I wouldn't worry about the integrating right now. Just get her over the feather pecking. You can work on the integrating later. I had a chicken that I had to separate from the flock last fall. She was quite a bit younger than the rest of the "ready-to-lay" hens I bought. I assumed this, anyway, because her comb and wattles were not developed yet and she wasn't laying with the rest of them. They all picked on her, as did the rooster, and chased her away from the food, water, perch and outside door. She hid in a nesting box all the time. I took her out of the chicken house but let her free range around their pen all day every day and just shut her up separately at night. They other chickens were with her all day but separated by the pen fence. I did worry about her freeranging by herself but she didn't go far from the other chickens. They love to get out of the fence and eat the fresh grass and such. They watched her a lot and I think were jealous that she was out there and they were not. I hoped it would give them the idea that she was my special chicken. After a few weeks, when she had started laying little eggs outside, I started taking her into the chicken house at night and setting her up on a perch with the other chickens. She didn't know she could get down by herself yet so stayed there and didn't hide in a nesting box. I stood with her and protected her from the other chickens and gave them a push or a flick if they came near to her. I put her at the feeder and waterer and protected her while she ate and drank. I let them know in no uncertain terms that it is NOT FUN to pick on this chicken and that she is mine. (Thank you Velvet Sparrow for that training info). I turned the light off when I left so that they were left in total darkness and went to sleep. So she was with them at night and when they woke up in the morning. She soon learned that she could walk to the end of the perch, against the wall, and turn away from them and they couldn't peck her. They always tried for her head. One cold night I took her in and she immediately moved over and pushed her way into the settling group of hens and hunkered down and hid her head so no one could peck her. She did that like she was familiar with this move, so I assumed she had been doing that at night and was ok with it. I never did see any blood or missing feathers from serious pecking injuries as she was good at getting away and hiding her head. I left her in there longer and longer in the mornings and she was laying her eggs in the nesting boxes. I know this because of the number of eggs. Its hard for me to tell her from the other chickens now, she's just one of the group and they all get along pretty well, most of the time anyway.

I vote libertarian, Obama was running on the democratic party ticket so he did not get my vote or my support. My concern for raptors is not based on their majesty h as their utility. Wolves and mountain lons as predators are very effectively replaced by man, raptors that have been driven out of any given area have not been effectively replaced by anything. Also do you think the conservation officer is going to be making decisions based on his sensibilities? I suspect that they will make their choices based on the population data that exsts regardng the species of hawk that is giving you the problems. With mammal species large litters can be produced, because of the realities of flight raptors can only have a few offspring and very few young birds make it to adulthood. Raptor populations can be very vulnerable, and we need them. Your attitude of "nothing matters if they are hurting my livestock" is a reckless one, one that on a whole has really damaged a lot of livestock. Look at the tragedy of the commons, or the depletion of fish stock. No one did those things with the intention to destroy their livelyhood, it was done because what is best for everyone is seldom a matter of each one of us doing what is best for ourselves. Shared resources must have access restricted, not completely but to a reasonable degree. The attitude that that restriction is unreasonable prevents a Nash equilibrium from emerging and prevents everyone from being sucessful. I am not telling you to not kill the hawk, I am telling you that you need to follow the laws, incompetence of local law enforcement aside. The Bald and Golden eagle protection act is about majesty, but the other acts regarding destruction or capture of hawks are based on ecology.

All I want for Christmas... On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...a new motor for the 1566. On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me...two bulls for the herd. On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...three new milkers (would settle for a closer place for service/parts). On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...four gift cards! (Menard's, Harbor Freight, Mill's Fleet Farm, feed co-op) On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...interest free refinancing! (I'd love her forever) On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...six springing heifers. On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...seven Mexican workers! On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...eight shop lights On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...nine pallets of seed On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...ten new tires! (they'll be used by Easter) On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...eleven smartwool socks On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...twelve hand tools (tools are like shoes, you can never have enough)

I currently have 16 pullets and 2 cockerels--3 1/2 month old Australorps)in an 8' square 3' tall chicken tractor and 15 layers in a second one. I move them by lifting one side with a hand truck and sliding 3 lengths of PVC pipe each under the parallel sides pointing in the direction I wish to move. One piece of PVC is at the leading edge, the second is in the middle and the last is 3/4 back from the leading edge. Then I lean into the side and push the whole business one 8' length onto new grass. When the tractor rolls off the rear pieces of PVC, I place them in the front. My yard is fairly smooth so it's no big deal to move them on a daily basis. The only difficulty is when the ground is extremely soft from rain or when the grass at the leading edge is too long. The chickens do a good job of tearing up the sod but if rain is adequate, the droppings break up quickly and the grass starts to grow again almost immediately--to the point that you can't tell the tractor was there a week later. I have about a month's worth of spaces for each tractor so creating a "hot environment" isn't a problem EXCEPT when we don't get rain like this past July and August. There is no reason why it shouldn't work. Just be sure the ground is dry enough that the chickens aren't digging in wet soil.