Need Help!

[Robo Chick]

Need help!

New to chickens and not doing well! Went to buy 8 hens .. ended up with a run of 31 from TSC .. at about 8 weeks 1 chick couldn’t walk.



Pulled her and a runt from the flock to nurse . Nursed them in home for 4 weeks.. tried everything to straighten her leg but ultimately took her to the vet and a horribly sad day to have her put down.



I then reunited the runt (which was doing well but still small) back in to the flock. Complete nightmare! This little Angel had stolen my heart and took such good care of my lame chick.. I never never dreamed they were such social animals !



I did everything wrong! When I put her back with the flock… quietly at night (so I had read) she literally cried and went to every chick in the flock looking for her little lame friend! Squawking and crying!! It was heart wrenching!



Since that day, she has been picked on and shunned .. to the point today that she seems so tired and lethargic .. I don’t know what to do! I honestly rock her in my arms like a baby every night and twice on weekends! Lord.. what have these chickens done to me ! Crazy chicken lady for sure!!



I thought of putting her inside a dog kennel inside the coop at night with her own food and water (within the coop) just so she can rest and get her nutrients , then letting her out during the day to fight it out with the flock . She has lost weight and remains smaller than the rest .



I have already messed up so many things .. decided to ask others for suggestions ! She is about 3 months old now.



We had a 10x10 horse stall that we made in to a coop but just renovated another and added a chicken door between them for access to both.



Im thinking of just splitting them in to two coops and keeping the mean ones separately from “Little” and the other smaller chickens.



Any recommendations welcome! I call her Little

 

[wrathsfarm]

I would separate her back out in a good size dog kennel or section off her own area, but keep her in the coop. Essentially getting her better first and integrating at same time. Give her raw eggs/scrambled eggs, yogurt and electrolyte water with plain water also for starters. Give her some wet feed mash also, they love it.
Let her get better before trying to integrate free ranging under supervision.
Others will add more supplement suggestions to give for her health.

I would not separate any other birds out unless you want 2 separate flocks. Every time you separate a bird/birds from flock your resetting the pecking order and reintegrating is mandatory especially after a week to 2 weeks away from the flock.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Another afterthought... It would help if you brought her crate out into the yard also. Or let her free range by herself for a few hours for a few days while she gets better.

Others may chime in on this but I wonder if it would be wise to only release a few girls at first when you finally let her out to free range with the rest so she's not gang piled by 30 birds at once.
Do that for maybe an hour a day for a few days to test the waters so to speak. If it seems to be going well release a few more.
This way you can pick out the bully's that are relentlessly chasing/attacking her and lock them up in the coop for her time that she's out.
Also, if theirs no relentless chasing or blood being drawn let them sort it out. Everytime you intervene, you just prolong the pecking order.
This is why I suggested getting her back healthy first. It's going to be stressful for her being solo.

Wishing you good luck with this.

 

[Robo Chick]

That is great advice!! Thank you so much! I have been giving her eggs 1-2 times a day already but can add the electrolytes also!

They all look the same so it’s difficult identifying the bully! I will try your suggestions and now completely understand how interfering has repercussions !!

Thank you!

 

[wrathsfarm]

Your welcome, I hope it goes good for you and her.

I know how hard it is not to step in and help the lowest one on the pecking order. I still do it even tho I know better.
Keep us updated and give your girl some extra love when she out by herself.