So here is an update:
A terrible rainstorm flooded out that part of my yard where the chickens are last night. I had been keeping the two new (and older and larger) Leghorns in an 8 panel 4 foot tall dog pen with a tarp on the roof and a board to roost on which they seemed to like the previous two nights. Today I was going to build a more semi permanent sleeping coop for them that would have better predator protection. You know, something probably ugly as sin but functional. But they seemed to get along with the flock well enough. Definitely the alpha birds but no bullying other than some warning pecks. I haven’t seen any of the other five birds even think about challenging them back BTW. Are Leghorns usually top dogs? Sure seems like it.
Anyway, due to the rain, putting gutters on that side of the house became priority number one. My run is 6 feet by 30 feet and the side of my roof hangs over it a couple feet which pours water onto the main coop and pen and just into the run as a whole. I had sealed up the coop well enough but flooding the whole run is not acceptable. Anyway, the point is today I spent the day putting a gutter on the side of the house and finished around dark.
All seven birds went into the roost. The Leghorns got top position watching the sunset from the pop door so none of the others got to sit there like they always had together. The Welsummer seemed to be scared of them and nested in the opposite corner. In fact all fove of them before that were piled up in one nesting box, which I hadn’t previously needed to shut off. So, I cut some cardboard hoping to make them roost. I checked on them several times from 8-10pm. The Leghorns were roosted the whole time. By 10 the other five had moved around and seem to be giving the Leghorns a wide berth. But three of them were roosted and the other two looked comfy and no one was fighting so I am going to bed now.
This has all been interesting, it sort of forced them to finally establish their pecking order. The larger of the two EEs has definitely come to the top of the original five hens, followed by the Barred Rock. Then it seems like the New Hampshire Red is next, followed by the smaller EE, and the timid Welsummer brings up the rear.
I am hoping everyone seems less tense soon and starts to get along and mingle more. Right now the two Leghorns are walking around like two gang bangers bossing around a bunch of nerds haha. It’s like they have a forcefield that keeps the other five hens away.
