Rejected hen and ducks?

[lorelei71221]

I have a small backyard flock of four hens. Originally there were three, but when one went broody I bought some fertilized eggs for her and she successfully hatched and raised a single chick, Sappho. As soon as Sappho grew up, her mom and one other hen started bullying her. They have never caused any serious injury, but Sappho has been getting more and more depressed and isolated, and she now just hangs out by herself in the far corner of the coop. At 6 months her face reddened up and I thought she was about to lay, but after the bullying started she went pale again and has never laid an egg (she is over a year old now).

I am not sure if there is any way to salvage the relationship with the flock?

I also just bought a pair of ducklings, who will have a small enclosure separate but adjacent to the hens, and they will be allowed the run of the yard. I am wondering if there is some way Sappho could join their "flock" instead, but I don't know how to work out the logistics (different feed, duck enclosure is small and has no roosts, I don't want a hen loose in the yard tearing everything up, etc.). Any ideas on how to resolve our little backyard drama?

 

[MillersFarm]

If she is over a year old and still isnt laying then it sounds like shes egg bound... something most chickens dont really recover from if you catch it to late.. Heres a great article about Egg bound chickens...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-binding-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention.66978/

If her face IS pale and shes acting depressed shes most likely egg bound, I'm very sorry for your hen.

 

[lorelei71221]

Thanks for the article. However, I thought egg-binding was an acute condition that would probably have resulted in death by now. I have had an egg-bound hen before, and this is different. She seems generally healthy, just stressed from the rejection and bullying, and I assume the stress is what is causing her not to lay.