I wouldn't worry about the integrating right now. Just get her over the feather pecking. You can work on the integrating later. I had a chicken that I had to separate from the flock last fall. She was quite a bit younger than the rest of the "ready-to-lay" hens I bought. I assumed this, anyway, because her comb and wattles were not developed yet and she wasn't laying with the rest of them. They all picked on her, as did the rooster, and chased her away from the food, water, perch and outside door. She hid in a nesting box all the time. I took her out of the chicken house but let her free range around their pen all day every day and just shut her up separately at night. They other chickens were with her all day but separated by the pen fence. I did worry about her freeranging by herself but she didn't go far from the other chickens. They love to get out of the fence and eat the fresh grass and such. They watched her a lot and I think were jealous that she was out there and they were not. I hoped it would give them the idea that she was my special chicken. After a few weeks, when she had started laying little eggs outside, I started taking her into the chicken house at night and setting her up on a perch with the other chickens. She didn't know she could get down by herself yet so stayed there and didn't hide in a nesting box. I stood with her and protected her from the other chickens and gave them a push or a flick if they came near to her. I put her at the feeder and waterer and protected her while she ate and drank. I let them know in no uncertain terms that it is NOT FUN to pick on this chicken and that she is mine. (Thank you Velvet Sparrow for that training info). I turned the light off when I left so that they were left in total darkness and went to sleep. So she was with them at night and when they woke up in the morning. She soon learned that she could walk to the end of the perch, against the wall, and turn away from them and they couldn't peck her. They always tried for her head. One cold night I took her in and she immediately moved over and pushed her way into the settling group of hens and hunkered down and hid her head so no one could peck her. She did that like she was familiar with this move, so I assumed she had been doing that at night and was ok with it. I never did see any blood or missing feathers from serious pecking injuries as she was good at getting away and hiding her head. I left her in there longer and longer in the mornings and she was laying her eggs in the nesting boxes. I know this because of the number of eggs. Its hard for me to tell her from the other chickens now, she's just one of the group and they all get along pretty well, most of the time anyway.

I leave the early buds and flowers on and it does not seem to impair my plants' production. That might be true in a milder climate, but in our hot climate, pepper plants grow like mad in May and June and set flowers and fruit galore. I hate to remove any, especially on sweet peppers, because there's a point where the hot temperatures are so bad that it can impede pollination (this is more common with sweet peppers than hot ones) and I'd hate to have removed early blooms/fruit and then have a heat wave prevent more from forming. Leaving green peppers on the plants to turn their mature color might slow down follow-on blooms a little, but I don't care. I leave them on to mature to their full ripe color anyway because they are so much tastieer when matur. I don't pick tomatoes (except GWR types) or peaches or plums and eat them green, and I'm not going to pick bell peppers and eat them green either. With jalapenos, I pick some green, especially for canning, and let the others mature to red. The only thing about letting peppers mature to their full ripe color is that they have a shorter shelf life so you have to eat them, freeze them or can them pretty quickly after harvesting them. The practice of picking peppers green and shipping them is one employed by commercial agriculture for monetary reasons. Letting the peppers ripen gives you a much better-flavored product and is one of the advantages of raising your own. I plant a lot of peppers and get both early production and huge production. If you plant them into well-prepared soil and keep them properly watered, peppers produce like mad here. They are one of the easiest things to grow as long as you don't buy transplants infected with viruses.

Hi Swappers! Sorry if I haven't responded, but I have been reading your comments, and keeping track of whose packages have arrived. If you haven't posted yet, you should be receiving and email from me. Just want to be sure the seeds get there safely. So glad that everyone seems pleased with their selections! I really enjoyed hosting the swap again, but have to admit it has been nice getting back to planting seeds, potting up sprouts, cleaning up the garden beds, etc. Too nice to be inside sorting seeds now : ) Hope to see everyone again next year!!! Your hostess, Bonnie P.S. Dirtdaddy, since the peppers have been isolated in the guest room, Melvin's been eating my thyme plant instead. There's more in the herb bed though, so I'm not too upset with him.

Glad to hear that everyone is happy with what they received back! I am down to the LAST THREE ENVELOPES!!! I have 10 ready to mail this morning: Rollinrockell Foodeefish Elvimiller Thismembername Moonfire Nak10 MissyGA64 Trickfox Plus the last couple packages from THP folks. It is such a relief to be winding down the swap. I love being able to fulfill wishes! Makes me feel a bit like Santa Claus, LOL, but I am ready to focus on getting the garden ready for planting. Well, as soon as it warms up a bit. Right now, it's 16 degrees outside. It's supposed to reach 50 by the weekend though. Come on spring!!! Thank you, EVERYONE, for participating in the Pick-A-Peck of Peppers swap! Your hostess, Bonnie