[fastmonkey85]

Afternoon all

I have recently introduced the new chicken and taken the advice from lots of people that because they are fighting and giving the new chicken a hard time i put it in a cage that i had. They can see each other to get used to each other but hey cannot harm each other. At night time i just let her into the house and all seems well, and then the next morning put her back in the cage. I have been doing this for about 4 days now and this morning i let them out to see if it had worked. It had not they were more intent then ever about giving the new chook a good peck. She is so scared that she spends all her time in the house away from the others.

Do i stay with it in the hope that they get used to each other and all will be well or let them roam together and let nature take its cause.

Many thanks for any answers to this problem

Alex

[8doubles]

I think this behavior goes on far more in a settled flock than is realised especially at roosting times when very hard pecks to the heads of the less important birds seems to be a common thing.
Having seen this on cctv i am amazed that there is not more visable damage.
I think the staying apart from the other hens and keeping her head down is normal as a way of showing as a newcomer she knows her place.

[beulah59]

Is it possible to separate her with the bottom hen for a while, so they are allies when you reintroduce them later on?