How to safely reintroduce a chick that was in quarantine

[kuki mom]

I got 7 six week old chicks and 2 eight week old chicks (approx), one of the younger ones got sick more than two weeks ago and had to go in quarantine but now is recovered after antibiotic treatment. I've decided to put him back in the flock because whatever he had the others probably have it too since they grew up together for at least 4 weeks. I tried reintroduction, but it went badly, he tried to dominate all his siblings of the same age but the older chicks grabbed by his neck, and he was screaming very badly, and every time I try to put him back in the flock outside he runs back to me and my dogs. when I put him in the pen with others he flew out (didn't even know he could fly that high!) towards me. He's gotten very attached to me and wants to be with me all the time, he follows me everywhere in the house and sleeps on my chest. I'm not sure what to do. Suggestions? (I say he because of the behavior and upright stature but could be a hen, it's a silkie mix so very difficult to tell)

 

[BDutch]

There are 2 options as far as I know (from reading, I have no experience of my own).

1. Buy/get/lent a seperate coop and put Quarantine and one other chick in this separate coop for a few weeks. Integrate some time after they get along very well.
2. keep the chick with you in the house until he/she is > 12 weeks old and try it again.
   

 

[kuki mom]

Thank you. Can chicks this young fight and injure each other? The one that got him on the neck is quite strong, not sure if he would really injure the bird they grew up together until 2 weeks ago and separated.

 

[poultryprofessor]

Here is my method for introducing a single bird back into a group:

Assuming the sick chick (let's call him Chick A) is healed and healthy enough to fend for himself, put him back with the others. Watch the interactions between the other chicks. Is there one in particular that is beating up on Chick A? Remove it. Are there two or three? Remove all of them - starting with the worst offender. The important thing is to leave Chick A with the non-aggressive members of the flock. He can't reintegrate if he isn't with the others.

So, what do you do with the bully chick(s)? Isolate the bully chick(s) for at least 24 hours. Preferably out of sight of the main flock. Once Chick A has integrated back into the flock, put the bully chick(s) back. This should have knocked them down the pecking order a bit. It may take more than one try, but this usually works eventually.


A couple of other points:
1) As much as possible, reduce resource scarcity. Don't give your chickens something to fight over. There should be plenty of feeder space and water access. Ideally, more than one feeder (bully can't defend both at the same time).

2) A space with visually-separated areas helps. Give your chickens something they can hide behind - don't force them to be in eye-sight of everyone else all the time. This can help the weaker chickens feel like they have a safe space and lets the bully chickens forget about them.


I hope that helps. At the end of the day, chickens are animals. They'll do what they want to, but you can set them up for success.

 

[kuki mom]

Here is my method for introducing a single bird back into a group:

Assuming the sick chick (let's call him Chick A) is healed and healthy enough to fend for himself, put him back with the others. Watch the interactions between the other chicks. Is there one in particular that is beating up on Chick A? Remove it. Are there two or three? Remove all of them - starting with the worst offender. The important thing is to leave Chick A with the non-aggressive members of the flock. He can't reintegrate if he isn't with the others.

So, what do you do with the bully chick(s)? Isolate the bully chick(s) for at least 24 hours. Preferably out of sight of the main flock. Once Chick A has integrated back into the flock, put the bully chick(s) back. This should have knocked them down the pecking order a bit. It may take more than one try, but this usually works eventually.


A couple of other points:
1) As much as possible, reduce resource scarcity. Don't give your chickens something to fight over. There should be plenty of feeder space and water access. Ideally, more than one feeder (bully can't defend both at the same time).

2) A space with visually-separated areas helps. Give your chickens something they can hide behind - don't force them to be in eye-sight of everyone else all the time. This can help the weaker chickens feel like they have a safe space and lets the bully chickens forget about them.


I hope that helps. At the end of the day, chickens are animals. They'll do what they want to, but you can set them up for success.

Great idea, thank you, yes the 2 older chicks from different parents are the bullies I will try putting the chick A (no name yet) with the others outside to play while keeping the bullies inside the pen and repeat. Right now when I put him in the pen all the smaller chicks (the chick A's siblings) hide behind the bullies and stay away in the corner while the two starts pecking at the chick A, who just flies out to me in desperation. He just wants to be with me and not others :-/ I'm afraid he's become so attached to me and became a house pet already, and he seems content in his big cage in the house, and very happy sleeping next to me. I leave the door open when I'm in the house and he roams when he wants and goes back and rests there even if the door is open. I'm surprised with this reaction because when I separated him in the beginning he was very sad to be away from his siblings, but they grow so fast and in 2 weeks everyone changed. Still not sure the gender. If he is a rooster is it ok to have him as a house pet? maybe half indoor half outdoor? Can they be potty trained?

 

[BDutch]

If he is a rooster is it ok to have him as a house pet? maybe half indoor half outdoor?

This is what I have been reading (no experience):
If he’s the only rooster the problems probably will disappear getting mature. His hormones will tell him he wants to be the lord and master of the flock. He will get bigger and confident to mate if there are no other roosters in the flock.

If there are more roosters the hormones can cause death fights especially because the original siblings are no longer siblings in behaviour.

Can they be potty trained?

no, i dont think so.
But you can make a few diapers. I have seen instructions how to make them in Serama forums. Shouldn’t be to hard to find.

There is a possibility he prefers to poop when roosted or outside. My Dutch rarely poop in the walking area in the coop/small covered run. They poop when roosted and outside in the ‘open’ run or outside when free ranging. But as soon as the sun is up they have access to the run.

P.s. If you give it a try. Do it with mealworms as reward for good behaviour. And keep us updated.

 

[kuki mom]

This is what I have been reading (no experience):
If he’s the only rooster the problems probably will disappear getting mature. His hormones will tell him he wants to be the lord and master of the flock. He will get bigger and confident to mate if there are no other roosters in the flock.

If there are more roosters the hormones can cause death fights especially because the original siblings are no longer siblings in behaviour.
no, i dont think so.
But you can make a few diapers. I have seen instructions how to make them in Serama forums. Shouldn’t be to hard to find.

There is a possibility he prefers to poop when roosted or outside. My Dutch rarely poop in the walking area in the coop/small covered run. They poop when roosted and outside in the ‘open’ run or outside when free ranging. But as soon as the sun is up they have access to the run.

P.s. If you give it a try. Do it with mealworms as reward for good behaviour. And keep us updated.

Thank you! Now they are fighting less when I put him with the others but he still flies out of the pen (others don't even try to fly out). He still prefers being with me and the dogs We will see what happens when they all grow up.

 

[Peoples]

Here is my method for introducing a single bird back into a group:

Assuming the sick chick (let's call him Chick A) is healed and healthy enough to fend for himself, put him back with the others. Watch the interactions between the other chicks. Is there one in particular that is beating up on Chick A? Remove it. Are there two or three? Remove all of them - starting with the worst offender. The important thing is to leave Chick A with the non-aggressive members of the flock. He can't reintegrate if he isn't with the others.

So, what do you do with the bully chick(s)? Isolate the bully chick(s) for at least 24 hours. Preferably out of sight of the main flock. Once Chick A has integrated back into the flock, put the bully chick(s) back. This should have knocked them down the pecking order a bit. It may take more than one try, but this usually works eventually.


A couple of other points:
1) As much as possible, reduce resource scarcity. Don't give your chickens something to fight over. There should be plenty of feeder space and water access. Ideally, more than one feeder (bully can't defend both at the same time).

2) A space with visually-separated areas helps. Give your chickens something they can hide behind - don't force them to be in eye-sight of everyone else all the time. This can help the weaker chickens feel like they have a safe space and lets the bully chickens forget about them.


I hope that helps. At the end of the day, chickens are animals. They'll do what they want to, but you can set them up for success.

Great advice and only thing i would add is based on what I read is when putting back in flock due it at night when everyone else is asleep so they wake up together ❤