Reintegration into the flock

[AKsmama]

Our pullet, Kitty, fractured her leg a few weeks ago. We brought her into the house in a large dog crate to recover. She is fully recovered now, but of course has dropped to dead last in the pecking order. Last night I put her on the roost at dusk and stayed about 10 minutes to observe that everything was ok before I shut them up for the night. Poor Kitty, you could see the fear in her eyes even though nobody was messing with her at that point. I went out around 7 to open the coop. She is getting chased and pecked at a bit, but so far no one has really hurt her. I'm going to leave them to work the pecking order out again unless I see someone is being merciless. Did I do everything right? Anyone have just a general idea how long it might take for things to work out again? She has always been our friendliest chicken and I don't want to see her injured, but she HAS to learn how to live with the flock again. We have one cockerel, Jefe (who is not living up to his name anymore), who is being chased a good bit by our head cockerel, Hannibal, so when they are out free-ranging, Jefe and Kitty hang out together around our deck and garage. Our little outcast gang

 

[Judy]

You did fine. They are what they are, aren't they?

No one can tell you how long, not really, only how long it took theirs. Hopefully things will settle down in a few days; maybe they already have. If so, it's nice that she has a companion.

Mine split themselves into two or three groups for the longest time, and there were less than 20. We removed two roos, leaving two, with thirteen hens. Now it's the remaining roo and all the hens, and poor #2 roo wanders around by himself entirely. I will find him nowhere near the group, or he will hang around the fringes of the group, mating once in a while if #1 doesn't catch him and knock him off. I feel sorry for him, and hope in time a few hens will form a separate clan with him. And everything will change again if the broody setting on 8 eggs actually raises some chicks.

 

[Eliza]

Here's what I do. I have a medium dog crate. I place the wire crate in the coop with food and water. If the ruckus is too great, then I put a barrier on the exposed side of the crate so they can only yell at the inmates from the front. After some time, when everyone's being ignored, I remove the barrier. Sometimes that creates some interest, but usually not. The inmates are then let out, but I leave the crate so they can run back in at night. Right now I have two silkie pullets that just came out of quarantine in their dog crate in the house. I put the whole shabang in the coop for another week with them inside. This morning, I left the door open. Just went to check - everyone's happy -especially the silky cross rooster who's intrigued!

 

[AKsmama]

Thank you for the replies, I appreciate it.

Yes, they are what they are. I so enjoy watching their behavior and learning about how their little societies work. Poor Kitty hangs her head so low when she gets on the roost, it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "cowering in fear." I just want to tell her to act confident and peck them back, but I don't think she'll listen.