Dixie

One of the girls in our 4H club had raised three hens last fall. They were her babies and super tame. Well, a few weeks ago two coyotes ran up in broad daylight and took two of the three leaving her with one lone chicken. Poor Dixie the chicken was lonely so she was given to me to bring into my flock. I was under the inpression that I could just toss the chicken into my hen house one night and *poof* she'd be part of the flock. Turns out this is not how it works.

I set up a cage in the hen house and put Dixie inside. Let all of my chickens back in the hen house where upon the rooster decided to try to murder Dixie through the cage. She fought back pretty good and they managed to draw blood on each other's combs, this is through a cage mind you. So for several days I kept her caged and only let her out once the other chickens were locked out of the hen house for the day. Slowly they all got used to each other and now after nearly 2 weeks they can be left alone together. Poor Dixie is still not accepted and won't leave the hen house but at least they aren't trying to murder her anymore. Strange animals.