Any tips for reintroducing a quarantined hen?

[MGB]

Hey y'all,

Rose, one of our Orpingtons, went lame in one leg with Marek's last fall. We quarantined her, and our vet indicated a short life expectancy. Initially she was nursed in our basement, but over the winter we moved her back into a brooder in my greenhouse. When she didn't die, I planned to cull her, but my daughters insisted we try to nurse her back to health. None of the others (2 more Orpingtons, 3 RIRs) show any signs. Have to assume she just didn't get a very good dose of vaccination.

Good news: against all odds she is still alive and laying eggs again. She is spry and hops around surprisingly well. Good appetite, ruddy comb, healthy plumage.

Bad news: she is viciously attacked by the other hens whenever I try to reintroduce her. She tries to fight back, but her limited mobility and balance make her a sitting duck (or hen, as the case may be).

My question is, what are the odds I can ever get her back into the fold? I can't keep her in the greenhouse after the temps heat up and my attempts to acclimate the other hens to her presence (by letting her hang out all day on the other side of the fence) have not worked. At this point, I'm thinking of sectioning off the run and building her her own coop but I'd really rather not if there's a shot of reuniting her with her sisters. Any help is much appreciated.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You will need to pen her where everyone can see her. I personally would go at least a month before I would try to let her out to see how it goes. If she moves differently she may never be accepted, but it's worth a try. Just don't rush it.

 

[Eggcessive]

A wire dog crate inside the coop with food and water is good to use. She can be outside with the flock and inside with them as well. This will help to keep them from hurting her. If she keeps acting or moving oddly, they may still attack her when you let them together. I have one now with no balance, and she is content in a large basket to one side of the coop. If she launches herself out of the basket, she will run, topple over on her side, and they may peck at her.

 

[MGB]

Thanks, kindly, for the suggestions. I don't think she will ever walk normally, so I should probably plan for a segregated cohabitation. Bummer.

 

[Eggcessive]

It might help to use a good poultry vitamin in her feed or some human vitamin B complex 1/4 tablet daily crushed or ground onto her food daily. Rooster Booster Poultry Booster is a good poultry vitamin and can be sprinkled onto feed.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thanks, kindly, for the suggestions. I don't think she will ever walk normally, so I should probably plan for a segregated cohabitation. Bummer.

It does depend on the other birds and their personality and ages. Some hens are more mellow and will look out for those that are different, others will attack. I would just take it slow and see how it goes. I've got some older roosters that I had to separate out for their own protection. As long as they can see what's going on they do fine.