Reintroduce quarantine chicken

[ckeene1990]

I have a chicken I have separated for about 2 weeks. She is often in sight of the other chickens, and sleeps in the cage inside the coop at night, I have tried to reintroduce her free range, she gets pecked. It wasn’t to bad, but when we put her in the run, she walked in the coop and was cornered and attacked. How to I reintroduce her back with risking her safety?

 

[aart]

Why was she separated?
Did she live with the flock before the separation?
How many other birds are there?
How big is your coop and run?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

 

[Mrs. K]

Adding a single hen to a flock of hens in an established coop/run is one of the most difficult integrations. The flock is positive that they do not know this bird and do not want this bird, and new comer agrees with them. She knows this is not where she belongs.

So you need to not add one to a group. You need give her some territorial rights to the space, and a friend.

Let the flock out of the coop/run, lock the new bird into the coop/run. Feed along the fence line. This allows the bird to explore the new situation, find some feed and water, all without being chased. Let the originals in as close to dark as you dare. Lock up the single hen alone, next day repeat.

Day 3 - Now pick a middle of pecking order bird. If you don't know who that is, step away from them and throw down treats - you don't want the first ones that get to you or the last ones, but one from the middle. THAT bird you put in the coop/run with new girl. There will be bluster and mock fighting, but one on one should settle pretty quick. That night keep the pair together, and the next day repeat.

Now if you have 12 -15 hens - I would split this again, picking two more middle of the birds, to put with the pair being locked in the coop/run. Again, a bit of bluster, but it should settle quick.

A day or two later let everyone out to be in the yard in the late afternoon, and more than likely they will roost up together that night and you have it done.

 

[ckeene1990]

Adding a single hen to a flock of hens in an established coop/run is one of the most difficult integrations. The flock is positive that they do not know this bird and do not want this bird, and new comer agrees with them. She knows this is not where she belongs.

So you need to not add one to a group. You need give her some territorial rights to the space, and a friend.

Let the flock out of the coop/run, lock the new bird into the coop/run. Feed along the fence line. This allows the bird to explore the new situation, find some feed and water, all without being chased. Let the originals in as close to dark as you dare. Lock up the single hen alone, next day repeat.

Day 3 - Now pick a middle of pecking order bird. If you don't know who that is, step away from them and throw down treats - you don't want the first ones that get to you or the last ones, but one from the middle. THAT bird you put in the coop/run with new girl. There will be bluster and mock fighting, but one on one should settle pretty quick. That night keep the pair together, and the next day repeat.

Now if you have 12 -15 hens - I would split this again, picking two more middle of the birds, to put with the pair being locked in the coop/run. Again, a bit of bluster, but it should settle quick.

A day or two later let everyone out to be in the yard in the late afternoon, and more than likely they will roost up together that night and you have it done.

I put her and another in the run, they took a dust bath together. When another was introduced, she started pecking her in the head. I’m not sure what to do. She has been against the fence in her cage so they all interact, she sleeps at night in the coop. They are in the yard together, a little pecking but nothing bad. I read where you said that they would squabble a bit. She does not fight back, she just puts her head down and take it, I’m not sure what to do.

 

[ckeene1990]

Why was she separated?
Did she live with the flock before the separation?
How many other birds are there?
How big is your coop and run?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

She was separated because we though she was injured, long story short, is was vitamin D deficiency. All 5 chickens have been together since they hatched. The coop and run are rather large for the amount of chickens we have, there is plenty of room.

 

[ChicNmom]

@ckeene1990

Are there one or two hens that are leading the attack?
If so you could pull them out for a few days so they lose their place in the pecking order.

 

[ckeene1990]

@ckeene1990

Are there one or two hens that are leading the attack?
If so you could pull them out for a few days so they lose their place in the pecking order.

There are 3. Where would I put them?

 

[ChicNmom]

Could you put them where this hen and her friend were quarantined? Just swap places?

 

[ckeene1990]

Could you put them where this hen and her friend were quarantined? Just swap places?

That’s possible