Introducing a new hen.... need help

[sniper338]

March 2015 my uncle thought itd be cool to let some chickens go at our ranch to free range and all... one has survived, and shes a smart ol hen!! Well i finally had enough seeing the poor bird out there alone with no care or food. So after it got dark tonight i climbed up the rafters in the barn and grabbed her there on her roost... easy as pie! Shes a white leghorn hen im pretty sure. All shes had is scratch for food and free ranged. She isnt laying eggs yet... i imagine because of her bad diet, no calcium, nada...

I noticed a little tiny sneeze or caugh or something.. havent seen it again tho... but i would like to treat her in isolation with a broad spectrum antibiotic, or something just as a precautionary measurement before i let her go in with the rest of my birds... i want to keep her segregated and try to make sure all is well before i introduce her to anyone else...


What kind of antibiotic or meds to i need for what i am looking to do, how much dose wise, and how is it given....???


I got her started on 20% protein feed and probiotic water tonight in a rabbit cage... figured thats a good start... ill give her oyster shell starting tomorrow...


She aint lap chicken tame, and she dont like being held, she will eat withon a few feet of you but wont come closer than 3 ft... and if she is spooked she will fly like a sob! Real runny and flighty bird!!

 

[lynnehd]

March 2015 my uncle thought itd be cool to let some chickens go at our ranch to free range and all... one has survived, and shes a smart ol hen!! Well i finally had enough seeing the poor bird out there alone with no care or food. So after it got dark tonight i climbed up the rafters in the barn and grabbed her there on her roost... easy as pie! Shes a white leghorn hen im pretty sure. All shes had is scratch for food and free ranged. She isnt laying eggs yet... i imagine because of her bad diet, no calcium, nada...

I noticed a little tiny sneeze or caugh or something.. havent seen it again tho... but i would like to treat her in isolation with a broad spectrum antibiotic, or something just as a precautionary measurement before i let her go in with the rest of my birds... i want to keep her segregated and try to make sure all is well before i introduce her to anyone else...


What kind of antibiotic or meds to i need for what i am looking to do, how much dose wise, and how is it given....???


I got her started on 20% protein feed and probiotic water tonight in a rabbit cage... figured thats a good start... ill give her oyster shell starting tomorrow...


She aint lap chicken tame, and she dont like being held, she will eat withon a few feet of you but wont come closer than 3 ft... and if she is spooked she will fly like a sob! Real runny and flighty bird!!

Good for you to give her a better home. She does sound like a survivor!

What about just watching her for 1-2 weeks to see if she really shows signs of a respiratory infection? W
Just wondering, but what if it is viral, and then antibiotics wouldn't work?
I agree you do want to keep her separate prior to adding her to your flock.

 

[azygous]

Agree, quarantine is the best idea, and just observe before you treat for anything. She may be perfectly healthy and doesn't need antibiotics. You might, however, want to give her a treatment for worms and parasites (lice, mites) so she doesn't pass those onto your flock.

How many chickens will you be introducing her to? If it's a large flock, she may never really make any friends, but she will learn to adjust. Your flock won't be inclined to welcome a strange chicken, and you will need to keep her separate but within view at first, giving everyone a chance to become accustomed to one another before you allow her to mingle.

Recently I introduced a single hen to my flock of twenty. The best I can hope for is that the flock will gradually become indifferent to her and chase and peck her less, which after two weeks, is precisely what's happening.

During the time your solitary hen is becoming accepted by the rest of the flock, you will need to provide her with food and water in a place where she can feel safe eating, since it's natural for the flock to chase a newcomer away from the food and water. Even though my hen is mingling with the rest of the flock, I still feed her twice a day in a safe pen where she's assured of getting proper nourishment. Remember, a chicken that doesn't get enough to eat won't feel well and strong enough to stand up to the stress of integrating with a new flock.

 

[sniper338]

Well im in a good spot to do this... i only have one 4 month old marans roo... no adult hens... she the only one... all i have right now is pullets still in the brooder, and incubating eggs.. i think my old roo would love a grown female... i got her ciz i want to try to get her laying for some eggs!!

 

[azygous]

Yes, you certainly are in a fine position for success. A single hen and a single cockerel will bond almost immediately with each other. I predict they will be very happy, and you really won't need to feed the hen separately. Your cockerel will probably want to make sure she gets plenty to eat.

In the future, if "chicken math" attacks, try to work it out so you are introducing more than one hen to the flock if it's adults. If you decide to add chicks at some point, make sure you add four at the very minimum. Newcomers do so much better when introduced in numbers.