Question on integration

[BarnyardChaos]

Well, update: we added Trashley to the big girl coop on the roost last night. They all slept peacefully together and when the door opened this morning everyone came out without any issue or conflict. I checked on the security camera and Trashley was keeping to herself. Unfortunately, around 6 AM, one of the hens starting chasing her and she made a bad choice for an escape route and got pinned down and all of the hens joined in and essentially scalped her. It took all of ten minutes. She is inside now recouperating, I'm devastated that this could happen to her. She is the gentlest, sweetest chicken, and I feel like I totally failed.

I cleaned her wound and applied neosporin and vetericyn spray, she has eaten and snuggled me and is now perched on a roost in the dog crate in my office. I'm so upset, the wound is really gruesome.

If she pulls through, I'm not sure I can bear the thought of putting her in harms way again once she's healed. I may consider keeping her separate long term and maybe introducing a smaller, similarly dispositioned chicken as a companion for her instead. This is my first chicken injury and I'm really just beside myself.

Oh no no no!!!! I am so sorry for her! And you. That's so heartbreaking. Unfortunately, sometimes integration does not go well, no matter how well you manage it. You did nothing wrong and you didn't fail, there was no way you could have predicted their attack on her. Thankfully you got there as quick as you could. Yes, you will probably have to keep her separate for life. Adding a friend at some point might work better.

If it's any help to know, chickens heal pretty well from wounds like that.

The first time I had an injured chicken was traumatic, too - unfortunately, I had no way to isolate him for the longterm. And I don't keep chickens as pets; they are livestock. I knew that he could be healed, but then he'd never be able to live in the flock again. If I were to keep one as a pet, then I'd get attached to all of them. I had to put him down, and THAT was even more heartbreaking.

He'd been attacked by a group of other roosters, and they nearly tore his comb off. Blood everywhere, and streaming down his neck. I got them off of him, but he was terrified and ran. I had to chase to catch him, meanwhile his heart is racing and he's slinging blood everywhere. To make matters worse, it happened just as a young couple stopped by to give us some chicks they'd raised, as a rescue situation. These people had to witness the attack, the blood, and my putting this poor rooster out of his misery.

Just sayin' --- I know what you're feeling. {{{ hugs }}}

 

[MeatyCluckers]

Oh no no no!!!! I am so sorry for her! And you. That's so heartbreaking. Unfortunately, sometimes integration does not go well, no matter how well you manage it. You did nothing wrong and you didn't fail, there was no way you could have predicted their attack on her. Thankfully you got there as quick as you could. Yes, you will probably have to keep her separate for life. Adding a friend at some point might work better.

If it's any help to know, chickens heal pretty well from wounds like that.

The first time I had an injured chicken was traumatic, too - unfortunately, I had no way to isolate him for the longterm. And I don't keep chickens as pets; they are livestock. I knew that he could be healed, but then he'd never be able to live in the flock again. If I were to keep one as a pet, then I'd get attached to all of them. I had to put him down, and THAT was even more heartbreaking.

He'd been attacked by a group of other roosters, and they nearly tore his comb off. Blood everywhere, and streaming down his neck. I got them off of him, but he was terrified and ran. I had to chase to catch him, meanwhile his heart is racing and he's slinging blood everywhere. To make matters worse, it happened just as a young couple stopped by to give us some chicks they'd raised, as a rescue situation. These people had to witness the attack, the blood, and my putting this poor rooster out of his misery.

Just sayin' --- I know what you're feeling. {{{ hugs }}}

Thank you for the kind words. I'm sorry about your rooster. It really sucks.