She came from a friend who took 6 hens and gave me one. He called-his flock attacked her-Poor girl was beat up bad! Blood pouring down dripping off her beak and around her eyes. I have her here now-she is in a dog crate with pine shavings for bedding and food and water. Used cottonballs and some Blucote on her wound and put her inside the crate for the night. What else can I do? He was told to put new chickens in at night. Why did it take until 8 the next evening for them to gang up on her? Is it because they are whites and reds and she was the only black?
Sounds like this isn't going to work unless the new one is housed separately but where they can all see and hear each other for a few weeks. She will need to be fully healed first, anyway.
Very sad, It was because she was new and anyone not from the flock is a threat for disease and resources, it is just instinct but still very sad. Keep her from the other chicks until she has fully recovered and grown in size a bit if she is younger than them. Make sure she has enough heat and constant food/water.
I agree with Bellevue. Chickens are not "racist". Different breeds and colors get along just fine if they have been raised together since they were babies. Most flocks will initially be aggressive to any newcomer, so it's always safest to introduce gradually.
Just an update. The hen is actually a black Cochin and she healed beautifully! In fact, she started laying and has gone broody!
can you get another to keep her company sometimes it is easier to introduce more than 1 into an already establish flock and she will have at least 1 friend. i have just introduced two new ones, i did have to separate the boss girl as she went over the top to attack the new girls the other chickens were fine with them, i didn't let her go to roost with them although she could see them and they could her so after 3 days i let her join them again, she still chased them but was less inclined to over bully them, today was the first day that they all went up to roost with out any squabbling so i think we have got there at last, another suggestion make sure there is plenty of room for the new ones to get away, i extended the run into our garden so there is lots of room and space for all of them to run around in. good luck.
