one thing I hate about keeping chickens

I really love having chickens  except when it comes to introducing new girls to the old girls.

I hate the pecking order business

Lost a couple of chickens recently as some are getting a little elderly. So picked up three pretty new girls. Glorious patterns on the feathers.

Thought we were going to get away without any pecking

But no one of the older girls who was at the bottom of the pecking order last time is really going for them in a vicious way. Had to step in and pull her off. Two of the poor little new girls were cowering in a corner, heads down, tails down, eyes shut and shivering.

Tilly had drawn blood from them, so I put themon top of the cube with food and water and the bullied girls came up to me with their heads nudging my hand to stroke them and looking so sorry for themselves.

I hate this part of hen keeping.
Have no idea how anyone could go to the cock fights of old

I know they will all sort themselves out eventually, but it is nasty to see such ferocious attacks.

It is a bit like the first playground duties of the new school year when the new year threes go into the playground for the first time.

Been retired 3 years and I am still doing playground duty with a bunch of chickens

You forget how much smaller the young chickens are than the older girls.

Thanks. Geo.

 Things are getting a bit better. I have segregated the new ones for a while and will bite the bullet and leave them  together  during the day soon. Things are calming down.

The white leghorn is too fast for the others to get to peck her but the goldline and the black rocks are a still a bit timid.

It's daft feeling sorry for them really 'cos I know they will be the worst peckers when I have to get new ones next time.

That is sort of what we are doing Snoozie. During the day they are in the main run but fenced off with netting so they can all see each other but not get at each other.

At night we put the new girls in to the cube first and leave the old girls on lock out until it is quite dark and they are getting a bit desperate to get to bed. Then when they go in they settle to sleep quickly and don't go for the new girls.

It will soon sort itself out I hope

The new girls are quicker at getting away from the little peckers. So we are making some progress

They escape up to the shelter roof and wait for me to tickle their heads before putting them into their little fenced off area.

The pecking is not as vicious as it was. It is coming down to a couple of pecks rather than the all out attack.

My son informs me that the last lot took about 4 weeks to integrate.

They are such pretty girls. The colouring on the black rock is rather like a Welsummer. We will get there