Hen being pecked

[DeniseJo]

I have a flock that has been together for 3 years. A few days ago one of the hens was limping and the rooster was beating up on her. I took her out of the flock and put her in a pen away from the others. Since then I see she has a broken toe. Last night I put her in the hen house. This morning the other hen stared to peck her so before they killed her I took her out again. HELP. What do I do about the toe and getting her back into the flock?.

 

[farm_mom]

If I were in your situation I would keep the hen away from the flock until she is healed and walking normally again. I would keep her in a dog crate inside the coop with the others, or in a pen next to the others so they can still see her but can't get to her. Once she is doing better I would most likely try to reintroduce her to the flock by putting her in on the roost with them in the middle of night and letting them all wake up together. But, it's entirely possible that the abuse could start up again. It is odd that after 3 years they've started doing this to her but in my experience chickens can be cruel and it's possible you may have to always keep her away from the flock or find a different home/use for her at some point. Good luck!