Integrating a Chicken into My Flock

[Gossie]

Hi!

I have a 19-20 week old Exchequer Leghorn chick named Lili. I was trying to integrate her and our other chicks into our flock. Everything seemed to be going fine, so after a few days of close observation, I attempted letting her stay with our grown chickens overnight. Unfortunately, she got a peck wound on her head. It is not major and is superficial, but I kept her isolated for a few days from the other chickens because it was bleeding. She seemed to be acting fine and her wound had scabbed over and was healing, so I tried bringing her back down to the coop. I didn't want the other chicks to develop a pecking order within the coop without her and have her be picked on by everybody when I brought her back down. I first tried just putting her with the other chicks of her age. They all started pecking at her and trying to be dominate. I brought her back into isolation because I didn't want her wound to open up again or get worse. What is the best way to keep her from getting more injured, but not prevent her from finding her place in the flock? Should I keep her isolated until she is completely healed? Thanks!

 

[aart]

Keep her separated only by wire until she heals, this will start the integration process.
Isolating her completely starts the whole integration process over again,
a flock member can become a 'stranger' to attack in just a few days.

Knowing more about your flock(numbers, ages, genders)...
.... and coop/run(sizes in feet by feet and pics) would greatly help us help you.

This might help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

And here are some basic guidleines for integration:
Integration Basics:

It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.


This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock