Brooding hen rejected by flock

[faerywings7]

I've had my chickens for about 4 years now and about a week ago I had a hen start sitting on a nest of eggs for the first time. I don't think she left those eggs for 7 days until today. Today I saw her off the eggs but still in the coop this morning and then this afternoon I saw her down in the run with the rest of the flock, but the rooster and a couple of the hens were surrounding her and pecking at her head. I rescued her and put her in a dog crate with some nesting material, food, water and her eggs she had been sitting on. The eggs felt pretty cold and she still doesn't seem to want to sit on them anymore, and I'm ok with that (if she's done, she's done) but why is the flock rejecting her? And how do I get her back in with them if/when she's done brooding?

 

[bobbi-j]

If they're not drawing blood, I'd let them work things out. She may have lost her place in the pecking order and will have to learn her new status. Do they free range at all? Is there any place in the run where she can get out of sight of the ones who were picking on her? Chicken society isn't always all warm and fuzzy. They understand and accept it better than we ever will.

 

[Flock Master64]

I don't know why they're rejecting her. It might be possible that your flock became less familiar with your broody since she's been hiding in the coop for so long. I had the same problem too.

You just have to intergrate her back in. It took about a week for my 2 hens to become accepted in the flock again. I would keep them all in the same pen or close to each other. Just keep an eye out for really aggressive behavior.