Loved the comparison of the 2 stories. My only experience mirrored yours with your hen, not your friends. Did same things, but to no avail, so we had to euthanize her. Poor baby!
Our “Mauve” was a wonderful lavender orpington. So friendly and gentle- generally much nicer and less aggressive than the other girls in the flock. And survived several predator attacks, but just lost her and a bunch of others a few weeks ago. Great forager always seeming to get best morsels...