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This is super helpful! I think I may have read it before I remember someone giving this advice. For this reason, I put a pallet in their coop (as you can see), and new roosts. I don't think there is much room to put anything else. There are also 2 feeding/water stations in the coop (one is behind the pallet). There are 2 water stations in the yard that everyone shares (at different times, of course). I think 21 Hens in Charge and your comment about space is probably the issue. I have no way to solve that soon. When the newbies get pecked by the super aggressive Red Star, they literally freak out, leap into the air in whatever direction they can, sometimes crashing into the walls of the run. They run behind the pallet but the bully chases them there. Yesterday I saw the bully yank a feather or two out of one of the newbies. There doesn't seem to be any blood or major injury, which I guess is a positive. And while I know this is regular chicken behavior, I can't bear to watch how aggressive it gets and keep wondering when it will subside, and when the newbies will feel comfortable coming down off the pallet to the same level as everyone else. Maybe they never will because of insufficient space. Also, someone said (it may have been you) that once the newbies start laying, things resolve themselves? Is that true?My thoughts exactly...more space makes everything easier.
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.
Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.
In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.
The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.
Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.
Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.