Advice Needed: Rehabbing a Chicken inside in the winter

[Penguinpants22]

Hi All,
I have a hen who is less than a year old and got attacked by a hawk and will now most likely have a permanent limp. She's been indoors for 3 weeks and likely needs just another week or two. Looking for tips on introducing her to the rest of the flock (only 5 other girls of the same age) specifically concerning the temperature being below freezing now that it's winter where I'm located. Please tell me I won't have a house chicken until the temperatures come back up?

 

[GodLovesU]

Is there a specific reason you are worried about cold? Such as, she wouldn’t be able to snuggle up to their chickens, loss of feathers, etc.

 

[AGeese]

Hi All,
I have a hen who is less than a year old and got attacked by a hawk and will now most likely have a permanent limp. She's been indoors for 3 weeks and likely needs just another week or two. Looking for tips on introducing her to the rest of the flock (only 5 other girls of the same age) specifically concerning the temperature being below freezing now that it's winter where I'm located. Please tell me I won't have a house chicken until the temperatures come back up?

Going through this myself. You'll need to partition her off once you're ready to move her back so they can get use to the sight of each other and size each other up. It's a process for sure.

 

[Penguinpants22]

Is there a specific reason you are worried about cold? Such as, she wouldn’t be able to snuggle up to their chickens, loss of feathers, etc.

I'm worried about the cold because she has never been through a winter before being under a year old. And now has missed a month outdoors with the temperature dropping. When I brought her inside, it was 50F and now when she will be ready to go back out it will only be 15 to 20F. Isn't this a concern because she hasn't had time to adjust? She's been inside the house at 68F for the last month.

 

[Penguinpants22]

Going through this myself. You'll need to partition her off once you're ready to move her back so they can get use to the sight of each other and size each other up. It's a process for sure.

Hi, yes I know I need to do a slow re-intorduction to the flock. I plan to put her in the dog crate she has been in for rehab and put the crate in my covered run with the other flock members for some time. I am worried with her physical disabilities that she may have a hard time moving away from her siblings if they choose to pick on her, or even roosting. So I will be keeping a VERY close eye on that, and not rushing the introduction.

 

[GodLovesU]

I wonder if that might could cause shock.

 

[AGeese]

Hi, yes I know I need to do a slow re-intorduction to the flock. I plan to put her in the dog crate she has been in for rehab and put the crate in my covered run with the other flock members for some time. I am worried with her physical disabilities that she may have a hard time moving away from her siblings if they choose to pick on her, or even roosting. So I will be keeping a VERY close eye on that, and not rushing the introduction.

You're not just leaving her out there in the dog crate are you?

This is what I have, it's the largest dog crate I could get at Petco.

View media item 7967072
You may have to turn your run into a large hen house with some tarps. Pictures of your coop and run would be good.

I wonder if that might could cause shock.

Right, don't move her out with temps dropping.

 

[Penguinpants22]

You're not just leaving her out there in the dog crate are you?

This is what I have, it's the largest dog crate I could get at Petco.

View media item 7967072
You may have to turn your run into a large hen house with some tarps. Pictures of your coop and run would be good.



Right, don't move her out with temps dropping.

She is still inside for a couple more weeks. I am not just leaving her out there in the dog crate. I can't move her out there with temps dropping, so my question is do I have a house chicken until spring? When it is time to move her out, I plan to put her out for a short amount of time in the run but in the dog crate so they can see her but not pick on her. Maybe do this for an hour at first and repeat for a few consecutive days. After a slow introduction, I would let them free roam under supervision all together, and also supervise the first night they all roost together too. Anything that I'm missing?

This is a picture of my coop, I just built it in June. It now has two of the 4 sides tarped up for winter.

 

[tlcmurphy]

I just did this. Had my girl in the house for 4 nights, and took over 2 weeks to reintegrate her with the flock in a set up similar to what @AGeese shows above during the day (large pen, not just a crate) I was able to partition the coop off with chicken wire for night time.

It was NOT fun. She was my head hen and has dropped in rank to at least second (out of 4). It was much easier to integrate the 2 new girls we got in October. Her sister has been brutal to her to the point I regret bringing her inside.

 

[tlcmurphy]

I should add that the longer you wait to do this, the harder it will be to reintegrate. She needs to be seen as a member of the flock sooner than later.

Can you close off the portion under the coop with chicken wire and board/tarp it off on the other 3 sides for her?