Re-introducing hen to flock? She's terrified of new head roo.

[Michaels1715]

My red sex link hen, Ziggy went broody back in July, and I let her hatch some eggs for my neighbor. My neighbor and I agreed to let Ziggy be the chicks' mom, instead of making her set up a brooder, and all that. So I "leant" my chicken to my neighbor, lol.
Anyway, the chicks are old enough now, and I've brought Ziggy home. It's not going well. Her "sister" now chases her (they were inseparable friends until they both went broody this summer - her sister raised chicks with my flock, Ziggy went next door), as do some of the other hens. I think the biggest problem is my new, young, head roo, however.
I put Ziggy in with the rest of the flock in the evening - on the roost. In the morning when they were let out of their run to free range, Ziggy came running up to the garage (where she had sat on her eggs), and hung out in the yard right outside of there all day by herself. The roo wants her very badly and started chasing her, but she is fit and fast, and can outrun him. Now, however (and this is day 3), she won't go outside at all unless I'm standing right next to her. She cowers in the garage or the escape area I gave her in the coop. Just a little while ago I was outside with her, and the roo almost ran me over trying to get to her. He didn't - a wise choice on his part, and she had run "screaming" back inside anyway.

I have some hens that don't particularly like being mated, and make a ruckus when the roo picks them, but I've never seen one so absolutely terrified of a roo as Ziggy is. I am considering giving her back to my neighbor, but before I resort to that, I was wondering - should I just let the roo mate her and see if she settles down? I have a hard time when the hens are mated against their will - it's too much like....
Anyway, I want her to be happy, and she's not. Suggestions?
~Sharon
PS - sorry if this post is a bit jumbled or unclear -I'm in a rush and don't have time to proof read like I normally would. Thanks.

 

[bantambury]

My red sex link hen, Ziggy went broody back in July, and I let her hatch some eggs for my neighbor. My neighbor and I agreed to let Ziggy be the chicks' mom, instead of making her set up a brooder, and all that. So I "leant" my chicken to my neighbor, lol.
Anyway, the chicks are old enough now, and I've brought Ziggy home. It's not going well. Her "sister" now chases her (they were inseparable friends until they both went broody this summer - her sister raised chicks with my flock, Ziggy went next door), as do some of the other hens. I think the biggest problem is my new, young, head roo, however.
I put Ziggy in with the rest of the flock in the evening - on the roost. In the morning when they were let out of their run to free range, Ziggy came running up to the garage (where she had sat on her eggs), and hung out in the yard right outside of there all day by herself. The roo wants her very badly and started chasing her, but she is fit and fast, and can outrun him. Now, however (and this is day 3), she won't go outside at all unless I'm standing right next to her. She cowers in the garage or the escape area I gave her in the coop. Just a little while ago I was outside with her, and the roo almost ran me over trying to get to her. He didn't - a wise choice on his part, and she had run "screaming" back inside anyway.

I have some hens that don't particularly like being mated, and make a ruckus when the roo picks them, but I've never seen one so absolutely terrified of a roo as Ziggy is. I am considering giving her back to my neighbor, but before I resort to that, I was wondering - should I just let the roo mate her and see if she settles down? I have a hard time when the hens are mated against their will - it's too much like....
Anyway, I want her to be happy, and she's not. Suggestions?
~Sharon
PS - sorry if this post is a bit jumbled or unclear -I'm in a rush and don't have time to proof read like I normally would. Thanks.

Ok, so when I began introducing our baby chicks to my flock, we had built a small pen to hold them in, that way our big mamas could get used to them.....however, our coop began to get too small to hold 5 big black Australorp and 5 babies. we got rid our black astralorps, and kept the babies.....but here is how we did them:


Maybe put little Ziggy in a big enough cage so the others will get used to them, and then slowly put her with the others. mayve after a month of the small cage sit out with her and hour or so with the big flock and put her back in, than you can slowly turn her out to the others if this makes since.

Hope this helps!!


best of luck,
~Bantambury