How can you tell if a chicken is well enough to sleep in the coop again?

[JuliaSunshine]

Do chickens that were in sick bed go back to their old coop on their own once they're well enough? Or should you put them in the coop yourself once you think they recovered enough as they don't recognize the coop as their home any more?

I have a 7 month old chicken that became sick almost 2 weeks ago, on Nov 3rd. I don't know why she was sick but she stopped jerking her head soon and started eating and moving.
I kept her in a minimally heated building for a few days and let her out during the day.
She gets pecked and shooed away by other chickens here and there but she managed to run away and sometimes I find her staying with the flock.
Still, she stays a bit away from everyone possibly because now she's the bottom of the pecking order. She used to be the second from the bottom. I find her a bit more subdued and skittish than before.
Anyways, I thought she might be well enough to sleep in the coop which goes down to 35F at night lately.
But when it gets dark she stays alone outside in front of a small light, 20 or more feet away from the coop.
So I end up putting her in the shed which is slightly warmer than the coop.

Should I just wait till she wants to sleep in the coop again? How can you tell if a chicken is well enough? She stopped laying but she didn't lay that well before she got sick anyways and other chickens are not laying much either since it got cold here.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you close the coop at night and does it have plenty of space?

Hard to know which direction to go. Since she's hanging out with them during the day, they may be accepting her back into the flock.
You could try putting her in the coop at night and see how it goes, the other may not be so welcoming about that and bully her about inside the coop.

You just really don't know what will happen until you try. I know that sounds vague, but I've at times thought integration would be a nightmare and it turned out to be no problem, but I've also thought it would go just fine and it didn't go that great...chickens have their own ideas about these things.

Sounds like right now she's unsure where she's supposed to be, the coop or wait on you.

 

[JuliaSunshine]

Do you close the coop at night and does it have plenty of space?

Hard to know which direction to go. Since she's hanging out with them during the day, they may be accepting her back into the flock.
You could try putting her in the coop at night and see how it goes, the other may not be so welcoming about that and bully her about inside the coop.

You just really don't know what will happen until you try. I know that sounds vague, but I've at times thought integration would be a nightmare and it turned out to be no problem, but I've also thought it would go just fine and it didn't go that great...chickens have their own ideas about these things.

Sounds like right now she's unsure where she's supposed to be, the coop or wait on you.

I close the coop after everyone is back in and there's enough space in it (48 square feet for 10 chickens and 14 feet of roost).

I don't think they'll peck her too much at night as they peck only the ones right next to them when roosting for the night.
But they can bully her in the morning for an hour or so until I let them out for free ranging.
I let them out only when it's bright enough because ravens are constantly around to eat them.
I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer and put her in the coop when she looks more comfortable around others during the day. But then I'm not sure if she'll ever be comfortable like before as she's the bottom chicken now.

It's hard to know whether the chickens are pecking and chasing her away because she's the bottom of the pecking order or because they think she's an outsider.
The lowest two or three chickens in the pecking order have always been chased away by the top chickens from the coop, where there's a feeder and nesting boxes, and from treats given outside the coop.
The funny thing is the once 'bottom chicken' is the one who's following her around and harasses her the most.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The funny thing is the once 'bottom chicken' is the one who's following her around and harasses her the most.

Yes, that's the way it works.

The once bottom now has risen a spot since the "newbie" has come back. She's going to attempt to keep her new spot by chasing and harassing. Sounds pretty normal.
As sweet and fluffy looking as they are, hens can be "not nice"

 

[jburts]

I close the coop after everyone is back in and there's enough space in it (48 square feet for 10 chickens and 14 feet of roost).

I don't think they'll peck her too much at night as they peck only the ones right next to them when roosting for the night.
But they can bully her in the morning for an hour or so until I let them out for free ranging.
I let them out only when it's bright enough because ravens are constantly around to eat them.
I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer and put her in the coop when she looks more comfortable around others during the day. But then I'm not sure if she'll ever be comfortable like before as she's the bottom chicken now.

It's hard to know whether the chickens are pecking and chasing her away because she's the bottom of the pecking order or because they think she's an outsider.
The lowest two or three chickens in the pecking order have always been chased away by the top chickens from the coop, where there's a feeder and nesting boxes, and from treats given outside the coop.
The funny thing is the once 'bottom chicken' is the one who's following her around and harasses her the most.

Its now dec 2022 had to putvmy 5 year old in house for 2 weeks she's fully recovered but when I put her back in to see and she beat up the younger ones and then all four were fighting had to break it up and pull her out. She's now in kennel in run and cat carrier at night in coop. I guess after 2 weeks she's asserting her dominance over them. I never had to integrate an adult chicken back in