Reintegrating Attacked Hen

[SammyBrowell]

Hi All!
I have read through some of the reintegrating posts, and have found them really helpful, but I wanted to see if I could get any more advice. Please reply if you have any experience or feedback.
My little Red Laced Wyandotte, Lindsay Lohen, was attacked three weeks ago. I came home and found all 10 other chickens hiding out under their coop, and Lindsay was bloodied and battered by herself in the hay. I honestly thought I had lost her, but when I touched her, I was shocked she was still alive. We have not had any bullying at all within this flock, so I was extremely surprised, but also relieved that they hadn't killed her. I brought her in the house and set her up by herself in my office with lots of cushions and water and food. I wasn't sure she'd make it. She was SO beat up. She seemed like she was starting to get better, and then she started showing signs of paralysis and respiratory issues.... I thought it was Marecks!!! We had an issue with it 2 years ago, and I thought we were in the clear....
Fast forward to three weeks later, and she's made a steady, and miraculous recovery. The lameness is all but gone. She still has a wonky middle toe on her right foot, but is perky- ornery even- and is really wanting to get out of her enclosure.
My question is, do I need to bring a buddy in here with her first, and reintroduce both of them at the same time? Do I need to put both in an enclosure in their pen first, THEN put them in the coop after dark? Should it be Lindsay only?
I will say that I go to work at 5:30a, so the process of putting her in the coop at night, and then taking her out to put her back in her own pen is not realistic for my situation.
Any thoughts or feedback are welcome. I am a long-time reader, but rare poster, on the forum, but I truly find everyone's notes and feedback on all Chicken topics helpful, entertaining, and comforting. Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[B-Goock]

If the other ones where hiding id say it was some kind of predator attack.
Maybe on a day off put her in and observe for a little. The buddy system could work as well as put in after dark.

 

[azygous]

Let's back up to the attack where LL was bloodied and battered and all the rest of the flock, down to the last one, were hiding under the coop. I get the idea that you think the other chickens attacked LL. Is that correct?

It's a near certainty that a predator attacked LL and scared the daylights out of the others. I've had a few predator attacks, and each time, the entire flock was stuffed under the coop or jammed in a tight bunch inside the coop. The trauma of an attack will do that to a flock. There is no other reason for them to hide like that.

Is your run secure? If a chicken were to spend the night in the run, is there any way for a predator to get at her? I have perfected an integration technique, but it does require LL to spend the day in the run in a secure pen and roost at night with the others. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

It wouldn't be unreasonable to install LL in the run as you leave for work, and then when you get home in the evening, put her in the coop. But you'll need to decide. The buddy system could work, but you'd need to be sure the chicken you select will be cool with LL and not hurt her. I suggest trying it out under supervision first. But LL will still need to eventually work her way back into the flock and the pecking order.

Gradual reintegration is better than a quick one, but you might need to wait until your days off to tackle this as @B-Goock suggested.

 

[USMC chicken mommy]

I had that happen. Wasn’t the other hens. It was the neighbors dog. That’s the reason they were hiding. I rushed my buff to the vet, as the dog had grabbed her back and completely ripped her entire back off. It was so bad....the vet gave me pain meds, antibiotics, and I took 2 of my dog crates, put the doors together, and sat them on several 2x4’s on top of my jacuzzi tub in my bathroom. This is where she stayed to heal for 3 weeks. I let her go back out for a few hrs a day with them (this was last summer). I also go to work very early as I work shifts. Nonetheless, I brought her back in at night with me for another week after she messed around with the other hens. I’m banking those hens didn’t attack her. It was something else.

 

[Mrs. K]

At this time, the flock will have totally forgotten this bird. She will be a stranger to them, and will probably be quite mean to her. She herself will feel strange, and may not remember the set up. So this will be basically a single bird addition to an established flock, which can be one of the hardest integrations to do and generally needs a lot of monkeying around. Don't rush it.

I would start by sectioning off a part of the run, or a large dog crate in the run, with a box or some other shelter in it. Start her in that for a couple of days. Maybe over the week-end or other time off. Depending on where you live, going outside could be a bit of an adjustment too. So you might start 3-5 hours, then the next day longer, then leave her out.

After a week, back to the next week-end, of the see but no touch, you could try it. Probably will be quite a dust up. But it might not be. If it is not terrible, keep a close check for a couple of days, but let it go. End of story.

If it IS terrible, it often times is two or three birds that are terrible, and the rest are only so-so, but will follow along. Catch the wicked ones and lock them up in the crate you were using for the injured bird. Leaving the injured bird with at least a couple of the original flock.

I have been known to lock birds out of the coop, so that the run acts like a crate. The established flock will not leave the area. Try feeding along that fence line. I then let the old girls in at or as close as I can get to dark. The urge to roost is nearly as strong as the urge to fight. This also allows the new bird a way to explore the area without being chased.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

@azygous and @Mrs. K have hit the nail on the head.
@SammyBrowell is your coop and run big enough to put a crate in there?
Pics might help here.