[thestephens]

   Just found one of our hens we bought last week at the rare breed sale dead. we bought 3 and waited until night time to put them in with our others, but they have been bullied slightly but the books say not to take them out, this one had been pecked in the eye (was closed earlier today) but she is now dead.
Can I ask why have they not picked on the 4  11 week old chicks we have but have picked on these 3, should I take the other 2 out for a while?

[HesterF]

Oh no! Sounds awful. Maybe the chicks just automatically go at the bottom of the pecking order? I've not much experience, having had a closed flock for most of the time I've had chickens, but when I have introduced new hens I've had them in a run within the main run for a couple of weeks so they can all interact a bit before meeting without bars. Could you put the two other hens in another run like that for a while?

H

[Fleecewife]

Whenever you bring in new stock, especially when you don't really know where it's come from, you are best to quarantine them from your existing stock for up to three weeks.  This gives you a chance to see if they have brought any health problems with them, before exposing your existing animals to contact with them.
 
As your birds have already mixed together you are too late for quarantining, but if you can put them somewhere where they can run beside your existing flock and all see each other for a couple of weeks things should go more smoothly when you finally put them together.  The old birds will get used to the idea of the new hens, and the new ones will gain more confidence as they learn that this is their home.

[in the hills]

As FW answer.


You could wire off (if possible) part of the existing coop and run. Also, it is a good idea to provide additional feeders/water hoppers so that there is less competition and your new birds can feed without pressure from the existing birds. Also helps to provide "distractions" eg. hang up greens, branches, bales of hay (assuming birds are not free ranging)


They can be very cruel to new comers and need time to accept them. They possibly didn't see the chicks as direct competition, knowing that they were below them in the pecking order. Personally I wouldn't put even chicks into an existing flock without an introduction as above. These birds would be unable to protect themselves and could be seriously hurt or even killed.


Good luck with them 

[thestephens]

i have taken the other two out for a bit of time out, when we first took the chicks outside we put them  in a smaller coop within the hen run so everyone was used to each other, they were so desparate to get out and mix with the others but still go back to that coop at night, may need to find another wee hoosie for the older 2 and do the same there.
Should have thought it through a bit better    but we can get something made up ASAP and try again, thanks for your replies