Pullet won't leave coop

[aart]

Don't worry, they already bonded when being brooded, and other than a brief nod and a peck, they will remember each other and should be fine.

I kindly question this premise...due to so many stories of a flock member being separated for a time due to injury/illness, then being hard to reintegrate back into the flock-attacked as if a 'stranger'. I guess it might depend on how long the separation is/was?

Welcome to BYC @Kate E.
How big are the coop and run, in feet by feet?
Pics would help.
Having a separate enclosure and/or a wire crate or two is IMO an essential tool for chickeneering.
Best of cLuck with your Chicken Juggling!

 

[Kate E]

I kindly question this premise...due to so many stories of a flock member being separated for a time due to injury/illness, then being hard to reintegrate back into the flock-attacked as if a 'stranger'. I guess it might depend on how long the separation is/was?

Welcome to BYC @Kate E.
How big are the coop and run, in feet by feet?
Pics would help.
Having a separate enclosure and/or a wire crate or two is IMO an essential tool for chickeneering.
Best of cLuck with your Chicken Juggling!

The coop is 6ft by 6ft and the run is 15ft by 6ft roughly. I'm kind of in panic mode right now. The 4 original hens are fine. I did get another pullet from the original brood and put her with the original pullet. They seemed fine, spent some time with some investigating pecks and but seemed to settle right in. All good yesterday although they kept their distance from one another most of the day. This morning though I went to check them and found the newest pullet with a large bloody bald patch behind her head. She is very traumatized. I removed her from the other pullet and have her in a separate crate. She's eating and drinking which I think is a good sign but I'm not sure what to do now... I'm reading that I can wash her wound with saline and apply an antibiotic... is that accurate? I feel so terrible that this happened to her.

 

[azygous]

Blu-kote on the wound will disguise it while protecting it from infection.

Sorry the reunion didn't go smashingly. But chickens can be hard on one another. I'd go ahead and put them all together with the others. When you get chickens together in numbers, it diffuses the focus on an individual.

Trust that your chickens will work out their pecking order. The odds are in favor of things settling down after everyone gets acquainted.

 

[Kate E]

I kept the injured pullet in a wire dog cage (XL size) in the garage overnight because she seemed a little run down and timid. I wanted to make sure she was eating and drinking before I put her back with the others and give it a day to let her wound dry up. She was okay this morning and let her out in the yard today and spent some time out there with her. This afternoon when the shade hit the coop I tried to reintroduce her to the remaining hens and pullet but they were pretty aggressive. I'm worried about them pecking at the back of her head/ neck where her wound is. So they have some time to get reacquainted I put the dog cage with her food and water in the far corner of the coop so they are all together but the hens and original pullet can't get to the injured pullet. Am I doing the right thing? She freaks out whenever any of the hens get near her cage and I can tell she's not thrilled about being in there. I'm also not sure what to do about roosting. I have a place for her to roost in the cage and she roosted alone last night but I don't know if I should keep her separated through the cage a few more days before I try to get her back in the coop permanently to roost. Thankfully I have off all week and can keep a close eye on her and the others. Any suggestions on how I could do any of this better or should I stay the course and just be patient a few more days before I try to get her out of the cage and back in the coop.

 

[aart]

I kept the injured pullet in a wire dog cage (XL size) in the garage overnight because she seemed a little run down and timid. I wanted to make sure she was eating and drinking before I put her back with the others and give it a day to let her wound dry up. She was okay this morning and let her out in the yard today and spent some time out there with her. This afternoon when the shade hit the coop I tried to reintroduce her to the remaining hens and pullet but they were pretty aggressive. I'm worried about them pecking at the back of her head/ neck where her wound is. So they have some time to get reacquainted I put the dog cage with her food and water in the far corner of the coop so they are all together but the hens and original pullet can't get to the injured pullet. Am I doing the right thing? She freaks out whenever any of the hens get near her cage and I can tell she's not thrilled about being in there. I'm also not sure what to do about roosting. I have a place for her to roost in the cage and she roosted alone last night but I don't know if I should keep her separated through the cage a few more days before I try to get her back in the coop permanently to roost. Thankfully I have off all week and can keep a close eye on her and the others. Any suggestions on how I could do any of this better or should I stay the course and just be patient a few more days before I try to get her out of the cage and back in the coop.

Yep, just leave her in the crate in the coop. Give her time to recover. Hopefully she will soon learn they can't get at her in the crate.