Re-introduction Advice

flnatv

Songster
8 Years
Apr 7, 2011
713
2
119
West Tennessee
I lost 1 roo and 2 hens 2days ago from dogs that broke through my 6ft privacy fence.
I have one larger pullet that is fine and is in the coop... I went ahead and let the babies out with her (they were in the brooder in the coop already) and since she was a little stressed and out of sorts... things went GREAT. She is still a little distraught, but doing well.

Here is the predicament... I have a hen (okay... she's big but really still a pullet) that was injured and has been in the bathtub inside since the attack.
Once she is healed and I feel she can go back outside (hopefully in another couple of days.. she is now eating, drinking, standing, preening, fluffing) I need to re-introduce her to her coopmates.

I read a lot about how to introduce small chicks, but how do I introduce a bigger bird? Will the hen in the coop recognize her and pick back up where they left off? What can I expect with her and the little ones?


Here are ages and breeds to give you an idea of what I am facing.
Injured: 9week old BSL
In the Coop:
9week old BSL
4week old Partridge Rock and NH
3 week old Silkies, GL Polish, and bantam BO

I also have 4 ducks that go in the coop at night, but I am not as worried about them... they are big enough to take care of themselves and I have not seem them instigate anything yet.
 
I do it the same as I do chicks.

I have a completely wire cage that I put in the run for the one I want to add (with food and water). Let them see each other again and get used to each other. I leave it in for 2-3 days.
Then I open the cage door, and let the newbies roam in and out and mingle with the others. The newbies will usually still go into the cage at night. After a couple of days of that, I start going in at lockup time & putting the newbies in the coop at night. Usually one or two days, and I can remove the cage.

It takes me about a week to do it this way, but seems the less stressful
 
Thank you... I have kept the brooder in the pen right now... have it propped on one end with 2 6x6x6 blocks...
The little ones can get away from the one big girl, but she can't get into the brooder... gives them a little safety place.

By the time I put the injured one back in I should be able to take the blocks out from under the brooder and put her in there. It is 5x3 so it is plenty big enough. Will that work?

Thank you for your time... I just want this to go smoothly and her not get picked on too much since she is already so stressed.
 

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