New Sick Chicken Having Trouble With Introduction to Flock

[ChickenAhoy]

We got a new Rhode Island Red hen that was at the bottom of the pecking order at her old home. Unknowingly we found that her head was bald and scabby. The woman that gave us the chicken decided that it was a good idea to introduce the chicken immediately to our two original hens. Lets just say that she ended up with a bloody head. We kept the chicken in our basement for some time waiting for her head to heal, but we soon found out she had a bad case of mites. We de-mited her and have done many follow ups too. Soon her head healed enough and we started keeping her outside in a separate pen next to our other two hens. One of our hens has tried to jump at her. Our new hen is very lethargic and wont drink much water (she loves food though). She closes her eyes and stands in one spot constantly (also isn't laying eggs). She still has a bald head and we don't know how to introduce her. Please help our chicken.

Questions:
Any ideas about the lethargy and water problem?
How do you introduce this bald, weak chicken? Should you?
Why is she not laying eggs?

Here are some pictures:

 

[Tiana's chickens]

I would never introduce a sick chicken to the flock. She could very easily make your chickens sick as well. Also if you haven't already, I think it would be a good idea to treat your own hens for mites since they made contact with her.
Introducing new hens to old ones can be a very long and slow process. I think they should be separated by chicken wire for AT LEAST 4 weeks, that way they can all see each other but not hurt her.
If you have a bird vet in the area I suggest taking her to that because chickens don't show symptoms of sickness until they are extremely sick, by then it's sometimes too late.
My best bet is that she has other parasites such as worms and coccidiosis. Usually chickens become immune to coccidiosis but there are different strains in different soils, they can become immune to a strain and then when the move house they have to deal with it all over again. That plus the stress is lowering her immune system.
You could try doing something's to help boost her health. Removing all stress, worming, treating for coccidiosis, and then giving probiotics and vitamins in the water I think would all help her

 

[Tiana's chickens]

To get rid of mite eggs, most people do a follow up treatment for mite. They treat them when the eggs have hatched but the mites are too young to breed yet, which is a very short window. I can't remember the time frame hopefully someone else can tell you that

 

[Eelantha]

The cheapest, easiest way to remove outside parasite eggs is to do it like our ancestors did it in their times - locate the egg infested feathers, and pluck them off your chicken one by one. Then dispose of the plucked feathers by putting them in a pot (any kind works) that you can twist or clamp shut tightly, and either burn or throw away at the garbage can. It's not the ideal procedure comfort-wise for the bird, but feather plucking has been used regularly before anti-parasite powder appeared, so the choice is up to you, how comfortable you are with doing it, and whether you're willing to wait for anti-parasite powder to get all the mites (which can take a few gens), or prefer to keep it simple and quick. (link here:

)

My own experience with my current roo (who's infested with lice instead of mites) show me that he's willing to break and pluck off his own feathers if it means stopping the itches, so I'm gonna take him on his cue and do him the favor of plucking out the eggs he can't reach himself. I've got nothing to lose by trying.

 

[ChickenAhoy]

She no longer has mites, the eggs (I'm pretty sure) are uninhabited.

 

[Eelantha]

Check your bird every two weeks then, just to be sure mites or other parasites have not crawled back under her feathers. I thought the eggs in my roo's feathers were poop residues that had stuck to his plumage, but nope, the first thing the vet found when she checked him over, was that he carried lice. The feathers splayed all over the litter make much more sense since then.

 

[ChickenAhoy]

I would never introduce a sick chicken to the flock. She could very easily make your chickens sick as well. Also if you haven't already, I think it would be a good idea to treat your own hens for mites since they made contact with her.
Introducing new hens to old ones can be a very long and slow process. I think they should be separated by chicken wire for AT LEAST 4 weeks, that way they can all see each other but not hurt her.
If you have a bird vet in the area I suggest taking her to that because chickens don't show symptoms of sickness until they are extremely sick, by then it's sometimes too late.
My best bet is that she has other parasites such as worms and coccidiosis. Usually chickens become immune to coccidiosis but there are different strains in different soils, they can become immune to a strain and then when the move house they have to deal with it all over again. That plus the stress is lowering her immune system.
You could try doing something's to help boost her health. Removing all stress, worming, treating for coccidiosis, and then giving probiotics and vitamins in the water I think would all help her

Update: We have been giving her probiotics that the vet gave her but they do not seem to be working. She grows weaker and weaker every day. I have stopped forcing her to drink water, therefore her crop is fairly hard. The other chickens seem to be pecking her through the bars and are giving her face wounds. Im afraid we may have to put her down or try to find someone else who may be able to give her another chance. Im glad that I got the chance to help her though.

 

[Tiana's chickens]

Update: We have been giving her probiotics that the vet gave her but they do not seem to be working. She grows weaker and weaker every day. I have stopped forcing her to drink water, therefore her crop is fairly hard. The other chickens seem to be pecking her through the bars and are giving her face wounds. Im afraid we may have to put her down or try to find someone else who may be able to give her another chance. Im glad that I got the chance to help her though.

I'm sorry to here, poor girl

 

[Tiana's chickens]

Hear*