When to go to the next step in introducing?

[sophiaw00]

I have 9 pullets and 1 rooster. The rooster and a pullet are newer than the other 8. The rooster was accepted right away but the pullet was bullied relentlessley (even though the introduction was taken slow) and ended up with a big, bloody wound on the back of her neck when I put her in the roost one night. She's been away from them for about 3 weeks to heal and just recently started free ranging with them in the yard. She got a few pecks the first and second day but the third day, they pretty much ignored her. At dark, she goes into the run and perches on one of the roosts outside the coop when everybody else goes in the coop.

I want to get her intergrated into the flock as fast as possible because she is depressed being away from a flock. Her comb is super pale and her face is almost white, when it's usually red.

The next step would be to put her in the coop at night. I wake up at 6:20 in the morning but they are all up by then. I'm not a morning person and most of the time I don't even hear my alarm so I'd be afraid that even if I set my alarm earlier, I wouldn't wake up to it and she'd have another wound or be pecked to death.

Suggestions?

 

[Pork Pie]

maybe try and separate the perches with a screen? i did that in my coop to try and reduce bullying. If the main hens sit of the main part of the perch and the other section is screened off she may be more likely to use it.

 

[sophiaw00]

maybe try and separate the perches with a screen? i did that in my coop to try and reduce bullying. If the main hens sit of the main part of the perch and the other section is screened off she may be more likely to use it.

She doesn't have a problem using the perches and perches just fine outside but as soon as she steps into the coop, she's pecked or pinned by one of the other chickens. It's not fair to her.

I was asking for when I should try putting her on the roost again at night. Last time I did this, around 2-3 weeks ago, I found her pinned to the ground with a very deep bloody wound on the back of her head so I want to be more careful this time.

 

[Mrs. K]

She needs a buddy, introducing a single bird is very hard.

Try picking one of your other birds, a middle of the flock bird, and put those two together. There might be scuffling between the two of them, but it is just between the two of them, and not everyone else is getting their dig in. When there is only one bird being added, the entire flock knows that this is a stranger and attacks.

Now once the pair have gotten use to each other, and give it a good two weeks. Now when you go to put them back, at the same time pull out either the top hen, or the top two hens and put them where the other pair was. This will upset the flock, and they all will be a bit nervous with all the change, so they won't focus so completely on the new pair added, even so, there may be some pecks, but it should not be as bad as before.

Wait two weeks, and add the top two back, they will have to climb back up the pecking order, and in my experience, they will, but by then the other birds have been accepted. Some birds can be more aggressive, and some are not. Adding a single bird that is not, is very difficult to do.

Good luck,

Mrs K

 

[sophiaw00]

She needs a buddy, introducing a single bird is very hard.

Try picking one of your other birds, a middle of the flock bird, and put those two together. There might be scuffling between the two of them, but it is just between the two of them, and not everyone else is getting their dig in. When there is only one bird being added, the entire flock knows that this is a stranger and attacks.

Now once the pair have gotten use to each other, and give it a good two weeks. Now when you go to put them back, at the same time pull out either the top hen, or the top two hens and put them where the other pair was. This will upset the flock, and they all will be a bit nervous with all the change, so they won't focus so completely on the new pair added, even so, there may be some pecks, but it should not be as bad as before.

Wait two weeks, and add the top two back, they will have to climb back up the pecking order, and in my experience, they will, but by then the other birds have been accepted. Some birds can be more aggressive, and some are not. Adding a single bird that is not, is very difficult to do.

Good luck,

Mrs K

I got her & a rooster to introduce together but the rooster was accepted right away and she wasn't. The problem with her is that when another bird starts picking her, she'll either run away or give up right away. When she gives up, she just lays her head down on the grass, giving the other birds an easy target to pick at. I've seen this happen many times and have had to stop it. She's been free ranging with them for this whole week and it's been getting better. Tonight she even followed them into the run when it started getting dark and roosted next to them outside. When they started to go into the coop for sleep though, she stayed outside.

She's made friends with my most docile hen, Tot but even so it hasn't made any difference.

 

[Mrs. K]

This might horrify you, but I would consider culling her. She is not fitting into your flock. She might eventually, but any stress and she will be attacked. This sounds heartless, but this attacking her is causing stress in your flock. For whatever reason it isn't working. I don't like that in a flock. It makes me kind of sick to see that, so I would remove her from the flock.

Mrs K

 

[sophiaw00]

This might horrify you, but I would consider culling her. She is not fitting into your flock. She might eventually, but any stress and she will be attacked. This sounds heartless, but this attacking her is causing stress in your flock. For whatever reason it isn't working. I don't like that in a flock. It makes me kind of sick to see that, so I would remove her from the flock.

Mrs K

I don't have any problem with this suggestion, but I wouldn't be able to cull her. I have a home set up for her if it doesn't work out but she seems to be doing better with them so I am hopeful. I am giving it 2 more weeks TOPS before rehoming her.