We did place the new ladies into the coop first without the additional eye wear, but of course, we weren't surprised that there was immediate work on the 'pecking order'. I was a little surprised that the new girls were the aggressors, but when I really thought about it, I realized it made sense. They came from a large flock and were therefore a little more 'street-wise'. Our two remaining Dominiques grew up as a trio and without the benefit of older chickens to show them the way. They were a peaceful, laid back little group. Where I'm sure there was a 'pecking order', it wasn't ever very apparent.
So, since the pecking began immediately, my husband and I dug out the Peepers and had them on in just a few minutes. The Peepers have two prongs on them which insert into their nostrils. They don't come with instructions on how to insert them, so if this is your first time, I would suggest doing a little web searching for videos that will show you the way. They look like they are slightly barbaric and uncomfortable, which made me uneasy for a second. They did fuss a bit when we initially put them in but after a minute or two, they were going about their business digging and scratching. These things don't stop the violence entirely, but as they block their forward vision, it slows down the aggressors substantially. After a day or two, we did not notice any aggressive activity which was such a relief. Now we have relative peace and a fluid flock that rolls together scratching and hunting for bugs.
This is the best integration we've ever had and I will always employ this great invention in the future. Yes, they look a wee bit silly, but they're oh so effective. We intend to remove them from the new girls in another week or so and see how things go. I'm thinking things will be fine.
