- Apr 20, 2012
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Please bear with the long post but I think the history may be important 
I have a 2 year old New Hampshire hen who was disabled as a chick when her tendon slipped around to the other side of her leg. She has always walked with a limp. Recently, while I was on vacation, my pet-sitter found her laying on the floor of the coop unable to stand. He took her to the vet and the vet thought maybe she couldn't reach the food/water and was exhausted (he couldn't find anything else wrong with her). He put her on Baytril for 2 weeks and I brought her in the house but every day I would bring her out with her flockmates for a few hours in hopes that they wouldn't forget she was "one of them".
Five of my hens are fine with her but unfortunately, the other 2 have gotten increasingly aggressive and try to peck her face repeatedly. I have tried "timing them out" in their coop, pushing them away from her, introducing her into the coop at night while the others are asleep and giving them lots of high-value food whenever she is around (which worked with one, but the other will not be dissuaded).
That said, what should I do?
Any suggestions for re-introduction into the flock?
I was considering getting her her own coop and a flock mate or two, so if I go that route, should I get another disabled hen? A chick? A dove or something?
I don't want her to be hurt by another bird (she has limited mobility and flaps her wings often, so I don't want her with any animal that would pick on her but I feel bad keeping her by herself.) Making her a house chicken is out of the question unless someone knows how to potty-train her ; )
Also, she has completely recovered, seems happy, is super-social, loves people and lays an egg every day so euthanasia is not course I want to take right now.
Thanks so much for any suggestions!
Steph
I have a 2 year old New Hampshire hen who was disabled as a chick when her tendon slipped around to the other side of her leg. She has always walked with a limp. Recently, while I was on vacation, my pet-sitter found her laying on the floor of the coop unable to stand. He took her to the vet and the vet thought maybe she couldn't reach the food/water and was exhausted (he couldn't find anything else wrong with her). He put her on Baytril for 2 weeks and I brought her in the house but every day I would bring her out with her flockmates for a few hours in hopes that they wouldn't forget she was "one of them".
Five of my hens are fine with her but unfortunately, the other 2 have gotten increasingly aggressive and try to peck her face repeatedly. I have tried "timing them out" in their coop, pushing them away from her, introducing her into the coop at night while the others are asleep and giving them lots of high-value food whenever she is around (which worked with one, but the other will not be dissuaded).
That said, what should I do?
Any suggestions for re-introduction into the flock?
I was considering getting her her own coop and a flock mate or two, so if I go that route, should I get another disabled hen? A chick? A dove or something?
I don't want her to be hurt by another bird (she has limited mobility and flaps her wings often, so I don't want her with any animal that would pick on her but I feel bad keeping her by herself.) Making her a house chicken is out of the question unless someone knows how to potty-train her ; )
Also, she has completely recovered, seems happy, is super-social, loves people and lays an egg every day so euthanasia is not course I want to take right now.
Thanks so much for any suggestions!
Steph
