Chicken in the manger!

Just like children.  They have their own sweet/toy but want the ones everyone else has 

After a while she came out screaming. And I mean screaming. I thought she was being shredded by something!!! Nope, just a lotta lotta noise. She didn't stop until I'd run round the garden and had picked her up for a cuddle. All the other chickens just stood stock still looking  for the danger. 

After that she took to her bed - the one in the bunny hutch. She was there for yonks and didn't move when I picked her up to check that she was OK. I stroked her a bit but she just turned the back on me giving me the silent treatment, so I got the secret weapon put - mealworms.  In a moment of madness I bought a 800g bucket and the chickens regard it as the Holy Grail itself. She ignored them at first, but then was able to just about stand and partake of a few, until she was on her feet and shovelling them in like they were going out of fashion. I then shared them with the others at which point madame came out forgetting that she was ailing. 

The rest of the day was so so, with Gruppenfuhrer Nibbles taking on bully detail, but only 3 feather from 4 birds were lost. I hung around diving in occasionally for hot tea. The 'old' chickens marched into the coop like Hitler marching into Poland; once they were dozy I gave them a squirt with some smelly I made (essential oils) and then shovelled in the new girls after a quick spray of same. There was a lot of shoving and rosey: a peep inside revealed Edith lying in state in the nestbox (think Cleopatra on her barge) with the other six squished into 2" at the other end. BUT it was late and the noise gradually subsided, until someone lost their footing and it started up again. By the time I shut the shed door the sole sound was a single sleepy 'bop'. Just before I went to my perch I opened up the coop door and left them to it. Someone's bum almost fell out, but the chicken stayed in place. 

This morning a solid wave of chicken hurled itself out of the shed and set about the serious business of chomping grass etc. They've a trough of food and several bowls of fresh water so naturally they hunted down the most stagnant pool of old rainwater. A frog met its maker and inattention to the kitchen door meant that a small huddle of new chickens arranged themselves behind me as I looked for the peal barley and the desiccated coconut. Treats at the mo for while they settle down.

Still got some bad temper though, and Nibbles is being rather mean, but they're a lot better than the day before and behaviour is improving I'm confident that they will eventually become friends and form a unified flock. If only to raid the kitchen. I'm spending time sitting outside the door with treats and the new chickens are actually starting to eat from my hands. Unfortunately they like the long pink corn or the gold strip running around it! Ouch! Tonight the old chickens occupied the coop. They end up together so they get used o being together.

All good fun, eh?

Pertelotte