[Diddy Gardener]

I went to investigate why the chooks were making a racket this morning only to discover them attacking a small brown hen. Rescued her and put her in a box in the garage with food and water.

No idea where she came from or how she got into the pen... the walls are about 8 feet high! Apart from a limp I can't see any other signs of injury - I'll give her a thorough check over once she's rested for a bit. Then I'll need to see if any of the neighbours are missing a hen! 

[nerdle]

Someone may have dumped her - I think that had happend with my prevous hen before I adopted her - she just turned up!

[Diddy Gardener]

The problem is I have no idea what to do with her if I can't find her owner. My lot are obviously predisposed to giving the poor wee thing a pecking and I don't have another chicken house to keep her in... dilemma 

[tosca100]

Someone may have dumped her - I think that had happend with my prevous hen before I adopted her - she just turned up!

With fences that high this seems a good bet. Poor mite, it's a shame chooks can be so nasty to newcomers.

[Diddy Gardener]

Hmmm... now need to think of how to make a wee house for her out of all the gubbins I have lying about the garage. Any ideas welcome!

[snowdrops]

Cat box or similar,dog crate. My SIL & son seemed proud to tell me they had dropped a couple over someone's wall, then were funny with me when it was obvious I didn't approve

[Diddy Gardener]

No I know what you mean... my chooks had been pecking at her for a good fifteen minutes before I realised something was up. Poor wee love.

[Diddy Gardener]

Right... a hen mysteriously turned up in my run this morning. My girls went crazy when they got up and attacked her. We rescued her and found that she can only walk on one leg (don't know if this was from being lobbed over the fence into the run (only feasible way it could have got there)) or if my hens injured her leg.

Anyhoo, been round all the neighbours and no-one admitting to losing a hen so it looks like I might have a new girl. As she's injured I obviously can't put her in with my existing ladies as they would pick on her (and don't know if she's carrying any diseases).

So, I have two questions... one, she's in the garage at the moment with food, water and grapes... obviously not ideal but what can I temporarily put her in outside so that she's safe and warm? Two, how can I get my existing girls to accept her... ideally I'd like them all together in their nice big secure run.

[Trillium]

If you keep her contained with some fencing and right beside your own chooks, in time they'll begin to accept her presence, and eventually you can safely include her with your own flock. The main flock just needs time to get used to the newcomer.

[New shoot]

If you can cobble together a house for her, it would be best to keep her isolated for a couple of weeks, just in case she is sick or carrying parasites.

A single small hen can make do in a rabbit hutch or similar.  If you have some wood to make the basic house bit, the run can be either underneath, with a ramp up, or at the side.  If its underneath, it affords a bit of weather protection and shade. 

If she can see the others, this will be enough company for now and will help the others accept her if you end up keeping her 

[joyfull]

after the incubation period you could perhaps try introducing one of your more submissive hens to give her some company and have their house and run inside your run then after a brief period add them both to the main coop at night whilst the others are sleeping 

[joyfull]

DG I will merge this with your other post - which you will see has had some replies (I have also moved the other post from chicken chat into her in the hen house  )

[barley]

when we introduced new ones we put a chicken wire pen up within the original pen using a few long lengths of wooden stakes , made a temporary shelter with an old box and wood on top to keep rain out , then put them in main hen box at night in nest boxes again covered with a piece of wire

this way all the new and old could see each other but kept apart for safety - about 3 weeks was enough and then we let them mix whilst scattering a good throw of food , they are so excited at scrambling for food they forget about the newbie

why are people so cruel abandoning animals 

[Sassy]

Some lateral thinking is needed- you are almost bound to have something suitable. What about an old type plastic dustbin (so many of us have wheelie bins now),  placed on its side in a sheltered area with something heavy either side so that it cannot roll about, a bit of bedding, some mesh at the opening? Just a thought, desperate measures and all that. Good luck.

[Diddy Gardener]

Thanks Sassy. I was mooching about in the garage earlier and came across a dog crate I'd forgotten about. So I think I'm going to cover that in some tarpaulin and put bedding inside so she has somewhere warm and dry. Also found a whole lot of chicken wire that I can use to make a wee run for her. That should do her until the rest stop being such divas.

Also she has a broken leg - so off to the vet in the morning to see what they can do for her.