[ktc]

Hi

our four chickens arrived with us last week and three have settled in really well.  The fourth, younger than the others, is getting chased a fair bit so she seems to prefer to stay in the house.  I'm a bit worried that she won't be eating and drinking enough - any suggestions?

[joyfull]

you will always have one chicken at the bottom of the pecking order. To make sure she gets a chance to get food and water put several feeders and drinkers out and have lots of hiding places for her, some people put large plant pots on their sides so they can take refuge there.
Things will settle down over time 

[ktc]

Thanks Joyfull

Flower pots and extra feeder in place.  She's outside with the others at the moment so hopefully she'll settle in OK.

[joyfull]

just be armed with purple spray to disguise any redness should the others get a bit over boisterous 

[8doubles]

Make a pet of her, my lowest ranking hen got the usual bullying but soon sussed that the safest place to be when i was sitting in the garden was on my shoulder.

[ktc]

Thanks for all the advice.  Bullying seems to have slowed down and haven't needed to use the purple spray.  But she's spending almost all day inside the coop.  I wondered whether it would be a good idea to take her out and shut it up as I'm not sure how much she's eating and drinking.

[darkbrowneggs]

Thanks for all the advice.  Bullying seems to have slowed down and haven't needed to use the purple spray.  But she's spending almost all day inside the coop.  I wondered whether it would be a good idea to take her out and shut it up as I'm not sure how much she's eating and drinking.

You could try putting a little pot of food and bottle water drinker in there for her just in case - the last thing you want is her getting weak.

All the best
Sue

[Casey76]

If you can, try to have at least 4 feeding and watering stations.  It sounds excessive, but if the others are chasing her, they can't guard more stations than they are in numbers, which enables the bottom hen to have something to eat and drink.

If you notice on particular bully, try removing her (always remove the bully, not the bullied) and this will upset the pecking oder, and hopefully the bottom hen will come out as not bottom hen.  then you can reintroduce the bully; as her status in the pecking order will have been changed it should help to stop they bullying.  However in some cases, it has been noted, that if the hen is very dominant, then she may fight her way to the top of the pecking order again, but most of the time it doesn't happen.

[helens-hens]

Another v.good idea was posted in another thread I read today by muntjac, who suggested placing some conifer branches in the run which can be used as hiding places but with the advantage that the hen can't then get trapped.

Also I imagine these would make the run more interesting for the hens.

[ktc]

Many thanks to everyone for their good advice.  Sadly, Shy chicken (alias Dolly) hasn't made it despite seeming more adventurous and coming outside more over the last few days.  I've spoken to the lady who sold us the girls and she was very reassuring saying that this can happen and it's unlikely to be anything we've done as the other three are thriving.  Feeling pretty sad but one of the others has cheered me up by laying her first egg.

[Oliveview]

Hens can be fine one moment and suddenly die, for no obvious reason.  Sorry Shy one didn't make it. 
Pamela

[bantam novice]

So sorry to hear about Shy one, KTC.