House chicken?!? For now… but then what?

[Auntiearielschickens]

I have a polish chicken juju who is getting beat up by her flock mates. She hurt her leg a month or two ago and was limping badly and they attacked her. It was a bloody affair by the time I found her. I brought her inside for a couple weeks then she was out in the kennel in the coop for several weeks to reacclimate and finish healing. Well I reintroduced her last night/ this morning and it failed. It was great last night and for most of this morning, but they attacked her again. It’s in the same spot at the base of her tail. Her feathers had not all grown back but she was healed and now it’s back to square one. I’m thinking I may have to let all her feathers grow back so she looks normal again, and wait till spring when I can let them out to graze and they won’t be so bored. I do NOT want a house chicken forever. So I guess my question is will I be able to reintroduce her? It’s like they have a taste for her blood and that’s what they want!!

 

[FunClucks]

Instead of keeping her in the house, put her in a wire dog crate (large) in the run or coop. (with cover, bedding, food, water, grit, calcium, etc.) You can use house wrap or old feed bags to cover it and secure with zip ties. Also cover 1-3 sides so she can retreat from the others and not get pecked but still get ventilation. Shade and ventilation are key. This way, she can be look-no-touch with the others and they can get used to each other again without her getting beat up. By the time her feathers grow back, integration should go much smoother.

Good luck!

 

[fluffycrow]

Reintroduction to the flock is supposed to be taken slowly. Here is a great article you can look at Article 'Introducing a Single Hen to an Existing Flock' https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

 

[Auntiearielschickens]

Instead of keeping her in the house, put her in a wire dog crate (large) in the run or coop. (with cover, bedding, food, water, grit, calcium, etc.) You can use house wrap or old feed bags to cover it and secure with zip ties. Also cover 1-3 sides so she can retreat from the others and not get pecked but still get ventilation. Shade and ventilation are key. This way, she can be look-no-touch with the others and they can get used to each other again without her getting beat up. By the time her feathers grow back, integration should go much smoother.

Good luck!

She’s been out there in the kennel for the past few weeks and we have been doing supervised outings in the run for awhile now as well. It was too cold last night to keep her separate in my opinion. It was -13 f. So I put her with the gals so she could stay warm. I was out with them off and on all morning keeping an eye on her. It’s too cold today after a bath to get the blood off to put her outside. but Sunday I will put her outside again and start over. Maybe in spring when I can give them free ranging outings we can get farther. I just thought 3 weeks and with the supervised outings this would have gone smoother. Also if she was healed why would they keep going after that same spot!? Ugh