- Jul 3, 2011
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Ok so here's the highlights for those that haven't read my previous posts. We interrupted a raccoon trying to eat all 4 of our then 14-week old chickens. The raccoon got one and injured two others. One of the injured ones is doing fine and is pretty much all better. The other was injured pretty severely but we managed to save her. It's been a long 5 week road to recovery for her but she's almost all better. During this 5 weeks, she's been inside to protect her wounds and keep her as clean and infection/maggot free as possible. We tried to put her out with the other two just for a few hours the other day and the uninjured one went after her and tried to attack her. She was pretty vicious about it and kept going back after her so I took the injured one back inside. I was very disappointed and frustrated because we have worked so hard to save this sweet chicken and now her flockmates have forgotten her. We also have 4 cats though so there was no way she was going to become a house chicken. I decided to make her a pen for outside that she could go in during the day and then come inside at night. That way maybe she and the others would see each other and get used to each other and eventually be able to live to together again. I put her in the outside pen today for the first time. Here's a photo. Sorry it is sideways but I can't figure out how to rotate it since it is the right-way up when I open it.
I was amazed that it seemed to work really well. They all hung around each other with the wire pen between them. When I came out to check on them about an hour later they were all roosting next to each other but with the wire pen separating the two healthy ones form the injured one. Then this afternoon, the white injured chicken jumped out of the pen and started free ranging around the yard. The other two didn't peck at her except maybe once or twice in a curious and not so much in an aggressive way. I watched them for about an hour and then the two other chickens went into their coop for the night. I took the injured chicken back inside. I figure I'll do this everyday for a while and see how they get on but I am hopeful now.
My question is, how will I know when it's ok to put them all in the coop together? Or will it never be ok to put them in the coop together? Any advice appreciated! Thanks so much for your support. I would never have gotten through this ordeal without you guys.
I was amazed that it seemed to work really well. They all hung around each other with the wire pen between them. When I came out to check on them about an hour later they were all roosting next to each other but with the wire pen separating the two healthy ones form the injured one. Then this afternoon, the white injured chicken jumped out of the pen and started free ranging around the yard. The other two didn't peck at her except maybe once or twice in a curious and not so much in an aggressive way. I watched them for about an hour and then the two other chickens went into their coop for the night. I took the injured chicken back inside. I figure I'll do this everyday for a while and see how they get on but I am hopeful now.
My question is, how will I know when it's ok to put them all in the coop together? Or will it never be ok to put them in the coop together? Any advice appreciated! Thanks so much for your support. I would never have gotten through this ordeal without you guys.
