I'm so upset. I've been babying my Columbian Wyandotte for about 3 months (no lie). She had a bad molt and the others picked her back bloody. I hdaad her in the house for about a month, made her a chicken saddle, put her back in the coop, separated so everyone could see her. her feathers grew back beautifully. little by little I was letting her out with the others. I've been letting her sleep in the open coop for about a week. I went out this morning and her back where it was picked clean is picked clean again . Do I need to rehome this poor girl? I can't stop crying for her. Can someone can help me and Maxine?
I didn't want to rehome my bullied baby so I finally put peepers on the instigators. No need to make her pay for their bad behavior. It did work in my case. Until she healed (I kept her with the others so she wouldn't go back in at the bottom of the pecking order) I covered her spots with surgery tape & white duct tape. Others use chicken aprons but I didn't have one available at the time & the tape actually worked. I put blue kote on first, however, & let it dry well. I have plenty of space so they would peck her on the roost to let her know she was the undeserving runt. She's now the prettiest of them all with her new feathers.
Sometimes flock dynamics are a mystery. Why your flock has decided that Maxine is an outsider you can only guess - but it certainly seems to be a constant that you haven't been able to break. If Maxine is healthy otherwise, and behaves like a normal chicken, then it's likely that she'll be fine in another flock. I've re-homed a bully, who ended up being a sweet hen in a different flock, and I've taken in Polish who were pecked bare, but are fine with my hens. Hopefully, you know someone who knows how to introduce a new hen to an established flock. I have suggestions here: http://www.hencam.com/henblog/introducing-new-hens/
I agree with the second poster bring her back in and heal her once again. You need to get her completely back and reintroduce her to the flock and bring her in every night to protect her. During the day she stays in the coop isolated for a couple of weeks with food and everything. Then after a week to 2 put a couple of the low pecking order gals in there with her and then more and then finally release all of them out to the run or free range. Sorry about your baby it can work but its like putting a new girl in with them again. THEY DO NOT REMEMBER HER!!
