Here goes
I had a NN hen that I got last year. I tried to integrate her in and the chickens chased her under the house and she got caught up in the chain link and she broke her leg. Leg healed/abscessed and healed again. All this time she has been in her own pen with a NN roo. But they really did a number on her that evening.
Fast forward, they free range together a lot and they leave her alone mostly, but sometimes will get on top of her and peck her violently. I , as much as I know I shoudnt, intervein and pull her away.
Fast forward more. One night I cant find her. She is loose with one of the reds that picks on her. I look for them both, Red shows up but no NN. I look all around. Finally I found her. SHe was quite bloodied, beak broken, open wound. My guess is that the Red got at her again since the wound look like claws (they are easy to analyze on her NN). And because the reds behavior was funny that night. Everyone was accounted for so I am pretty sure no predator got at her. ALso, everyone else was fine, no one was upset, etc.
Now. She is still in her own small pen. She seems to want to be in with them. Some nights after free ranging when I go to shut them away, she is in there house, all proudly roosting. Based on her history, I pull her out and put her in her own house. Even tonight though, she seems to want to go in their pen.
My question to you is...would you trust her with them??? They seem to not like her in particular as they are fine with other integrated hens. Would you give it another go or based on the history, am I doing the right thing by forcing her back into her own house, even though she is not as happy? She is my favorite hen......maybe they worked it out that night that I wasnt there to intervein but I am nervous that one morning I will head out there and she will be dead....
I had a NN hen that I got last year. I tried to integrate her in and the chickens chased her under the house and she got caught up in the chain link and she broke her leg. Leg healed/abscessed and healed again. All this time she has been in her own pen with a NN roo. But they really did a number on her that evening.
Fast forward, they free range together a lot and they leave her alone mostly, but sometimes will get on top of her and peck her violently. I , as much as I know I shoudnt, intervein and pull her away.
Fast forward more. One night I cant find her. She is loose with one of the reds that picks on her. I look for them both, Red shows up but no NN. I look all around. Finally I found her. SHe was quite bloodied, beak broken, open wound. My guess is that the Red got at her again since the wound look like claws (they are easy to analyze on her NN). And because the reds behavior was funny that night. Everyone was accounted for so I am pretty sure no predator got at her. ALso, everyone else was fine, no one was upset, etc.
Now. She is still in her own small pen. She seems to want to be in with them. Some nights after free ranging when I go to shut them away, she is in there house, all proudly roosting. Based on her history, I pull her out and put her in her own house. Even tonight though, she seems to want to go in their pen.
My question to you is...would you trust her with them??? They seem to not like her in particular as they are fine with other integrated hens. Would you give it another go or based on the history, am I doing the right thing by forcing her back into her own house, even though she is not as happy? She is my favorite hen......maybe they worked it out that night that I wasnt there to intervein but I am nervous that one morning I will head out there and she will be dead....
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