Several of my hens are attacking one hen in molt

[Cluckingtime]

First off I have 21 hens and a roo (hens, Pellets, cockrell) last year I had started my chicken keeping journey with 9.. I incubated my own eggs and some shipped eggs in which I kept several, processed some Cockrell and sold or gave away others.
That being said.. I have a few of my hens from last years crew that have been going through their first molt.. 3 are doing a very heavy molt (poor things) on in particular is an Easter egger that was always in the middle of the pecking order .. low end of last year's girls and above the new ones from this spring ... she lost so many she couldn't even fly.. tons of pins on her wings tho so I know she gonna get all back. Last week all of a sudden she was hiding in the egg boxes and wouldn't go outside nor barely ate.. I figured someone was picking on her so separated her for one night so she could relax. She was acting so scared. The next day I tried again.. she ended up back in the egg boxes and freaked every time another would go in the coop. At bedtime that night I noticed she was very agitated and restless.. she had one friend I knew of for sure over the last year and even she was picking on her.. I separated her again..
Yesterday I decided that her pins are covered with the new feathers poking thru not all the way filled in so I was going to put her in the run with supervision. And she what happened.. several of the girls instantly ran at her and were attacking her without provocation .. it looked like they wanted to kill her.. I removed her again as they had pinned her down and were pulling feathers off her back..

Anyone have any idea why this would happen? She acts traumatized and terrified.. I don't like her being alone but she seems to prefer it tho they can see her a d she can see them but bo one can get near.. I feel so bad for her but idk what to do.

 

[Bananabread]

often times, in my experience as soon as you separate a hen for more than a couple days...it requires supervise re-integration because some chickens will act like they don't know nobody...likely their attempt to ensure they stay higher than said chick in the new pecking order...I'd just watch them for a little with a broom handy to gently separate if they get too close...

 

[texsuze]

How much space to you have with 21 chooks? In the best of conditions (great weather, no molt, healthy, ample food/water, no scary disturbance, etc) they require plenty of space if confined, plus the ability to lay eggs in peace even if free-ranging. I only have 5 hens but my two EEs have turned very cranky this year as they experience their first molt, and a heavy one at that. My girls free range during the day with access to barn, pasture, hedge cover, trees, chicken huts, you name it. My point is, if crowding is not the issue, perhaps more hiding space or objects for 'picked-on' flock members to hide inside or behind, and escape areas to get out of harm's way.

 

[Cluckingtime]

I fo have ample spacing.. this has never happened before.. both my EE hens had a heavy molt and one was cranky during but the entire flock turned on the other seemingly randomly. Very strange.. I don't free-range as my home is quite close to the road and the woods behind has a lot of predators so the have supervised free-range on nice days.. we built a very large run and have a large shed for the coop.. more then ample space for them.. my husband even built them toys with tunnels and roosts abound.. but they are def group attacking her.. I didn't take her out for day.. I took her out for a night and went to put her back in.. they looked as thought they would seriously injure her if I didn't remove her again as they cornered her and were pully out her feathers and pins.. I still have her separate for now.. she can see and hear and talk to the others tho... idk I'll figure it out I guess