Trouble introducing a new hen

[addisonphill]

I was given a wee bantam by someone but I’m having trouble introducing her to the flock.
On about the second day we had her she ran away and didn’t return until a weak and a half later. Since then we’ve kept her locked away with one of our other bantams. Today I let them out to meet the other chickens, and I realised the one I had with her was being quite aggressive. She’s been hiding in the coop all day I have taken her out occasionally but she is scared of my other chickens.

She is not very tame.

I know if I just wait she might get accepted, but I have a felling she won’t.

Does anyone know how to help her get accepted?

 

[Judy]

You could try removing the aggressive one and keeping her by herself for a week. Supposedly, when you return her to the flock, she will be at the bottom of the pecking order.

A distraction during the introduction like a treat and maybe a new object or two may help. Two or more feeders and waterers, place a distance apart, may help. If you have a place like a fenced garden where you can do the introduction, somewhere new to all of them, this helps. Hiding places like bushes besides the coop may help.

Sometimes they stay in their own little groups for months or even years. I have one hen who was raised as a lone chick after her "siblings" were all taken. She is still a loner after a couple of years. She finally got where she would sleep on the same roost as the rest, and will come to treats with the others, but she comes last and stays at the edge. i've had them form 2 or 3 groups and stay in those broups, even though they shared one or two feeders and waterers, and one set of roosts. Sometimes the best you can hope for is no blood from pecking.