[snow white]

Long story.  Had two hens from 8 weeks who were best friends.  I introduced two other hens but they were never accepted.  I gave it six weeks but in the end I had to separate them due to extreme bullying with bad injuries.  They were run kept but had plenty of space.And moved around regularly.  So I bought another coop and run for the new hens which is big enough just for two hens.  It all worked wonderfully,  then one of my original hens up and died.  Looked sorry for two days then was dead the next morning.  So I have my two newish hens happy with each other, and one solitary hen.  I really don't want to put the newer ones in with the older one because of past bullying, but I know hens like company.  If I introduce two new hens to the lonely hen then it is hard to as I don,t have a spare coop to separate them for a couple of weeks.  Should I just leave her by herself?  Not sure what to do. 

[hen addict]

The dynamics have now changed with the demise of one of your older birds. If possible put the older one in with the other two there will be a few spats but all should settle down petty quickly. Or create a complete New space in another part of the garden New territory so to speak where they are all new to the same space. That should throw them all off balance enough to form a new bond for security in their new place. Other than that wait untill the autumn when the hormones drop and the moult sets in and they should be fine together.

[helens-hens]

If you do try and re-introduce them I recommend doing it after dark when they are sleepy by putting them altogether in 1 henhouse. Another trick is to 'mist' them slightly with a something like a vinegar & water solution. I have done this and the idea is that they all smell similar.

Do make sure you are up early though in case of squabbles between them first thing in the morning.

Good luck!

[Sassy]

It will help if you can keep them side by side but in separate pens for 2 to 3 weeks before you introduce them and have at least 2 of each waterers and feeders when they are together until they settle. Advice re fresh space and introduce at night is also good.

[Snoop]

Sorry for hijacking your thread snow white, but I'm in a similar situation and not very sure what to do. We had three hens, one died a while back and the other one had to be euthanised on Friday. On Sunday, we bought two more hens, thinking the original (Babs) would be glad of the company. Babs is a Rhode Island Red, as was her companion. The new two are a Black Sex Link (Beulah) and a White Leghorn (Bridey), both smaller than Babs, in particular the Leghorn.

Babs is not at all pleased to see them. No idea what's going on in her head, of course, but she and the other hen were extremely close. Babs was very defensive of her and is fearless in the face of possible attack.

The Leghorn scarpers at the sight or sound of anything but the Black Sex Link is terrified of nothing but Babs, who started stabbing her back and head with her beak from the outset and won't leave her alone when they are together, so I've separated them to reduce contact.

Babs and the new pair are in separate compounds side by side. Babs gets to free range once she's laid her egg. When she's gone, I open the gate into her area to let the other two in to her side as it gets more shade. Babs wanders off but occasionally returns and marches round the hen compound, as if appalled at the invaders. She is effectively locked out of her own home, but given that it is too hot in the afternoon in the other area, I have no choice.

I propose to keep them like this for a couple of weeks and then introduce them to each other at night.

We have no need of more eggs, but might getting another Rhode Island Red as company for Babs be a good idea?

The good news is that despite the stress, Beulah laid an egg yesterday (first morning after her arrival) and looks to be laying another now. Mind you, yesterday's was tiny at just 29 g. Still, she's eating for Spain, so I guess the egg size will grow as she gets a bit bigger. The Leghorn won't come into lay for a few weeks apparently.

[New shoot]

I think your plan is a good one Snoop and would stick with that.  It may not seem like it, but Babs marching round the run is her getting used to the newbies and it will calm down, once she feels she has established her dominance once and for all 

If you buy another hen, that will mean everyone has to start from scratch again and if the new hen is prepared to challenge Babs, it could get nasty. 

Congrats on the eggs - Beulah must be settling in despite the less than warm welcome from Babs   

[Snoop]

Thanks New shoot. I wasn't sure if perhaps Babs would think another Rhode Island Red was her long-lost chum and that would calm her down. A bit of a ridiculous idea, I guess, but we've fallen for Beulah (a very handsome bird) and were charmed by her minute egg, so I'd be sorry for her to get hurt.

[New shoot]

If Babs was pecking, but not drawing blood, it was just her way of making sure a young hen coming into lay knew her place    They can easily cause real injury if they mean it.

There will be pecking, a fair bit of noise and some chasing around.  Keep an eye on them, but try and let them sort it out themselves.  It just seems to be something they have to do   

[Snoop]

Thanks. It's the third time we've introduced new hens but previous experiences have always gone very calmly, so although I'd read threads on the subject before, I wasn't really prepared.

[grinling]

have you thought of beak clips?
my top hen will put Roberta, who is a bantam and minute to the others, at the bottom end of the pecking order. It can be worse as there is only 1 feeder at the mo, but there is no run so they are out all the time...run area being reconstructed due to mole. She goes submissive and I step in if things seem rough.
Mixing takes time, but I prove my dominance by picking up the top hen and walk around with her in my arm.
I normally have 2 feeders and 2 waters as well as extra water in the garden and if kept in the run, then cabbage/spinach goes in too.

[snow white]

I put the single hen in with my other two so that she was in their territory.  It all went well so they are now all in the larger run.  She stillis boss aand shows dominance, but no blood letting or over aggression, so I am happy.

[Snoop]

Glad to hear of your success, snow white. Our new two are starting to get used to me about the place, so that's a start! I'll combine them all at night in ten days or so. It'll be interesting to see what happens when I let them out. Babs may in fact adopt a protective rather than an aggressive stance towards them. But it's much too early to let them out. The dogs are fascinated by the Leghorn. She runs at the slightest provocation and I think their instinct will be just too strong and they'll just want to run after her. It'll take quite a while before she's settled down, I think.

[Prod]

I have some pens where I am trying to breed the chickens but I also have a mixed group  that free range. I wanted to introduce 2 more to this group whilst I decide if I want cockerels to breed them so whilst I decide I put them in the free range area in a covered run, so they could see but not harm each other, for 3 days. On the third night as the originals went to roost I put the 2 new ones in the coop with them but separated them the following morning. I did this for 2 nights but on the 3rd morning I let them all out together and they are now all OK. There was a bit of a commotion on the first night in the coop but I just think that was over who roosts where and that seemed to establish the pecking order. The 2 new ones have formed an alliance, which I have seen before when introducing 2 at a time, but other than that they all get on Ok now. In fact the originals have shown the 2 new ones how to use the Grandpa's feeder so, despite putting out some extra pellets, they used the feeder almost straight away.  If I could solve the problem of one of them laying in different places every day that would be good as it is like Easter morning everyday, yesterday was easy she laid on top of a pile of gravel but it is not usually that obvious.

[grinling]

I must admit that laying in the nest box is great, especially as the house has been moved again!! When I did find one of Roberta's under the coop buried in straw it was thrown.

[Snoop]

Am reviving this thread as things have moved on, very sadly.

Looks like Beulah is going to lose an eye. I noticed it looked a bit odd yesterday but today it is definitely milky. Although I can't see a puncture wound, I'm guessing Babs is responsible.

The locals would think it absurd if we took a hen to the vets. For the price of the trip to the vets and the treatment, we could buy half a dozen hens and more. Even the vet would think we were daft, though I'm sure they would indulge us (as they'd see it). So my question is, how well will a one-eyed chicken do? Would you cull her, which seems very harsh?