanks, those are great ideas!