This is Cruel!!!

[Alleyoops25]

Its really to bad you dont have two coops. It is easier for adults to except another / or younger chicken into their group when they are no longer on their own turf. Thats what I do with them when I add more of them to the group. I geuss you could try to change the3ir enviroment in the coop. move waters and feeders around. Place tarps or boards around the bottom half of the wire so they cant see out. Do this at night. Then remove all of them from their roosts at night and put them out in the run. They will think they moved and their area is going to be different, so they wont be as upset when they see a chicken that is not in their group. I know this sounds crazy. BUt I have found that chickens are territoral and they do have the pecking order based on their own grounds. I have to different yards for the chickens. When I move them at night they dont where they are going, and then when they are in a different area they are more concerned about the new area than they are about the new chicken. It has worked for me. If you have another younger or laid back chicken I would put them together in a cage for a while and see if they buddy up. Dont be surprised that you will see them pecking each other , but it shouldnt be as bad, and shouldnt take as long for them to allow the new chicken in their pecking order. Any agian this probably sounds totally crazy but it has worked for me in the past

 

[peeps7]

I don't have a run because my coop is open.

 

[Aun <HIS><]

I went through this with mine at 2 1/2 months. Mine were in a run, until they got big enough to free range, and my Americauna had been injured and was inside for a long time (month?) to heal. She ended up being a whole lot smaller than the rest, and they (16-17) pecked her and chased her and pecked her... and she did the same thing yours did... cowered and tried to stay out of the way. It was so sad! I tried a lot of things, but ended up working was putting putting a fence down one end of the run for just her, so she was next to the flock. Every day, I let her out of her end and guarded her and corrected the others when they pecked her. I'd give them a peck on the rearend to demonstrate that I was the boss. I'd bring treats in, get down on the ground, and put Miss America (the Americauna) right in front of me and let her eat first, while keeping the others away. After about a month, I started inching the fence open, a little more each day. And after a few days, the opening was large enough for her to get out, but not for them to get in. I had to entice her out with treats, and when they started chasing her, she knew she could retreat back to her end. After a couple of weeks of this, I started putting her on the roost at night. It's now 3 months later, and she's not been fully accepted into the flock, but they all roost together at night. Mine are free-ranging now, and she stays on the fringe of the flock, but if she gets too close, someone chases her off. But it's never a vicious attack like before.

I'd love to hear if anyone has any other ideas.

Good luck!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I noticed your sig says you're going to be getting some baby cochins soon. Since your silkie is younger and smaller than your existing flock, maybe you could think about introducing her to your cochins, while they are younger and smaller. Then, when you introduce the cochins to your flock, she wouldn't be the only target. It's always easier to introduce multiple chickens, instead of just one. It's just an idea, in case what you are doing doesn't work out.

 

[peeps7]

That is a good idea but the cochins are going to be 2-3 days old and she would smash them.

I would be very sad then.