Sure there can be a little scuffle, little pecking, but a constant pecking and bullying should not be accepted in my opinion, BUT!! I Know Some feel its just normal chicken behavior, as long as no one is getting hurt---its ok. That is fine for your chickens----I always say Raise yours the way you want---they are yours.
Me, having raised chickens for MANY years feel different and advise different and Do Different because constant bullying is Not acceptable with my chickens, BECAUSE I found out its better to deal with the "problem" before a chicken gets hurt, before a Chick dies from being pecked to death. I found out it only takes me a few seconds to remove the Bully compared to A lot of Time doctoring a badly hurt chicken after the fact. I am not going to wait till one gets hurt. Have you seen what happens to a chicken that gets Pecked one time and starts Bleeding---while you are away(not there to break it up)?? It can be Death because then the rest of the flock want some blood too and they all attack the injured. I am Not going to sit back and wait for that to happen---I am not going to put chicks with the older to be bullied most of the time and keep finding a dead/hurt chick. I Love seeing my chicks I am growing--grow to adult, not loose 1/2 of them or more for reasons that were under my control. I am not going to allow a rooster to chase/spur me----my feeling on this is "you are Not going to Hurt the one that feeds you"!
We regulars on here see it all the time, things like--- My older chickens killed my chicks, my chickens pecked a hen to death, eat her whole scalp off, etc, etc, etc. In my opinion, put a stop to it as soon as you see it start/happening. We will have enough problems come up beyond our control other than just ignoring a "problem" that We see is starting.
AGAIN, this is My Chicken Rules around my farm and for sure may be a lot different than the rules around yours and I am Not trying to Change your Rules, I am Just Stating How I do and That I have very few problems!!
Me, having raised chickens for MANY years feel different and advise different and Do Different because constant bullying is Not acceptable with my chickens, BECAUSE I found out its better to deal with the "problem" before a chicken gets hurt, before a Chick dies from being pecked to death. I found out it only takes me a few seconds to remove the Bully compared to A lot of Time doctoring a badly hurt chicken after the fact. I am not going to wait till one gets hurt. Have you seen what happens to a chicken that gets Pecked one time and starts Bleeding---while you are away(not there to break it up)?? It can be Death because then the rest of the flock want some blood too and they all attack the injured. I am Not going to sit back and wait for that to happen---I am not going to put chicks with the older to be bullied most of the time and keep finding a dead/hurt chick. I Love seeing my chicks I am growing--grow to adult, not loose 1/2 of them or more for reasons that were under my control. I am not going to allow a rooster to chase/spur me----my feeling on this is "you are Not going to Hurt the one that feeds you"!
We regulars on here see it all the time, things like--- My older chickens killed my chicks, my chickens pecked a hen to death, eat her whole scalp off, etc, etc, etc. In my opinion, put a stop to it as soon as you see it start/happening. We will have enough problems come up beyond our control other than just ignoring a "problem" that We see is starting.
AGAIN, this is My Chicken Rules around my farm and for sure may be a lot different than the rules around yours and I am Not trying to Change your Rules, I am Just Stating How I do and That I have very few problems!!