How long to keep healing hen seperated?

[DMJ1123]

About a week and a half ago I seperated one of my hens from the rest of the flock. I noticed she had been preening excessively her tail feathers and chest. The bare irritated spots were an easy target for the others. They would chase her down and peck until she bled. I tried treating the spots with no-pick lotion but it didn't help.

Initially I seperated her for a few days while I treated for mites, just in case. I reintroduced her when her excessive preening stopped and she had some pin regrowth. I watched for a while and all seemed good. Nope. Within 10 minutes of me walking away all her pin regrowth was pecked out. More blood. I witnessed five others chasing her down.

So for the past week she has been on her own in a makeshift run during the day and in a cage in the shed at night. She is healing up nicely. Pins growing back with feathers sprouting out.

So my question is how long should I keep her seperated before attempting to reintroduce her again? I'd hate to do it too early and squash the progress. I was thinking wait until more feathers come in and there aren't any glaring bare spots to draw attention.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I would spray her with blukote and do an integration back. She is the bottom of the pecking order because of this, I would do a see but no touch integration. I wouldn't just put her back in.

 

[aart]

I tried treating the spots with no-pick lotion but it didn't help.

Topical 'goops' won't help much to deter serious picking.
Sometimes the bird its applied to will try to preen it off.

How old are these birds..and how many are there?
How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

This might help too:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

while I treated for mites, just in case.

Did you actually see mites or lice?
Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

 

[DMJ1123]

I would spray her with blukote and do an integration back. She is the bottom of the pecking order because of this, I would do a see but no touch integration. I wouldn't just put her back in.

So spray as a pecking deterrent and integrate her in the run in a cage or blocked off somehow? How long would you do that before letting her back in completely?