When to introduce an injured hen back to the flock?

[wyo-egger]

I am new to the post. I originally had 4 EE in a flock and never had any issues. Having to relocate my family farther than it was possible to take that flock they were rehoused. In our new location I started a new flock with 3 red sex-links (redstars) and 3 EE chicks. The flock seemed well adjusted and content. This week they just started laying and one of the redstars was overly aggressive to another of the redstars to the point of plucking a bald spot slightly larger than a silver dollar on the back near the tail. I isolated the injured hen to treat the wound and observed the aggressor with the rest of the flock. She is more aggressive with the others than I believe is typical pecking for dominance. I have also isolated her from the flock. Here are my questions.

1. If a let the injured hen near the flock without actually being in the run but visible will she maintain her spot in the pecking order until she had recovered (feather growth) to let her back into the flock?
2. How long should I isolate the aggressor to lower her standing in the pecking order and see if that will make a difference in her behavior. (Note this behavior just started, at the same time they started laying.)

 

[wyo-egger]

I saw on another post that if the injured hen was removed from site she would have to be reintroduced to the flock. She was away from visual for about a day while she was being treated. Is this to much time away from the flock. She is roosting in a second coup at night if that is a concern?

 

[gtaus]

Welcome to the forum!

Hens will peck one another. As long as they don't draw blood or anybody gets seriously hurt, I just let them sort it out in their pecking order. I have a few hens, lower on the pecking order, that have a bald spot on their heads. But it does not seem to affect them in any way, so I just let them be.

I have never had a dominant hen so mean that I would isolate her. So, I can't offer much help in reintroducing her to the flock.

I did have one hen that got sick, and I had to take her into the house for a few days one winter. After she got better, I brought her right back out to the coop and she fit right back in without any problems.

I should also mention that I am pretty hands off when it comes to my flock. I don't treat them as pets. If a chicken gets sick, I will do my best to treat her. But you will never see me take a chicken into the vet. As I have often said, I could replace my flock of 10 chickens 3X over for the price of one vet visit. Just from the economics of keeping chickens, it does not make any sense for me to spend $100 on a vet visit when I can buy chicks for about $3.00 each. $100 will pay for a lot of feed for the rest of the flock.

I have learned that sometimes it is better to do nothing than mess around with the chickens as they work out their pecking order. Again, as long as nobody gets seriously hurt, I leave them be.

Good luck.

 

[wyo-egger]

The injured hen did have open peck wound that drew blood. That was the reason for removing her.

I decided this morning to create an isolated area in the main run for the injured hen to be with the flock but not in direct contact. I also let who I thought was the culprit back with the flock. A few double pecks with the other hens but so far nothing serious.

I did notice that the top hen did go up to the fence between the flock and injured hen full chest out like a rooster ready to fight. As a defensive measure the injured hen threw her chest out and the two of them had a stand off at the fence between them. There was a couple of head thrust at the fence and then it was over. Maybe I took the wrong hen as the aggressor.

 

[Yardmom]

The feathers will grow back after a molt. She does not need feathers regrown to reenter. If she has been where she is in a see no touch situation I would get her back in the flock as soon as possible. The longer you wait the more likely the birds will need to reestablish pecking order. A little scuffling here and there is normal chicken behavior.

 

[wyo-egger]

My concern was the bare spot and bloody area on her back we treated with Blu Kote as recommended in an other post staining the area blue. I did try to place her (the injured hen) back with the flock and ALL went to see the blue spot on her back and peck at it. I was concerned that the wound might reopen.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hello! Can you post a picture?

 

[wyo-egger]

i took Yardmom's suggestion to let get the flock all together without restrictions. I also did something I had not done with this flock in the past. I let them have free range in the yard. I had been hesitant to do this because there had been three hawks in the neighborhood this last spring (have not seen the hawks for awhile). So far no issues. Even the twins (the injured hen and the assumed aggressor) are running around the yard side by side.

I just have not figured out how a chickens brain works yet!

 

[wyo-egger]

I was wanting to give an update on this issue. The original hen that was being picked on has most of her feathers grown back and all seemed to be history. Until today that is, she had a very small bald patch and irritated skin. I did notice the aggressor purposely going across the yard to peck at her. The aggressor also was observed pecking at two other hens today. She (the aggressor) has done a single peck and walk away until today where she is really aggressive in her pecking.

On a side note, last week on of my sex-link hens laid a translucent soft shell egg has anyone seen this before? I have a secondary feeder with oyster shells for added calcium for them to self feed. It has only been this one time.