Author Topic: how to reintroduce her??? (Read 2424 times)

northfifeduckling · « **on:** October 22, 2012, 06:56:01 pm »

we had the little hen that had been bullied and turned into a ready-to-baste bird in isolation to recover for around 3 months now. Her feathers are slowly coming back. I do feel that she should be out and eat the good freerange food but don't want the whole thiing starting over again (they mainly did it to her in the house at night). How do I best approach it? Maybe still lock her away at night?

jaykay · « **Reply #1 on:** October 22, 2012, 07:00:07 pm »

If she's still got blood-rich sticky out quills those will be very tempting.
Maybe let her out during the day when you can keep an eye on her for now?

PetiteGalette · « **Reply #2 on:** October 22, 2012, 11:54:10 pm »

I'd go with jaykay............... you can keep an eye on her and control the daytime bullying, but not at night.

chrismahon · « **Reply #3 on:** October 23, 2012, 05:59:15 am »

After 3 months away (even 3 days) she will be treated as an outsider and attacked NFD. She needs to be kept separate but in full view of the others for two weeks before re-introducing her, even during the day.

Sounds as though your coop might be too small. They need a minimum of one square foot per bird in the coop with 9" of perch each and two square metres per bird in a run. As Jaykay said, the fresh quills will be too much of a temptation anyway.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #4 on:** October 23, 2012, 07:52:31 am »

The coup's a good size ( the chickens are awkward

), it has 5 perches but at the mo 6 birds are squeezing into 2 nesting boxes. Maybe because they are moulting and cold, no sign of mites. Trouble with the wee one is that she never liked to perch even when the others did and stayed sitting on the bottom of the coup - bait!

The good thing - she has been in full view of the others all those months, just not out and abnout with them.

zarzar · « **Reply #5 on:** October 23, 2012, 06:16:18 pm »

Hi i recently got 19 8 week old chickens although they look alot older as were being fattened for meat, i put them in with my other hens after louse powdering them all even my old birds and they seem to be all getting on without any argueing.

chrismahon · « **Reply #6 on:** October 24, 2012, 06:38:03 am »

Perhaps blocking the nest boxes at night (we use plant pots) is a good start NFD. Then opening the pophole before it's light enough for them to attack her.

Roosting in the nest boxes will encourage dirty eggs and lice or mites. Always a risk of trampling in the morning as well.