Urgent! hens won't accept new hen

[motherhen19]

Hello, I re homed a skyline hen with a bad foot, I took her to the vets and she had an abscess removed and she's doing well. But I've had her for over a week and she's having to sleep inside my home because my other 4 girls (ex battery hens) are so violent. Gloria the new hen has a bald back with some feathers trying to grow. So everyday since we've had her shes been outside in a different run but next to each other so they can see but not touch! A few days ago we thought we'd let them out together and they attacked her which I expected! They had the whole garden so she was able to run away, but today. We put them all in the run together, at first they were very noisy and alot of chasing happened but they calmed down after an hour so I went inside, kept popping my head out every 5 mins to make sure everything was ok and they were sitting down ignoring each other but when I went out an hour later 3 of my ex batts had cornered her and were pecking at her back which caused bleeding!! So I separated them of course! But I'm just so worried, I want her to live in a coop like the other chickies not have to be brought inside every night. I just don't know what to do! Anyone have any advice? Sorry for the long post I'm pretty anxious and upset about this whole situation!! Thanks for any replies in advance!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

try putting her in a large cage inside the coop for a couple weeks, let them fight it out with bars between them. that bumble foot is a staph infection and its contagious to other chickens and humans

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i allso have found it hard to add just one chicken at a time , at least 3, causes enough confusion so its not so bad on them

 

[thappy]

I had to add one hen to my small flock of four and it was horrible. I totally feel for you.

Ours are free range so the new one always had somewhere to run off to. I think that made it easier during the day. The new one would never go into the coop at night though ...she would come up onto the porch so every night to start to integrate them at first I put her in a small cage in the bottom of the coop at night and made them "hang out" together in the morning for a few hours until I opened the bottom part and let them free.

Eventually I just started sneaking her into the corner of the coop at night and leaving the bottom part open so as soon as they woke up they could get back out into the open and not be trapped together.

It was really hard, but it worked eventually although they are still mean to her. That said, I'm pretty sure the new "hen" is a rooster!! Those girls still show him whose boss though.

 

[motherhen19]

Thanks for the advice, we've decided to add another on as the vet advised too. Oh noo I'm glad everything turned out well! I was just really panicking one night about it but its okay I'm sure they will all get along slow and steady!!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

hahaha, it is addictive ! love it

 

[cafarmgirl]

Slow is the name of the game. As mentioned it can be very, very hard trying to integrate a single new bird into a small flock. And sometimes it just never works out. I've done it in the past, I will never do it again! Way to much headache for me and stress on the new bird. When I have done it I have kept the new bird penned alongside for weeks at a time. Even then it's rough on her when they all get out together, they are just so fixated on that one new bird. The last time I tried it they never did allow the new bird into the coop, free ranging together eventually settled down but she was not allowed in the coop and I had to make alternate sleeping arrangements for her. These days I will not integrate less then three newbies at a time, much easier.