Need help re-introducing a hen to the flock

[raisingirl78]

One of my girls was injured several months ago. She almost died and was about to lose her leg. I was able to splint the leg, heal the wound, and now she is healthy and walking again. She was living for several months in a small dog kennel in my basement while she was healing. Her leg is not perfect, she does have a slight limp, but she can use it and walk on it.

Now the problem is that the other girls will not tolerate her with them any more. I attempted to slowly re-introduce her through free-ranging. The others ganged up on her and ripped her comb apart before I was able to separate them. There are two girls in particular who seem to be dominant (ironically, the one I am trying to re-introduce used to be the top dog). Anyway, I tried to make a small wire pen in the coop for her, but without fail, whenever she comes out, the others attack her. She has since gone back to her kennel (but now in the garage).

When the other chickens come anywhere near her while free-ranging, she runs to me and tries to jump into my arms to keep from being attacked. She also tries frequently to come into the house if the other girls are out in the yard, pacing frantically back and forth in front of the door. Right now she is on my front deck with 5 baby ducklings I got in March. She really needs to be back with the flock in the coop! What do I do???

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

You need to re-introduce her like you'd introduce new chicks to a flock. Set up a barrier where they can see each other but they can't get to her. I'd do that for at least a week or two. Then try free ranging them together and see what happens. If they go after her, put her back behind a barrier. Keep doing that till they can free range together.

Then leave her in the run w/ them and WATCH them for signs of bullying. This whole process could take a few weeks or a month or longer. There is no set time line on how quickly this will go. But you'll get her back out w/ her flock.