[Beano]

Hi all,
We had three chickens untill recently when one died in the night. I was told that it was old age.
On Friday evening we introduced a new girl to the coup. It was done late at night and all seemed fine untill we let the out yesterday morning. They seemed surprised to see her when she came down the steps and started attacking her quite viciously. This was in a run. I panicked when I saw this and opened the run up to a fenced off piece of the garden, which is a large area with trees and shrubs. She seemed to be able to get away from them there. One of my birds is broody and she soon lost interest and went back in to sit (on nothing).
The bullying did not seem too bad during the day, probably because of the size of the plot. But when she went into the run to feed, the other hen would rush in and attack her.
By the evening we had rigged up a fenced off area for the new girl next to the run, thinking that they would get used to each other like that. She is a lovely friendly girl and seemed eager to go into the coup in the evening. We let the other two settle down and at dusk opened the hatch and she happily hopped in.
Unfortunately by this morning she was huddled up in a corner and looking totally dejected. When she attemted to come down the steps to the run, she was chased back up by the other two. At the moment, she is in the fenced off area we rigged up for her yesterday.
Am I panicking too early? Will things settle down? Are we doing something wrong?
Please, please can someone help. I am very worried about the lovely girl. She does not seemed that fazed, as long as she is left in peace, but I dont want to have to give her back. She has come from a group of 13 hens and they might pick on her if she's away too long.

[8doubles]

If they are not doing any physical damage do not worry, the pecking order needs to be sorted out with newcomers. The more they can free range the better , if they are kept busy they are less likely to bother with the new hen.

[chickenlady]

Sorry your girlies having a hard time! my advice would be to keep her in the seperate run so they can all see each other and pop her back in with the others at night, if you cant free range them, this may take a week or 2 but it does work. there will be a few squabbles when she eventually goes in with them but nothing like if you leave her there now! I also try to introduce at least 2 at a time as at least they not alone and evens up the numbers but i know this isnt always possible! Stick with it your doing the right things it just takes time!
Debbie

[Julie in Somerset]

I have introduced 2 POL newbies with my 1 remaining very large fit ex batt. I divided my run into 2 sections and the newbies had the coop and I provided an old rabbit hutch for my ex batt to sleep and lay in. I kept them like this for 2 weeks by which time the POL were laying and put them together during one morning and removed the old hutch.. This has gone well and I would use this system again.

[wysiwyg]

took my 5 girls 4 weeks to stop picking on new two - one still likes to wait inside coup hatch at night to pounce!!  If no real damage then let them be, the less you interfear the sooner they will get over it

[Beano]

Thank you all for your encouraging advice, especially on a Bank Hol. Sunday morning. Its nice to know you are out there.
Will continue to do as we are doing, which is leaving them together free range when we are at home, keeping them in seperate runs when we're in work and letting her go in with the others at night.
There is no physical damage i.e. blood or lost feathers, as yet. Hope that it will work.
Many thanks to you all again, maybe I can relax a bit now.

[Fifitrix]

Hi Beano  (my son's laughing cos that's his self appointed nickname!)

I know everyone above's said it already but I just wanted to say yes I've had that problem too.  We hatched 4 chicks last June and they were sorely picked on.  It was very distressing but eventually it all calmed down.  Even when there was only 1 left out of the chicks (1 got eaten by a cat & 2 were boys  ) she was still lowest of the pecking order despite being twice their size.  We have just introduced 3 more babies (10 weeks old) and surprise surprise the one that was being picked on is now a fully accepted member of the pen and is in her turn picking viciously on the babies.  And having seen it all before I'm just letting it take it's course and watching them slowly settle into a new pecking order.  It's distressing but works out in the end.  Good luck and hope your nerves aren't too shattered