I have an injured hen who needs to be separate from the flock, and I am thinking of housing her in a large dog crate in the coop. Will she feel lonely or left out when the others go outside and she does not? Would it be better for the crate to be in an unused bathroom in the house and me to keep her company? I've done that before, but the hen that time was much more accepting of me. This hen does not appreciate my company. Any advice would be helpful.
Whichever you choose (I'd opt for the dog kennel in the coop), you are doing the wise thing by physically keeping her away from her mates. At the first sign of weakness of injury they will turn on her and that can get ugly. Plus, if you house with the others you won't have to re-integrate her if her isolation is prolonged. Best wishes!
I would also vote for keeping her in a crate in the coop. I used to have a permanently disabled girl that perked up quite a bit when we re-worked her little private coop/run so she could see the other birds and they could see her. They really do better being as much a part of the flock as is safe. Also, if at some point you can integrate her back into the flock, it should go better since she hasn't been "out of sight/out of mind" of the other chickens. Hope your girl is better soon.
I really think that separating birds away from the flock causes more problems than it solves. I vote for in the coop too. But do move the crate outside in the run during the day, back in the coop at night. Mrs K
What is her injury? If at all possible, keep her with the flock. if you have to separate her, keep her as close and interactive as possible. Totally pulling her from the flock (into the house, etc) is just setting up for issues when you want to return her.
