2 month old chicks fighting

[babyrnlc]

Ok, first a little background. We were refinishing the coop and had the 5 hens and 5 pullets in the 4x4 coop with a 4x8 run for almost a week (it took longer to finish the big coop than I thought). Everyone got along great. No fighting, the 2 month old got along great with each other and the big ones. I even had chemo and there were three days that they did not even get to free range.

Ok, so yesterday afternoon they free ranged and then I put them into the new coop. They loved it, (Thought I had to force them in at bed time, they were pacing at the side to try and get out and go to their old coop.) This morning I let them out and my Ancona chick keeps pecking at my gsl chick. I mean just chasing her and a few time she got a feather off her back! Why did they do great in the tiny coop and now they have all this room and NOW they start fighting? I dont understand. The other chicks seem to step in and protect the gsl.

 

[bburn]

pecking order.....

 

[babyrnlc]

Quote:
Why now though? They have been together since the first week and they have been with the older chickens for a month now. Is it the new coop? They have to redo pecking order?

I am happy the older girls didnt do it again, it was brutal looking (my EE did not like the gold EE AT ALL, now they get along great)

 

[AKsmama]

Pecking order is fluid- it changes all the time, from day to day and sometimes even hour to hour, it seems, at my place! I would think that yes, the new coop has something to do with it. I'd let them work it out unless someone is really getting injured. The chicken world is brutal, but they know what they're doing.