Outcast Chicken Problem

[tortoise]

I have a problem with a hen. The biggest part of the problem is she has a name and my kids and I like her. She's tame, eats out of our hands, and we carry her around while doing chores.

She has a significant breeding injury last year so DH pulled her out and kept her in a cage to give her a chance to heal. When she was ready to go back to the flock, she was picked on badly and we had to take her back out.

The flock has changed - 2 batches of hens hatched in 2017 have been added tot he hen pen so the flock has tripled in size. i accidentally put her into the hen pen and she flipped the heck out, even though none of the hens were interested in her or picking on her. She hopped up in a nest box so I could take her out. (Smart chicken!)

Our winters are cold and she won't have the benefit of a heat lamp if I can't get her back into the flock.

Any ideas?

 

[tortoise]

I've decided the best resolution is to give the hen to a friend who appreciates a few pet hens. The friend only has 2 chickens at the end of summer - not enough to stay warm in the coop - so we already gave her a few hens. Her daughters would appreciate a tame hen. As much as i enjoy having a tame hen around, it's better for her to go. She is in a cage waiting to go.

 

[AnimalIAm]

I would keep her in a separate pen right next to the other chickens to allow her to adapt to the other chickens being around and the after a while put her in the other pen for a little while at I time that way she should get used to the other chickens

 

[Beekissed]

Mine either, just the usual pecking order stuff. I have outcast groups or single birds from spring until fall...then I butcher. That changing of the flock's dynamic changes everything. Suddenly the outcasts start roosting in the coop for the first time and not even in the nest boxes, but fully up on the roosts.

I guess they feel like the enemy of my enemy is my friend. There's a danger out there bigger than all of them and they need to unite against it.

 

[NH Homesteader]

You have lucky chickens. None of ours have a heat lamp!

When you put her in with the flock, they'll be territorial. If you disorient the flock by moving them in with her, they'll be better. You can even try to confuse them a bit by moving things around in their pen and changing shavings, things like that and you might be able to put her in with them. Otherwise I would try what FEM suggested.

 

[Wannabefree]

I had that issue before and kicked the whole flock out and into cages for a few days and then all back together. It resets the pecking order, but then they don't single out one bird and peck it mercilessly.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I don't really know your set-up so don't know if you can do this. I've had luck by doing the opposite of putting a bird with an established group. I've been able to put the new bird (or bullied bird) in an area (close to the main area) and putting one of the calmer chickens from the established group with her. When they are calm together add another bird to their little group. Most of the time that works for me...

Good luck and hope you find something that works!

 

[baymule]

I would trust them I'm only 13 after all.

But you have good ideas too. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Mini Horses]

Yep, giving her a couple hens to bond with from the group will generally make a better acceptance level when they are put together in a flock. The best time to re-into is to put them on the roost at night and they all wake up together. Watch for results.

 

[tortoise]

I went out tonight and saw she was roosting with the meat roosters and a few stray young hens I haven't been able to catch yet. The little hen next to her was getting noses and she put it in it's place! I had to laugh. I think i can get her into the flock if I do it soon while there are so many o the young birds in there. I'm scheming to put her cage in the hen pen. If she acted calm I don't think she would get picked on.