Reintroducing Head Hen back into flock

[youngbirdmom]

So my head hen had an impacted crop and had to get surgery. During that time she also sprained her leg. She has been inside recovering and the more I read about sprained legs I am getting worried about reintroducing her.

She was the head hen out of the three and they were all raised together. I bring her outside in a little pool to see the other girls every day but I am still worried. The other girls are way more relaxed and my injured hen is the only one who has ever been a fighter.

Has anyone had any issues reintroducing the flock leader? Its been about five days since she was separated and we haven’t had any issues with them all outside together but still separated.

 

[chickschool]

I had a wonderful Americana a few years back. I introduced two much larger birds into the flock and one of them jumped her and broke her leg. I sent the two bigger ones back to the original owner and desperately tried to find a vet to help my Peanut Butter. After two telling me to just put her down I finally found someone who actually helped. Her recovery was about 6 weeks. We even took her camping with us for two weeks! She was great and when I put her back in the coop it was like “Mom’s finally back”. Even with her limp she was still head hen. I raise my chicks in our living room then transfer them back and forth from my classroom to home. Once they are big enough they move into a coop at the school. They have constance attention. They are pets. I don’t know if that make a huge difference but she was missed by the flock.

 

[youngbirdmom]

I had a wonderful Americana a few years back. I introduced two much larger birds into the flock and one of them jumped her and broke her leg. I sent the two bigger ones back to the original owner and desperately tried to find a vet to help my Peanut Butter. After two telling me to just put her down I finally found someone who actually helped. Her recovery was about 6 weeks. We even took her camping with us for two weeks! She was great and when I put her back in the coop it was like “Mom’s finally back”. Even with her limp she was still head hen. I raise my chicks in our living room then transfer them back and forth from my classroom to home. Once they are big enough they move into a coop at the school. They have constance attention. They are pets. I don’t know if that make a huge difference but she was missed by the flock.

I got all of my girls on the same day and they’re all incredibly protective of each other and don’t like to be separated. They are all happy to sit around each other when I put my head hen in the coop in a tent to be around the others.

I was so worried seeing how other hens were bullied and left behind. I didn’t know if it would be different for a head hen

 

[Flockking]

Just make sure they're seeing each other like 2 - 3 times a day
Let her be with them under your supervision

Chickens tend to forget each other quickly and when you introduce the hen that's been away be it too hen or not they definitely want to outrank her