I have 2 new pullets that I will be adding to my flock. I have them sperated for over a month. I put them all together in my garden to work up all the leaves and compost pile. But I keep them sperated at night in thier own pens until I finish my new coop. I just have the run to do now. The problem is I have had them all together in the garden for about 6 days total and the 4 older girls peck on the new 2 quite a bit still. today I went to check on how they doing and the new speckled sussex flew out of the garden to get away from the older girls and the EE was getting pecked on pretty good. So I walk in to break it all up and the EE flyies up on my shoulder to get away from the older 4. Poor thing. I felt bad so I took the EE and speckled sussex and put them back in the new coop (with out run) to get a break from the pecking. I'm worried that when I put all 6 in the new 8X8 coop with 200 sq foot run will the pecking ever going to stop?
I think the pecking will eventually stop, whenever the top birds are satisfied their underlings understand their humble position in the overall pecking order. As long as no bird is drawing blood, or pounding on another without mercy, it should be all right to keep them together. Try putting them all together after dark and plan to get up early the next day to monitor their behavior together. It also helps to give them all something fun to do, to keep them occupied and in a good mood, like a cut pumpkin, or cabbage head, or ears of corn to eat.
