Hens ganging up on another hen

[Jtaranc]

Hey everyone!

A friend of mine gave me an Isa brown hen that all of her hens were ganging up on at her place. I had it inside my home in a dog crate for a few days but it seemed stressed so I put it in the coop at night and next day all my hens were pummeling her. She just lays there.

She is eating, drinking. She doesn't seem neurologic, she walked all around my farm today by herself.

Any advice? Do they think she's sick?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

She's an intruder to your flock. I would separate her so they can become familiar through a fence for a few weeks to months. It all depends on how big your set up is. They can injure her or even kill her. It's always best to be cautious introducing new birds. A single one will be always alone in most cases, especially in an established flock.

 

[Jtaranc]

She's an intruder to your flock. I would separate her so they can become familiar through a fence for a few weeks to months. It all depends on how big your set up is. They can injure her or even kill her. It's always best to be cautious introducing new birds. A single one will be always alone in most cases, especially in an established flock.

That makes sense, but why were the hens trying to kill her in her old flock? She wasn't new there. Seems weird everywhere she goes she's getting pummeled.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

She could have been ganged up on at her old home due to a number of reasons not enough space, not enough feed or feeders, not being fed adequate protein (causes feather plucking and eating) the list goes on. However, it’s not weird at all that it happened with your chickens. Anytime you lock up an outside chicken in with your flock with no proper introductory period they will beat the crap out of them. She needs to be introduced properly.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That makes sense, but why were the hens trying to kill her in her old flock? She wasn't new there. Seems weird everywhere she goes she's getting pummeled.

She may have been low bird. Hard to guess why without more information about how she was kept. Chickens can be quite destructive to each other when under stress.

 

[Jtaranc]

She could have been ganged up on at her old home due to a number of reasons not enough space, not enough feed or feeders, not being fed adequate protein (causes feather plucking and eating) the list goes on. However, it’s not weird at all that it happened with your chickens. Anytime you lock up an outside chicken in with your flock with no proper introductory period they will beat the crap out of them. She needs to be introduced properly.

I have her inside my home now. I have only ever introduced a group into the flock when I get new chicks. Once they're big enough I put them in the coop in a zipper play pen for a week or so.

How do I introduce one bird?

 

[Traffie Chickens]

I have her inside my home now. I have only ever introduced a group into the flock when I get new chicks. Once they're big enough I put them in the coop in a zipper play pen for a week or so.

How do I introduce one bird?

Same as you did for the chicks, except if the play pen is too small, then you could use your dog kennel. But what is your coop setup like?

 

[Jtaranc]

Same as you did for the chicks, except if the play pen is too small, then you could use your dog kennel. But what is your coop setup like?

2 L shape structures (wood and hardwire cloth). Each part is 10x16, both sides have doors. Chickens free range during the day on the farm. It's 10 acres but they only use about 3.