New adopted chicken

[amynw]

Hello everyone. I seem to always have my hands full with caring/fostering animals. This time, I've adopted one. She was a victim of a coop attack and her sisters were all killed, she only made it by somehow getting out in the midst of the chaos and she was on their porch when they arrived home from being out of town for 2 days. So the exact time is not known. They are friends of ours, and decided it was best to give her up instead of her being alone/trying to get more chickens in February where we live. So at 8 o'clock tonight I adopted yet another animal. This is where I need help. I have her in a large dog kennel inside our coop. Our chicken coop has plenty of space so no one feels overcrowded during this transition. We also have a goose/duck coop since our geese and chickens aren't fond of each other, but I thought her being in the chicken coop around chickens would be best for warming up to each other. I gave her a cardboard box to hide in if she feels the need to in the kennel as well as food/water. My chickens are NOT happy. They were trying to fight her through the kennel. This poor girl has been through so much and I just want to do whatever I can to make her transition smooth. I've adopted one other chicken to this flock while my chickens were much younger, not of egg laying age yet, and the adopted one was around 3 they think, so that transition was much easier around 4 months ago. I am terrified to even let her out around the flock any time soon with the way they acted with the kennel. Any advice at all is appreciated. I have my hands full with the love I have for these animals and will do whatever I need for everyone to be happy and healthy. Is this going to be just lost hope? Will they eventually warm up? Is there anything I can do? Attached a picture of our new sweet girl that I took on the way home. I need a name as well.

 

[azygous]

Here's the story of one of the hens I adopted as a rescue. Her integration began just like your hen's. Things went well, and she was successfully integrated by three weeks. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

I had her for five years and she died a year ago from a squamous cancer on her back.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

She is so pretty! Kind of you to take her in. I do not have much experience in his area, but is can be difficult inroducing a lone hen into an established flock. Hopefully this will bump the thread up to the top for expert advice. IN the mean time you can search under "integrating a lone hen" or similar in the search bar and see what you find. It will likely take a good while to get your flock to accept her. Do not rush it.
Good luck!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Posted simultaneously apparently!

 

[amynw]

Hello all! My adopted chicken has not laid an egg since shes been at her new home here. Is this normal due to stress? Is there an estimated time frame on when she will begin to lay again?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

You just never know! She may have had chicks recently or been broody. She may be older and does not lay much. She may still be adjusting to her new home.
If she lays, you can look at it as a bonus, pets with benefits.

 

[azygous]

One of the first hens I adopted when I got started keeping chickens laid an egg in her travel crate on her way to live with me. Then it was several weeks before she laid another one. She had been through two successive adoptions after her owner died, going first to a farm, then to my place after just a couple days there. Add it all up, and you would be stressed, too.

Give your hen a week or two to become comfortable in her new home, show her the nest box by placing a hard boiled egg in it or a fake egg. She'll lay when she feels at safe and at home.

 

[KelseyBoxer]

Hang in there and keep her protected. Maybe she can free range when the weather is nicer with supervision. They should settle down and become occupied with scratching and bug-hunting. Make sure they have multiple feeders/waters and some clutter to hide behind or jump up on.