Hen integration problem

[Bestdogdash]

My Christmas pressie this year was two new girls, a Light Sussex and a Cream Legbar, both point of lay. They did not integrated well with my other (4) hens, and have pretty much stuck together. They are all completely free range - every night they put themselves to bed in the hen house at dusk. The old hens wouldn't let the new ones in, but the new ones just waited roosting on the roof and every night if would put them in myself. Last night the Legbar was missing and no sign of her anywhere today - I suspect a badger has taken her.

The problem is the light Sussex, who hasn't joined the 'flock' and is now mooching around all alone. Is it possible (or advisable) to get her another 'chum' ? Or any tips on making her more acceptable to the others ? I can't have more than six, so can't get another pair ...

Ideas as gratefully received

 

[Bestdogdash]

Update ; the Cream Legbar has just turned up ! Have no idea where she could have been, but All well that ends well, as the Bard would say. Thanks for looking.

 

[paddi22]

good news it turned up. They should eventually intergrate, it took some of my ones two weeks to get accepted into the gang

 

[Adopter]

Having lost one of my three hens thanks to an uncontrolled dog over Xmas I would
Like to get two more point of lay hens, so interested to read about how they will integrate. My hen shed is quite large, so guess I need to make sure there is a second roust area.

 

[D66]

We put the new hens in a dog crate inside the henhouse. They have their own food and water. It lets the other hens get used to them without being able to get at them. After a day or two the new ones are released and don't seem to have problems.

 

[Surreydeb]

Always find it best to new arrivals in the roost after dark then when they all come out in the morning have normally been accepted as part of the flock.

 

[Adopter]

Thanks, two good tips! My are free range so also like to keep in for a couple of days to ensure they know where home is!

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Some good tips here. I always quarantine any new girls and then put the quarantine run into the main run and do a formal introduction under cover of darkness, ie pop the newbies into the main coop late at night. I have various little groups within my flock, they seem to remain paired up in their hatching groups. There are some very well established little gangs within the main flock.