Well, the chickens seem to have calmed right down. The old and new flocks are still not integrating, but I do believe the pecking and squabbling has all but come to an end. Even Gabrielle, who was suffering the brunt of it, seems to be more or less off the hook now.

Proof of that fact is that she is finally putting herself to bed every night, so all we’re having to do is head out and shut up the pop hole after dark, rather than retrieve her from the roof of the coop and slip her in among the other chickens.

Considering we’ve had them less than a week I think that’s fairly impressive.

This could be just a lull, though. Our first three chickens didn’t develop any kind of pecking order until they started to mature and grew their combs. That’s when they start laying eggs. By my reckoning our new birds are still six or seven weeks off that, so in a couple of months things may be very different.

For the time being, then, we’re going to enjoy the relative peace and calm, and keep a close eye on proceedings.

Related posts:

1. We’re getting some new chickens
2. How cosy is a chicken coop?
3. January 2010 egg count shows how our chickens are declining