Will my timid hen accept chicks / pullets?

[V2vee]

Hi all, we have a new hen that is struggling to integrate with our existing free range flock of 13 and I am wondering if moving her into her own space and raising some older chicks or pullets with her then introducing her back into the flock alongside them may help?

A bit of background - she is a rescue hen that had turned up at a neighbours house and they asked us to take her in so we know nothing about her background. She is clearly ex commercial (beak has been trimmed) and is very humanised and I suspect has not been kept with other hens as she only interacts with us and is petrified of the other chickens cheeping like a chick and running away as soon as they come close to her. She does not roam like the rest of our flock and I suspect she has been kept in a much smaller space.

I’m wondering if moving her into our back garden and getting some younger chickens that she would not be as threatened by might help her social skills and give her some “buddies” to be introduced back into the flock with…

Has anyone got any experiences / insight into is they think this might work?

Thankyou!

 

[V2vee]

Picture of the lady in question! As you can see she is in beautiful condition and has clearly been looked after.

 

[Penpal]

thirteen new friends might be overwhelming. Could you separate her with a couple of your gentlest hens? Both groups should be able to see each other and see if a day or two gives her a couple of friends to hang with.

 

[Yardmom]

Were you planning on getting more chicks? If not try the pairing with a smaller group. If you are getting chicks anyway it may work. She isn't likely to mother young chicks, but after they are older it might work. I have a bird who just seems to have a scared of my shadow personality. It is dominated by younger birds, but it does hang out with them.

 

[V2vee]

thirteen new friends might be overwhelming. Could you separate her with a couple of your gentlest hens? Both groups should be able to see each other and see if a day or two gives her a couple of friends to hang with.

Yes I totally agree but unfortunately we don’t have the set up to provide separate spaces for them. She’s been in with them for over a month now and considering she was just put straight in with them she is actually doing pretty well really. There’s not much bullying going on (they have an acre to
roam across so plenty of space which is definitely helping!) its just her lack of social skills / knowledge of how to interact with another hen other than run away cheeping as soon as they so much as look at her!

She sleeps on the floor (her choice - she’s got perch options away from the others) so I have put a cage in the large shed they roost in and she’s already in it by the time I go to lock them up and I shut her in it so she’s safe in her own space in the morning before I let them all out.

 

[V2vee]

Were you planning on getting more chicks? If not try the pairing with a smaller group. If you are getting chicks anyway it may work. She isn't likely to mother young chicks, but after they are older it might work. I have a bird who just seems to have a scared of my shadow personality. It is dominated by younger birds, but it does hang out with them.

Brilliant - thank you. Yes that’s what I thought re her not mothering them so I thought if I get them old enough to fend for themselves but young enough she’s not scared of them so she can get comfortable with them and hopefully they bond.

 

[Mrs. K]

I don't think she is a commercial bird, they are usually white leghorns or cornish cross meat birds. They are highly socialized as they are kept with a lot of birds. I think she sounds more like a pet bird, that was kept without chickens. Maybe someone got tired of a house bird, and 'set her free'.

If she is holding her own, I would not change the current set up. I think it will get better, it will just take more time. Often times the lowest bird is the most aggressive to new birds, especially if they are smaller.

Mrs K