Remove the one pecking or the pecked hen?

[windtryst]

I have a hen that has a spot on her lower jaw, can't tell if it is an injury, or a pecked spot. Today I saw one of the other hens pecking her, so I removed the one with the bad spot and put her in a dog crate for a chance to heal and have some time alone without being chased around and bothered. But maybe I should have isolated the mean one who was pecking at her! Or would the others just have pecked her as well?
Hopefully I can get her better, but then how will I ever reintroduce her back into the flock?

 

[MakNat]

I think it was best to remove the injured one. Usually once one is hurt the others will start picking on them. They a canabals you know. I think there is something called Blu Kote to put on the open wound and they won't pick it. You should let her heal all the way before returning her to the flock. Also I've heard you can use pine tar after it is healed and the won't pick. Good Luck!!

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

You did the right thing. Once she's healed up you won't have any problem getting her back in with the flock.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

When I saw one of the other hens peck Liberty on the ear, I removed her THAT SECOND. Seriously, I walked in grabbed her, and left LOL. I kept her indoors for a week in a crate, she went out during the day to a smaller run (half the size of the usual run) on the other side of the house by the garage.

She recovered after I put superglue on her and glued her ear back to her head LOL, and went back into the coop after a week with no problems. She developed some guts while in the house. Within 5 minutes of being in the coop one of the hens tried to peck her, and she flipped out LOL, sending the hen running flapping her wings all flustered.


Spray her with some no-pick, or what we bought, back-off (which smells heavily of nicotine) and no one dared mess with her.

Good luck!

Edited to say: Chances are it was just a pecking order scuffle, that's what happened to Liberty, she got too close to the gate when I was there and one of the higher hens told her off, just a bit too roughly.

 

[Chiiiiiiiiiickens!]

I removed my own injured girl to a cat crate for a few nights and she healed up. No problems since then with the other girls being nasty to her and she has been back in the mix for 2 weeks now. I have one that is particularly mean, and I am thinking of isolating her, but I'm worried that when I reintroduce her she will establish her place in the pecking order with even worse violence! Seems best to take out the wounded one because a sore is liable to attract attention from any of the others, not just the ones with mean streaks.

 

[windtryst]

Thanks, It is good to hear from you. She is happy in the dog crate and can see the other chickens, so I hope she is not too lonely. I will let her out to free range today for a bit while I can keep an eye on her.
Thanks all!

 

[Guinea Goonie]

You can get the rooster booster pick no more lotion. It deters the rest of the flock from cannibalism. When you put your hen back into the flock, use this for a few days.