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Re-introducing 11 weeks old chicken back to flock, best way to do so?

Discussion in 'Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying' started by opheliarose, Feb 17, 2014.

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  1. Feb 17, 2014 #1
    opheliarose

    opheliarose Out Of The Brooder

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    Feb 9, 2014
    Perth, Western Australia
    Hello Fellow Chicken Lovers!

    I posted about a week ago in the emergencies etc. thread about my chicken Elizabeth being bitten by a fox, after a week of recovery & meds from the vet she is back to full health and itching to get out of the box we are currently keeping her in, in the laundry!

    I have let her in the coop with the flock for 30 minutes supervised, the last 2 afternoons just to see how the other chickens react and some of them are picking on her when they are in the run, so she kind of hides around me and keeps to herself, when they all retreat to the shed where there boxes are, they kick her out. I would also like to note that these chickens are only 20 weeks old (2) and 11 weeks old (2 & the same breed & purchased at the same time as Elizabeth) so not yet laying and we have no rooster.

    So I have read a few threads on here with a similar topic and the main consensus is to place her in a cage/dog crate in the coop so she can be seen by the others but many people have done this because they have roosters and chickens that are at laying age.

    Do you believe this is the right measure for my situation? and how long should I keep her in the cage for?

    We have a cage ready to go and hoping to start re-introducing her this evening [​IMG]
     
  3. Feb 18, 2014 #2
    ChickensAreSweet

    ChickensAreSweet Heavenly Grains for Hens

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    Jun 8, 2010
    Pacific NW- where the Douglas Firs grow
    I would put your nicest chicken in with her, so she won't be the only "new" one being reintroduced.
     
  5. Feb 18, 2014 #3
    Judy

    Judy Moderator Staff Member

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    Feb 5, 2009
    South Georgia
    I just read on here about someone leaving the chicken in the cage for 2 or 3 days before releasing him, and that it worked fine. In the end, every introduction is a little different, though. Lots of space, hiding places, more than one feeding station, and distractions like a handful of BOSS or a hanging cabbage or flock block can all help. For a single bird, another method is to place her on the roost after dark, and hope they are accustomed to her presence by morning.
     

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