Reintroducing a flock member?

cackleberryandco

Songster
Sep 15, 2021
167
416
146
near Chicago, IL
Does anyone have any tips for reintroducing a recovered member to a flock? She's about 14 weeks old, has been away from the flock for about a month/month and a half during a rather lengthy fight with sour crop. 4 of the chickens are the same age, the other two are older, close to 5 months now. We have no roosters and no eggs yet.

She has a cage inside of the run that she sleeps in, during the day I let her hang out with the others so they can all get used to each other. Two in particular like to bully her, they chase her and peck her head. One of them she has defended herself against and that one leaves her alone and for the others she is clearly afraid and she runs away. She is small and weak from a month and a half of not properly eating and I'm afraid of her getting teamed up on. She is widely just rejected; they don't let her lay or sleep with them and if she gets too close while eating she will get pecked.

Does anyone have any tips or any idea of how long this will take? It has been about 4 days since she was introduced. Thanks! She is speckled sussex.
 
This article I wrote on how to rehab a victim of bullying can also apply to reintroducing an absent flock member. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-bully-chicken-victim-a-two-sided-issue.73923/

In a nutshell, you let the hen begin to mingle with the flock, but place her back into her safe haven as soon as she shows signs of not being able to cope. Then gradually increase the time she spends mingling each day until she's comfortable standing up for herself again. It may mean she fights with another hen or two in the process, but as long as she's defending herself and not standing meekly while being pecked, she's doing well.
 

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