EMERGENCY HELP!!!!

[Chickeng1rl567]

We have an injured blind pullet! We got them this spring and we have been trying to integrate them but every time the pullets are pecked and chased by all but one of our hens! Yesterday one of them did the hen “squat” and her comb is red, and the others are coming along so we know they are going to be laying soon. We decided to move the block from the door to connect the two enclosures. So they were in the run together yesterday and in the coop together, and it didn’t go well. The pullets were pecked and chased by the big hens. Our blind pullet Amber has it worst of all because she can’t see them coming or where to escape so she runs into walls and gets pecked all the time. The worst of them is our one hen Graycie who sneaks up on Amber then deliver multiple hard jabs in the head to her. They didn’t roost together yesterday. Now today, the hens all terrorized the poor pullets again and now Amber has a small bleeding wound on her comb and a big bleeding wound on the skin by her ear. She is terrified and is sitting huddled in a corner in the coop. We separated Graycie but the others all peck her too! We want to integrate them but it’s going terribly. I feel horrible about Amber because she’s the sweetest chicken. What should I do about the wound and integrating?? Please help it’s an emergency!

 

[coach723]

How long have you had the new birds, how old are they? Were both flocks able to see each other while they were separated? When integrating new birds into a flock it goes better if they are in a 'look but don't touch' set up. Both flocks separated by a fence or wire, feed both groups along the fence so they are eating 'together', but no one can get hurt. When they are pretty much ignoring each other then you try integrating them with supervision, to see how it goes. If it goes badly, then you separate again for a while longer and try later. There will be pecking order spats, it's a given. But it should be a peck and a run and over, not a bloody war. It takes as long as it takes based on the individual personalities of your birds. For the blind one it may take a very long time and much supervision. It may not work in the end. Since she can't see them coming she can't protect herself and she can't get out of the way. She also may end up being kept from feed and water. I would only put her in there under supervision. Long term, if it doesn't work out then you may have to keep her separate with a couple of flockmates that she gets along with that don't pick on her.