How long does the pecking order process last with a new chicken in a flock? When will they become friends ?
How long the pecking order takes can vary, from immediately, to a month, to never. It usually takes a few days for it to settle down. New birds sometimes take quite a while to really start to hang out with the rest of the flock. Sometimes it takes a cold night of huddling for everyone to really meld. If you are introducing juveniles to mature hens the juveniles may hang out together as a sub flock like teenage humans do. As individuals they may or may never grow to like and hang with other individuals.
Winter seems to settle cliques into one big happy flock, however, some will like others better than some.
