[dawninspain]

We collected our 5 hens almost 2 weeks ago. Last week we went back to get 5 more but they did not have any but said they would this week. So Tuesday we tried again but apparently because it was fiesta time in the village where they get their hens they could not get any again. This is a very 'spain thing' frustrating when you first arrive here but now we are used to it.

However because we had been disappointed twice the man said - have a regalo (present) and took me into the chicken shed where there were a few cages of young hens 9 - 10 weeks he said (black ones with fan like tails rather than the brown jobs we already have). He pulled one out of the cage and we popped her in a box and took her home. Before we left I asked if she will be OK with the other hens - yes he said.

So we took her home (she is sooo pretty) and popped her in with the others but I am afraid the others (who up till that point I thought were lovely gentle creatures) chased her around, flapped at her, pecked a bit and generally herded her into a corner where she sat like the class dunce.  We kept a careful eye but she did not appear to relax and everytime she moved (she is very skittish compared to the others) they chased her again. I was worried that she was not getting anything to eat or drink so we moved her to the nearby garden shed and gave her food and water and a dust bath and she settled down.

Having looked on the internet about introducing new hens we decided that perhaps we should go back to chicken man and get another of the small hens that she had been in a cage with so that she had company and so that we could try introducing two rather than one.

So that evening we went back for another. The chicken man when told what had happened said they would settle down and be fine in the morning. I had visions of a romantic reunion between the two but this new one rushed over to the original one and beat her up - far worse treatment than she had had from our brown hens!  Black hen number 2 is now named Satanita!

We then had the idea of putting Satanita in with the brown hens as she was more fiesty. So in she went and promptly asserted herself as number one chicken. The brown hens did not know what had hit them! We left it a while and then took Satanita out and number one black hen back in. The brown hens left her completely alone obviously confused by the change of personality. At bedtime we popped Satanita onto the perch with all the others and awaited the morning.

The next day all seemed calm although I was still a little worried about black hen number one as although she was pecking around and was allowed to share lettuce, cabbage leaves etc I did not see her near the water and she was spending a lot of time in the corners although not being chased there. So yesterday afternoon I put her for a few hours on her own back in the shed so that she could drink and eat. Guess what  when I opened the door - she had laid an egg!

Surely she must then be older than 8 - 10 weeks but also she must be feeling happy now if she is laying - also maybe all the time she was spending in corners was because she wanted to lay her egg.  Maybe this was the first egg she had ever laid and she did not know what was happening to her!

We shall see what today brings.......

Dawn

[dawninspain]

Update:  today we seem to be back to square one with the little black hen. She is being chased and pecked and now she has a wound on her nose so we have put her back in the shed away from the others. She straight away went for a drink so she obviously was not able to get a drink in the run.

Any advice please?

Dawn

[purplebat]

try keeping her in a separarte run, but so they can see each other; you could even try putting a wire divider across the existing run, that way they'll see each other but can't get to her, at night put them in the house together to sleep but then separate them again first thing in the morning, good luck; it sounds like it might take some perseverance

[chelle]

i had the same problem when i put 2 new ones in with my 4, so i split the run with a mesh divider but put the new ones in with others at night, it took about 3 weeks to get peace and harmony, but now they all get on fine together.....good luck it will get easier :roll:

[dawninspain]

Thank you very much PB and chelle for your advice. Sorting out a run for her today - will let you know how she gets on.

Dawn