How do I reintroduce a chicken to the flock?

[ileggs]

I just ordered pick no more online bc I didn't own any. I don't think the wound is bleeding I just think it is a broken toe. I think because it looks weird is why the chickens are picking at it. Would pick no more end the chickens picking at it? Even if it is not an open wound? Thank you!! I have started a diff thread and no one has helped!

 

[DDRanch]

Pick no more has an ingredient in it that tastes terrible if a chicken pecks at it and tastes it.
It also has a healing property. Yes, it will deter the other chickens from picking at the toe. I would recommend applying every day to see how it works.

It is a thick brown substance that will stain your clothes so be prepared. But it works great.

Hope this helps.

 

[ileggs]

Thank you!! I really look forward 2 getting the flock together again

 

[ileggs]

Sorry to bother again but today when I put the hen with the others no one pecked at the toe but instead the dominate one jumped on her and now she is bleeding! Is there some way 2 gently reintroduce her to my small flock?

 

[Aussie-Chook]

Hi All-
I have a one y.o. Wyandotte hen, Princess, who was badly injured in a hawk attack about a month ago. She survived the attack and has been recovering in my basement for the past month. She's terribly lonely and very nearly completely healed, so I think she is at the point where she can be reintroduced to her flock. The flock is 5 other hens and they live in a chicken tractor with an enclosed run. The hens are a very tight-knit group and have never had any aggression issues in the past. I am curious if anyone has any recommendations on how to put Princess back in with the group. After the past month of intensive care that Princess has received I would be really upset if the other hens turned on her. She is barely healed from an attack that probably should have killed her, and I just don't want her to be re-injured. Suggestions anyone?

I know it was years ago, but how did the re-introduction go? I have one that is desperate to get back with the flock after only a week in our basement ...

 

[Gail Honadle]

I have a flock of 6, 1 is on is a runt, the bigger ones pecked her feathers off 1 leg and belly to tail, she has been in isolation, and treated most feathers are back, except the butt area, it has Blu Kote on it. Tried to put her back in with the flock, all 5 tried to attack her. Got her out before any damage. But she is mopey all alone. And my next batch of 5 are ready for her coop once it is cleaned out. Any thing I can do?

 

[Mrs. K]

When you separate birds, even for a week, it causes a lot of problems. One really needs to treat this bird like a stranger because that is how the flock sees her.

Now chickens are pretty territorial and that works both ways. The flock will defend their space, but they are leary of new spaces. You will see that when you first let them out of the coop/run in the spring. They do not go far, are very hesitant.

This is why very often, keeping a bird in the cage doesn’t work, that becomes her territory not the run that she can see but not go out in.

I have had very good luck with locking her in the coop/run and locking the others out into the yard or free range. At night, put the new bird back to where you had her, let the old ones back in. Do that for two days.

Day three, pick a middle bird and add that to the new bird. There will be a dust up, but one on one generally does not last. It is considerably different than 5 against one.

Keep that pair together day and night, for two days, then late in the afternoon let them out with the others, if they all go to the coop to roost you are golden. If not, you can put them in there if you can get down there early the next day and let them out if it is too rough.

Now there is a difference between a hen attacked by a predator and one that has been bullied by her flock, in the last case, you will need to do some flock adjustment or you will be back in the same situation, culling someone, either the bully or the victim. Pin less peepers, or new run/coop - however this needs to be an immediate solution-chickens will not wait for something to be built. Wishing they would all just be nice won’t work. And we have all been there.

Mrs k