Re-integrating wounded chicks help

[socks]

Hi, I have 5 of my 7 week old chicks at a friend's unused coop and 2 at home 'hospitalized' (coon attack through 1/2 hardware cloth). We have had delays getting the extra hardware cloth delivered combined with extremely hot weather, guests etc. and so haven't yet got the run done and the coop coon proof.
I expect in a few days we will be ready and want to plan how to do the re-integration.
The 5 that are having the extended sleepover have gotten very wild in my absence even though I visit every couple of days but last time i brought yogurt treats there was a big fuss about the dangerous scary thing I had brought in until they finally had a taste. The other two get a lot of visits from me (and um, the coon last night as they grazed in their tractor 50 ft from our deck where 4 of us ate dinner....bold as brass that one!)

I have read to add the chickens at night but not sure about this, one of the roos last time I saw him was very agressive and I would hate to find some dead chicks in the morning. Should I get the first two settled into the coop first and then bring the others or if it is new to everyone is that better?

I am also concerned that none of them might want to be in that coop as that was the seen of the um...attempted massacre where the coon sat underneath and chewed what was dangling down. Hopefully his smell is gone....is there something I can do to rid that odor or.....

I've searched for info on this but haven't found answers to these specific questions so will be very grateful for your advice.

 

[detali]

First of all, get rid of that coon. You could make a raw hamburger patty for him laced with about 20 ground up asprin That should do the trick.

Then bring your little ones home. Being that they are that young and you don't have any older chickens the re-integration should be okay, day or night. Although sleeping together makes for a good start.

 

[socks]

Hi detali, don't really see the point or justification with killing the coon (but mabye you can enlighten me)...my thinking is there are plenty more where that coon came from and well, it is a wild animal and has as much right to exist as I do and that it is my job to make the coop and run predator proof.

I realize I am a newbie and this may be a newbie's idealism and generosity of spirit that I might lose but I don't think wiping out all the coons in the area is a good thing.

On the other hand you may inform me that this particular coon is now insanely attracted to my chickens (having tasted parts) and that makes him/her more dangerous than other coons........

open to learning....

 

[cmom]

My brother uses X-Lax under a 5 gal bucket turned over. The coons love it, eat it and disappear to never come back.

 

[socks]

um o.k. but I'm still looking for integration info and to find out whether there would be a lingering smell of coon.

Not so much into killing the coon at this point. thanks

The integration concern I have is if I try to put them all together in a 'new' coop at night how will I know whether it worked or not, how long should I hang around to see if they are going to attack each other or how early should I open up the coop in the morning?

Wasn't sure what topic I should post this under....maybe not the best topic but still hoping for a bit more info.
thanks

 

[raspeary]

I don't know if they would do anything at night because they can't see good in the dark.

If the wounds are at visible the other chickens might go right for it. This is what my chickens did to the one injured one I had. I put bag balm on her healed injury because you could still see where the injury was.

I tried integrating first without the bag balm and the other chickens went right for her old injury. So then i spread a fairly thick layer of bag balm on the back of her head and it stopped the pecking from the other chickens cause they didn't like the taste.

As for the integration i added her in the morning so i could watch her through out the day.

 

[socks]

Thanks raspeary

I'm not sure how 'visible' his wound is i.e. he's missing a toe and half of the back one but it isn't a fresh wound, over a week old and seems to be healing well. Do you think they would just notice that he is missing a toe and start picking on him????

(that might be a stupid question but I really don't know the answer...)