Reintroducing a broody Hen

[Nschrubb]

I have a hen who has been broody but now has stopped. She has done this before and we always just push her off the nest. We have never had too much of a problem with the other hens accepting her again until this year. I noticed the other day she was only hanging out in the coop - not in the nesting box - but on the roosting stick. She had some injuries to her top comb. So I put her back outside the coop in the run and immediately the other hens jumped on her and attacked her. So I had to step in and pick her up. I decided to out her in a small fenced in area but still in the run like I do when integrate a new bird. I did this for a little over a week and put her in the coop with the other birds at night. Then I slowly started putting her back outside with the flock.

They don’t seem to care about her but she starts acting really weird and starts running around the coop and sometimes picking fights with other birds. Her behavior is causing the other birds to attack her again.

She is also molting right now. I am not sure what to do? I can’t keep her in the little bird jail forever. Do I just need to keep doing it until she is done molting? Any advice would be be helpful.

Also I should note my chickens have a really large fenced in area, so they have plenty of room. I out back in the small fenced in area but left the side open so it’s not totally fenced off. Now she won’t leave her cage. She just hangs out in there all day and doesn’t seem to want to integrate with the flock. And sometimes she just runs into the coop and won’t come out again.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds like she may still be exhibiting some broody behaviours yet? Other hens tend to fight with broody hens and they can be disruptive to the flock You can continue to pen her separately or just let her go. As long as the injuries aren't too bad, they should eventually work it out. Seems like she's good about separating herself. Sometimes they do that when molting as well.