How to put a separated chicken back into the coop without getting beat up.

[Murraym0]

My chicken had a prolapse back in July. Determined to save her, we tried everything we could to get that sucker to stay inside her. With no luck, we finally took her to the vet last week to get stitched up. The vet said she's good as new and can go back with her friends in a week. That time has come, but we are having a very difficult time getting the other chickens to accept her. They peck at her head and some even jump on her and really hurt her. Biting her wings and throwing her around. I can't stand to watch it so I keep taking her out of the coop. We try everyday to put her in, but she's so afraid of the other birds that she hides behind the garbage can in the coop that we keep the food in. Will the other birds ever accept her again? I don't really want to have to keep a chicken inside the house forever! (plus since the stitches her poops have been extremely stinky. Not like a normal chicken smell) Any suggestions? We've been through so much with her, I can't give up on her now.

 

[7L Farm]

I introduced one dom to 10 red hens & 1 roo. It took over a year for the flock to finally accept her. I free range so during the day she could get away from the others. The roo naturally loved her & helped her a lot.They finally figured out that she wasn't going away & she's now part of the flock.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Awe, they will probably take her back but you need to protect her. Do you have a separation pen or any way you can put her in her own area with food and water and so they can all see each other but they can't bully her?

She's been gone long enough that they think she's a new hen to the flock. But I'll bet if you can go slow, that you can get them to accept her once again.

 

[Murraym0]

I'm just afraid she will die in the process. I have 25 hens not including her and the white rocks are worst (even though that's what she is too.) She is a little smaller than the other chickens from being so sick in the beginning. At this point, she is the only free range chicken. E other chickens have a pretty large run that they stay in. I would love to let them all out, but I'm afraid they will wander into the neighbors yard. So in a way, she is lucky to have the whole yard to herself. I will keep trying to put her with the other chickens, I just hope it's not too traumatizing.

 

[Murraym0]

I just leave her outside the pen during the day. She seems to stay close to the run and walks around it like she wants to go in. I'm thinking out adding a separate run just for her, but I would really just like to see her go with the other chickens. At night she comes inside and I keep her in a bird cage with a perch. She would definitely prefer to be outside.