how much harm does it cause to segregate a hen from her flock for almost a month?

[aldarita]

Good! I took my girl back out while she was still recovering and it worked out perfect. Let us know how it turns out.

I am so glad to hear a successful story of reintegration. Most of the time you read horrific cases that make us apprehensive. I know each flock is different but just to know that your reintegration worked gives me hopes. I decided to wait to put my hen back with the rest, she is going thru a hard molt and I don't want to put her out with this awful weather we are having. She is being kept inside a warm room and I am working real hard to make her eat (she is the worst picky eater I have seen) to help her ease the molt. She does not like the layer feed that I have mixed with poultry conditioner for extra protein, she only wants to eat meal worms and black sunflower seeds. She loves bugs and I have gone to the extreme to catch some for her in the pasture but since we had this awful freeze these past 2 days, bugs are gone. I have brought some grass and weed clippings which she eats a little. I have tried all kinds of tricks with no success. Any ideas? I know this is off topic but wanted so add this issue of not eating much since she is still in recovery.

 

[aldarita]

Currently separated, and the injured hen has been reintroduced. She had a hard time and looks depressed but she's basically OK and is hanging in there. Another hen has seized the opportunity to become alpha. I'm hoping this will keep the bully busy. How and when do you suggest reintroducing her?

Boy this business of the pecking order is so complicated

I have read all I can find in the forum and elsewhere and what I learned is that it does not matter how long you separate the hens, when you bring them back together they act like they have never seen each other before. I have separated 3 hens at different times when they went broody and put them in the broody cage. Each time the reintegration was different. In the worst case there was some fighting for a while but it didn't last long. It looks to me that it all depends on the dynamics of the flock. I only separated my girls for three days, what I worry about is the one that has been away for almost a month but then again, if it does not matter how long you separate them, I guess you can place your bully back and watch them and like goldfinches says, try to distract them with food and give them plenty of space to run. Good luck and let us know how it goes, it always helps to learn from different experiences.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Aldarita when your sick hen gets done with her meds put 1 or 2 of your nice hens in with her in HER pen for several days, then throw them all back into the main pen as a group. If you reintro your sick hen as part of a familiar group the rest of the chickens won't pay much attention to her, where if you reinto her as a lone hen she will be the center of their attention.
Hope this helps.

 

[C-M-D]

Doing better! I put a new feeding station in the coop yesterday, and a log. All very distracting, and this morning hens #2, 3, and 4 were fine. This afternoon I swapped out the red heating lamp for a ceramic reptile one that will provide heat but no light, a new experience for them to be in the pitch dark, and I put another large piece of wood in the coop. More distraction. Then at dusk I reintroduced the alpha hen. Pecking ensued, but not too viciously. Hens #1, 2, and 3 apparently have some business to sort out. Hen #4 knows her place and is staying out of it. They all went to bed without anyone getting hurt. So far, so good.

I am learning from this experience to observe carefully, and to be able to "think chicken", but to stay out of the drama and not interfere unless it's life-threatening. Removing a low-ranked injured chicken and reintroducing her has been an amazingly big deal! It would have been easier for the chicken and me to leave her in the coop in a pet carrier and check in on her often. Next time I'll know.