I have 5 hens - all 9 months old. They grew up together. A week ago we had a hawk attack that injured one of the lower pecking order birds. I kept her in a pen in the garage until she was healed - there isn't a visible wound anymore. Now I'm trying to get her back with the flock and the bird just above her in the pecking order won't leave her alone.
I tried putting the injured bird in a dog crate with the others in the run so they could interact and that went fine but as soon as I put them all together she gets pecked and chased. She's acting really scared.
Other ideas? How long does it normally take to reintegrate a hen? She was injured once before and I did the same thing - and within a few hours she was back just fine but they were still pullets then (plus I had a rooster). It took a week of "hospital pen" treatment for her to heal and she had the lowest bird in the pecking order in there with her the last two days because she was upset and lonely. The others are leaving the lowest bird alone completely and just focusing their attacks on the injured one
I tried putting the injured bird in a dog crate with the others in the run so they could interact and that went fine but as soon as I put them all together she gets pecked and chased. She's acting really scared.
Other ideas? How long does it normally take to reintegrate a hen? She was injured once before and I did the same thing - and within a few hours she was back just fine but they were still pullets then (plus I had a rooster). It took a week of "hospital pen" treatment for her to heal and she had the lowest bird in the pecking order in there with her the last two days because she was upset and lonely. The others are leaving the lowest bird alone completely and just focusing their attacks on the injured one