As you have found out, separating chickens often times causes more problems than it solves. If you feel you have to do that again, either bring in a pair or only bring them in for a couple of hours a day, or separate them in the coop/run, but where they are still visible to everyone. Chickens do not remember other chickens very long. A low order bird, is desperate not be to lower than the bird coming into the flock, and hence that is why she (the former friend) was so vicious. A lot of people are horrified at how mean chickens can be.
Racoons have long been my worst enemy. I know you are an animal lover, but you need to trap that raccoon. Maybe have someone else do it for you, and do NOT go look when they catch him, they will look darling...just remember they tear your chickens apart - not nice. I swear once I had a raccoon, that left a message, "please leave BBQ sauce, I am tire of them plain" UGH! Thing is, once they find you, they will treat your coop like a tasty freeze. AND THEY WILL BRING FRIENDS.
My DH finally built me a coon proof coop/run out of chain link fence over the top, totally enclosed. It is the only thing that will keep them out.
As for you current fighting pair. Do you have a lot of clutter in your run/coop? Where birds can get away from other birds? Ladders, sawhorses, pallets leaned agains the wall, up on blocks, roosts in the run, mini walls all provide more interest to the birds, and allow birds to use the vertical space in the run, get more exercise, and to get away from each other.
Multiple feed bowls are important, but they must be set up, so that a bird eating at one bowl cannot see a bird eating at another feed bowl. I have a feed bowl for about every 3-5 birds. Multiple waters too, this will help keep all your birds fed.
The thing about victim chickens, is they can learn that behavior and almost seem to invite an attack. Bantams often times just do not fit in with full size chickens. It seems like you had a pair that did, but pulled the pair apart. It worries me that one of the birds was thin, rather makes me think that she was bullied away from the feed and maybe they didn't fit in the flock as well as you thought.
I think that you need to do something different for both bantams - pulling them out of your main flock, and putting them in a smaller coop/run. Separating them for a couple of days in a see, but no touch situation, and they both should calm down. If you can't do that, I would give them to someone who has a bantam flock. Size matters in the chicken world and they won't just be nice.
Keeping chickens means making tough decisions. Always solve for peace in the flock.
Mrs K
