Should I rehome bullied chicken?

[wrenhen]

So I had a bout of coccidiosis. One hen in particular was on deaths door while none of the others appeared sick at all. She has always been the bottom of the barrel in the pecking order. I have her wear a saddle to prevent the flock ripping her back feathers off. I treated everyone and kept her in a large dog kennel in the coop so she could still be with everyone. She was getting better and once she was interested in food again and more active I let her back out to her flock. She was fine for a couple days with no issue and was getting better everyday. Then one day I looked out my window and saw her body on the ground, I thought she was dead. But I went out and she was still alive but they pecked her face to a swollen bloody mess, she couldnt even open her eyes or sit up. I brought her inside to monitor her closely and keep her out of the heat while she healed; force fed her water and blended food, etc.
Well she lived and is doing great. Both eyes are ok and she's up and talkative and eating on her own again.
I'd selfishly love to keep her because of all the work I put into her and cant help but feel closer to her, but at the same time Im afraid to let her back with the flock. It feels like the best thing to do is find her a new flock for her safety.
Has anyone experienced something similar? Thoughts?

 

[aart]

Adding a single bird is the hardest integration.
Tell us more about your flock(numbers and ages in weeks or months),
and housing (size of coop and run in feet by feet).

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

 

[KyCoop]

I had this exact situation last year but it was just 1 bully not the whole flock. I have a zero tolerance policy with a bully drawing blood. A LOT of blood. I thought she was going to die in my hands. I rehomed the bully and I didn't care if they showed up with hatchet in hand. Peace was restored. Although Peggy died a couple weeks later she was at peace with the rest of the flock.

 

[Geena]

If you would love to keep her then you could set up an area that is separate but adjacent to the other birds to house her and maybe another low ranking hen or two.

I would not rehome her, she's likely to get bullied even worse, possibly to death, as an extremely submissive single integration somewhere else. IME chickens of this nature become perpetual victims.

 

[wrenhen]

Adding a single bird is the hardest integration.
Tell us more about your flock(numbers and ages in weeks or months),
and housing (size of coop and run in feet by feet).

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

Coop is a 12 ft x 12 ft area. They have a 16 ft x 6 ft run, but I leave the door open and they free range all day long usually in a 1 acre vicinity.
I have 8 other hens and one rooster, the bullied hen is the 9th hen. They are all 2 years old, except the rooster is 1. They were all in the same order of chicks and were raised together.

 

[wrenhen]

I had this exact situation last year but it was just 1 bully not the whole flock. I have a zero tolerance policy with a bully drawing blood. A LOT of blood. I thought she was going to die in my hands. I rehomed the bully and I didn't care if they showed up with hatchet in hand. Peace was restored. Although Peggy died a couple weeks later she was at peace with the rest of the flock.

I wish I saw the incident, I just assume it was everyone because I've seen them all peck at her before and theyll get ahold of her protective saddle and try and tear at it. Theyve never attacked her face until now, I am assuming because she wasnt her full vibrant self they got the jump on her...
Hoping I can figure out how to get her back in their graces.

 

[wrenhen]

If you would love to keep her then you could set up an area that is separate but adjacent to the other birds to house her and maybe another low ranking hen or two.

I would not rehome her, she's likely to get bullied even worse, possibly to death, as an extremely submissive single integration somewhere else. IME chickens of this nature become perpetual victims.

That is good to know, I will set her kennel up back outside when the heat breaks a bit and she is feeling entirely better. I have a run I can close off while everyone free ranges so maybe I can trap her with another lower ranking hen or two to get them a posse going.

 

[FunClucks]

I put my lowest-on-the-pecking-order hen in with some 6-8 week old pullets in a new coop. She loved lording it over them and being top hen. Her egg size increased ~25% because she was so happy and not bullied away from the food I guess. Later I put one other former flockmate in with her, who usurped the position of top hen, but my formerly lowest hen is still delighted to be second in charge even though the pullets have grown up to be bigger than her.

An article on chicken victims and bullies that might help:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...icken-victim-a-two-sided-issue.73923/bookmark

 

[chickeyumass]

Adding a single bird is the hardest integration.
Tell us more about your flock(numbers and ages in weeks or months),
and housing (size of coop and run in feet by feet).

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

Thank you for this article. I purchased four “guaranteed hens” hatches May 1st. One turned out to be a cockerel, and breeder switched for another pullet. New girl has been in cage within the run since Sunday. My buff Orpington is fine with her and I give the two alone time in the run. My other two were pecking through the cage so I added smaller netting to base. New gal is sleeping alone at night poor sweetie. I thought this may be easier at only 10 weeks.

 

[Chicalina]

Chickens can be vicious and prey on the weak. It's just their survival instinct to weed out a slow animal that could attract predators and risk them all. This is what probably happened here because she was sick.

I agree to rehome the bully/bullies and not her. Put her back and sit with them for an hour and watch carefully to see who the ringleader is, and intervene before she gets hurt again. Sometimes removing a bully for a few days stops them as it reduces their standing in the flock and you can reintegrate them as a lower ranking flock member.