What to do with a timid hen?

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Situation...

1. 12 pullets between 12 and 16 weeks in one pen. They all get along famously.

2. A week ago got a trio of white silkies, 2 roos and 1 hen. They're wonderfully quiet and sweet and are in a pen together.

3. At the same time got a trio of cochins, 2 roos and 1 hen. In this pen is also a new white langshan hen. Also very quiet and sweet but the cochin hen is VERY unhappy. She roosts on a very small roost at the very top of the pen to keep away from the fellows below. The white langshan is OK with her...we've watched.

What to do? The little cochin hen (I forgot to mention that they are bantam cochins) is soooo tiny. I don't think she's getting enough food and water.

Should I put her in with the pullets and see how that goes? She is obviously very timid of the others but will eat out of my hand and let me pet her and hold her with no problems.

The other option is building another pen and letting her have it by herself...or with the white langshan hen if they get along. But I was hoping to have bantam cochin eggs to hatch!!

Any suggestions???

 

[tnkinhunting]

Are the other's picking on her? That happens a lot. It would be my guess. Is the roo real aggressive toward his hens? She may be young and scared of him. I have some young pullets that way.

 

[meriruka]

I rescued an EE and put her in with 5 silkies. One of the hens picks on her, but she is fast and usually avoids any harm. She sleeps on a roost above them (not directly above!) by herself. During the day, they get along fine. My EE was not getting enough food at first, so I built her a shelf and put food on it until I saw that she began to eat with the others. She looks a the "big girls" longingly sometimes, but I know they will pick on her too much, so she'll have to content herself with sleeping next to them with some wire fence in between.
Hope this gives you some ideas.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I think we'll try her with the silkies again and see how that goes. I'm really not wanting to build another pen right now! Thanks for your input...