Time to reintroduce hurt hen?

[chickensforkids]

This hen was hurt by a rooster and the skin under her ear was torn almost completely off except for a flap of skin. I originally thought that I would have to cut it off, but I waited to see if it would shrivel up itself and either fall off or be easier to cut off. It didn't fall off, but it did shrink. It is completely healed, she is free of scabs and blood but I'm worried that the flap might attract picking.

Should I reintroduce her to the flock, cut it off, and/or continue to wait?

She has been inside a dog crate inside the chicken coop with the rest of the chickens. She has had supervised visits throughout, and she has escaped a few times in the last week and each time she was found roosting with the others.

The rooster is no longer with us because he kept hurting the hens.

Suggestions?

 

[Pork Pie]

I'd suggest continuing with supervised flock time and observing what goes on. No pecking and I'd let her return to the flock full time.

Ct

 

[chickensforkids]

After how long of an observation without picking can you be pretty sure that she's all set?

 

[cberrybog]

We had a hurt hen, and we waited a while to reintroduce her. They must have assumed she was gone and they fought, so I watched them for a couple hours. She did well so now she's back in with the flock. I would keep watching to make sure they don't peck her and make her bleed again, over the next couple of days.

 

[Pork Pie]

We had a hurt hen, and we waited a while to reintroduce her. They must have assumed she was gone and they fought, so I watched them for a couple hours. She did well so now she's back in with the flock. I would keep watching to make sure they don't peck her and make her bleed again, over the next couple of days.

Sound advice I'd say. The longer you leave her from the flock, the more harsh the reintegration process. Chicken society is harsh, but the less we humans intervene, the sooner they sort themselves out.

Ct

 

[donrae]

I'd spray it well with Blue-Kote and put her back with the flock on a day I could look in on them periodically. She's healed and she needs to be a part of the flock again. I'm not one for drawn out integration or re-introductions. I just put them in and let them figure it out. Sparring and squawking are normal. Even a little bit of drawing blood on each other's combs is tolerable to me, as long as each bird seems to be holding their own. Once there's a clear winner, the winner needs to let the loser yield and run away. If the winner persists in chasing the loser, that's when I intervene.