reggiep Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Hi I am really really worried that my old chicken Nellie is the odd one out. We got two new chickens yesterday due to our beloved Doris who passed away last thursday. Â Well the two newbies seem to be happy scratching around in the garden together and follow each other round everywhere. Â But I am worried that Nellie is going to be left out, I dont want her to be left out as she misses doris and they were together since we got them from omlet 4 years ago. Â Will they all become close and follow each other round or will they just keep their distance from one another????? Â Â Claire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legend21 Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Oh Claire, I do hope she joins in, what a shame if she is just relegated to watch the others, things might settle down, an expert will be along to tell you, or you could take one of the new girls out for a wee while to let Nellie and the other get to know each other  good luck  Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reggiep Posted March 21, 2010 Author Share Posted March 21, 2010 Thx Jackie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelavdavis Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Hi Claire, Â I so sympathise with you, as I also have exactly the same issue. One of my original older chickens is being really picked on by the newbies. They leave the others alone. Â I am at a loss what to do, she is frightened to go into the eglu at night, or leave in the morning. As soon as I lift her out of the eglu and into the run, the others just attack her. I end up letting her out of the run to free-range and she either sits on the patio or under a bush to hide. The other older chickens have also ostracised her. Â I am at a complete loss how to get her reincorporated back into the coop. I lift her back into the eglu once the others have started snoozing but in the morning she doesn't come out with the others. Â She is old and I don't think she is laying any more, so perhaps this could be the problem? I am thinking of building her a little coop of her own and placing a run adjacent to the other one, just so she isn't excluded once and for all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MargotT Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Hi Claire,  I wouldn’t get too disheartened just yet. You only introduced them a day ago so it’s too soon to know how they’ll behave long-term.  I had the same issue four weeks ago when i lost one of my original pair and introduced two new hens to the surviving girl, Margot. The new pair left Margot out of things for the first couple of weeks but now all three of them happily knock around together, so it can have a happy ending.  I don't have any experience of introducing newbies to an older hen (Margot is ten months) but i'm sure someone with much more experience than i will be along soon to advise.  Hope things pick up for you soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reggiep Posted March 21, 2010 Author Share Posted March 21, 2010 Thanks for your advice. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
