Almost every backyard keeper starts out with a firm number in mind Six chickens, maybe ten, absolutely no more Then spring arrives, the local farm supply store puts out an irresistible assortment of chicks, and somehow that number keeps climbing It’s one of the friendliest slippery slopes there is The catch is that you can’t simply open the coop door and let everyone sort it out Pecking order is no joke in the chicken world, and it has real consequences if you aren’t careful Here’s a safe, proven method for integrating your chicken flocks that lets birds get acquainted