Our chickens don't like their new friend : (

[LindsayB]

Last week we got a new Easter Egger hen to go with our other two girls, a barred rock and EE. They are all about 15 weeks. We decided yesterday to introduce the new hen to the other two and it did not go well at all! I've had some new hens fight before trying to establish a pecking order but this was just not good...They were pulling her feathers out and attacking her. She refuses to go into the coop and run with them and just hangs out on the back porch. I did manage to sneak her in the coop last night to roost, but this morning she was back on the porch...so sad. Does anyone have any suggestions? I feel really bad for her.

 

[tnapier6]

I don't have an answer, but I couldn't stand it!! Poor thing!

 

[Becky1961]

Poor Girl

Do you think maybe with some time and familiarity the other two will settle in?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Of your two originals - who is the leader? Take the leader away for a couple days, let the new chicken and the other get to know each other. Then try putting the leader back when all are out free ranging together.

 

[LindsayB]

I honestly can't say which one is the leader of the group, they pretty much do everything together and have never fought even when they were chicks. I'm guessing they are probably scared of the new girl bc they have never had to meet another chicken before. Maybe I'm just worrying about nothing and they'll become friends on their own in a few days, I don't know. I just feel bad bc she's such a pretty and sweet girl. My husband told me if they keep picking on her shes going to be a house chicken. I doubt he was being serious, but it was really cute coming from him! lol

 

[Break an Egg]

Sneak her in the coop at night when they are all asleep.

 

[urban dreamer]

I had this same issue when I introduced my RIR Emma to my little flock of three. I could tell who was who on the pecking order, My BR Zoii was the queen of the flock and everybody knew it. And then there was my EEs Gladys and Ginger. After her quarentine, Emma's coop and run was moved next to the Big Coop so they could get used to one another. Apparently, I didn't leave them alone long enough. When I put Emma in for the first time, Zoii ignored her and Gladys and Ginger attacked her. I had no choice but to separate her (they had not only pulled feathers, but drew blood). We separated Emma for a week or so more and tried it again with the same result. So I resulted to HorseFeather's method- I took Gladys and Ginger out of the Big Coop and put them in the quarentine coop. That left Zoii and Emma to get to know each other. They stayed like that for a couple of weeks, Zoii and Emma got along really well. Then one night, we moved Gladys and Ginger back to the Big Coop. They woke up the next morning thinking they were completly new birds! They fought alittle, pecked and what not and after a few days of staying out of it and watching, they formed a new pecking order. Separation worked for me. Try taking your new birdie and confining it with one of your established flock. Then a week later (or when they are no longer pecking at each other and roost together) re-introduce the other bird. Then they will bicker and fight a little and form a new pecking order. I think the hardest part of this method is trying to stand back and let them squabble and fight it out for a couple of days. I hope that whatever you decide to do, it works out for you and your chooks. Good luck!

 

[Suburban Sprouts]

I would create a wire barrier so that she can be "amongst" the other two chickens without being vulnerable. Do that for a couple weeks and every once in a while supervise a co-mingling... after a few weeks, they should be able to tolerate each other much better.