Hello. Over winter one of our RLR hens 'lost' most of her comb to frostbite, leaving barely a stub at the very top. As a result she suffers from related health issues that result from not having a comb when she should (body regulation, blood flow, etc.). As the weather is changing rapidly from late-winter to Spring, she is struggling quite a bit.
Unfortunately, some of our other chickens have noticed and took it upon themselves to attack. During the day I tried to separate her from the work of the flock (while the bantam rooster tried adamantly to protect her, his efforts weren't really helpful) and plopped her over the divider with the ducks, who were too busy drinking up all the mud in the yard to worry about a stray chicken. She eventually managed to get back into the chicken area and spent the rest of the day hiding. She didn't come out of hiding until every last chicken was in the coop before approaching.
Immediately as she entered, three of our most noticeably aggressive hens jumped off their perch to attack her. She ran onto the "short" side of the coop (it was an old camper, with two separate perching sections) where she got onto the perch next to the passive buckeye hen and our bantam rooster. While they left her alone after that (no one wants to anger the buckeye with spurs!), I know it won't last.
For her safety I want to move her somewhere else until she has adjusted to the weather and recovered (if possible, I know it's possible she may be dying). I considered putting her in the duck coop but our drake despises RLRs and there is a chance he would attack her, even if she hides in the former nesting boxes.
We have a unused turkey house, which is basically a big cylinder wrapped in chicken wire. It's covered on top and on both the front and back but open to the elements from the side, which I know wouldn't be good for her regulation.
Any advice? I know separation isn't always best if she's never going to be in a "completely healthy" range at any point, since they'll bully her when we add her back into the flock anyway. Ideally she will be with the buckeye and bantam rooster, who are the only actual 'safe' chickens for her to be around (other than the standard rooster, but he has no interest or obligation to protect her from the other hens).
Unfortunately, some of our other chickens have noticed and took it upon themselves to attack. During the day I tried to separate her from the work of the flock (while the bantam rooster tried adamantly to protect her, his efforts weren't really helpful) and plopped her over the divider with the ducks, who were too busy drinking up all the mud in the yard to worry about a stray chicken. She eventually managed to get back into the chicken area and spent the rest of the day hiding. She didn't come out of hiding until every last chicken was in the coop before approaching.
Immediately as she entered, three of our most noticeably aggressive hens jumped off their perch to attack her. She ran onto the "short" side of the coop (it was an old camper, with two separate perching sections) where she got onto the perch next to the passive buckeye hen and our bantam rooster. While they left her alone after that (no one wants to anger the buckeye with spurs!), I know it won't last.
For her safety I want to move her somewhere else until she has adjusted to the weather and recovered (if possible, I know it's possible she may be dying). I considered putting her in the duck coop but our drake despises RLRs and there is a chance he would attack her, even if she hides in the former nesting boxes.
We have a unused turkey house, which is basically a big cylinder wrapped in chicken wire. It's covered on top and on both the front and back but open to the elements from the side, which I know wouldn't be good for her regulation.
Any advice? I know separation isn't always best if she's never going to be in a "completely healthy" range at any point, since they'll bully her when we add her back into the flock anyway. Ideally she will be with the buckeye and bantam rooster, who are the only actual 'safe' chickens for her to be around (other than the standard rooster, but he has no interest or obligation to protect her from the other hens).
