Update on my injured chicken and needing advice

[imon2ya]

Hi Everyone. Last month I joined and summoned help from all of the wonderful experts on this forum. My sweet chicken had been attacked by a raccoon in the middle of the night. I was able to get the raccoon away from her, but she was left with some horrible puncture wounds to her head and one on her back. Fast forward to now... I have managed to pull her thru this ordeal and she is completely healed. She's still got a little battle wounds present to her face, but is back to eating and drinking normally. She's also regained her energy and likes being outside again. BUT, here's my dilemma now... I was worried the other chickens may not accept her back with them. There are two others that she's been with since they were chicks. Each time, I try to put them together in the backyard, they try and attack her. Then she takes cover and runs to hide in a corner. I've tried keeping a spray bottle with me and spray them when they start pecking at her. I've doused her with Blu-coat as directed on these forums. Nothing seems to work. I feel like a Correctional Officer. Moving two chickens to their cell so I can let other chicken have some yard time without the fear of being attacked. I do this ALL.DAY.LONG..

Does anyone have any other suggestions for me. I'm truly desperate. Thanks

 

[Aunt Angus]

Congrats on nursing her back to health! That's amazing!!!!

However, the pecking order has been rearranged, and she is like a new hen to the flock. I'm not very experienced with this, but I did have to introduce a new bird not too long ago. You have to basically start over. Keep them separated for a week (or more) so that they can see each other but not physically interact. When you feel it's been long enough, you can try letting them free range together. Some people report they've been able to put the new bird on the roost with the flock at night and that minimizes problems. That was not my experience, though. I don't think it's possible to have zero problems when reintroducing chickens. The establishment of the pecking order can be brutal. I've just started to kind of ignore some of the squabbles and angry pecks. It's a chicken thing, and I was thinking about it as a human.

Search up on BYC introducing and reintroducing birds, and you will find a plethora of info and suggestions.

Good luck! Poor thing has faced a raccoon. She shouldn't have to be beaten up by her flockmates, too!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

X2

 

[AmyJane725]

Like @Aunt Angus said, set up a separate area in the run (wire enclosure) and put her in there, so they can see her and she can see them, but they can't attack her. Put her in there daily for about a week (sleep inside in the hospital crate I guess?) You can toss some treats down so they scatter both inside and just outside the temporary pen so they can eat together/get used to doing normal chicken things together.

There definitely will be some hard pecks and chases, but once the pecking order is restored things should be peaceful again. It is definitely difficult to watch. I have a few episodes of this coming up and I'm nervous.

 

[coach723]

You can either set up a separate area in the run separated by a fence so they can see each other, or you can put her in a wire crate in the run. Feed them next to the fence or wire so they are eating together, but no one can touch. Look but don't touch takes time, as long as it takes. Once there is no posturing going on, everyone has calmed down and they are more ignoring each other, then you put them together for supervised periods to see how it goes. A pecking order spat should be a peck and a run and over. If it's an all out attack, then you go back to look but don't touch for a while. To some extent it has to happen, but no one should get murdered in the process.

 

[imon2ya]

Thank you all for the input. I will start this tomorrow. I'm hoping and praying this works...