I let them all out about 730am. Both the Vorwerk chicken – Goldie and the Silver Campine – Silvie were sat in the nesting box, I assume to get away from the Appenzeller chickens! As always Goldie was the 1st out, and Silvie got booted out by the other chickens. They went back in to lay and she flew out of the door!
I went to work as normal, but came home at 10.30 today with a tummy upset. So I’m sat on the sofa in front of the laptop! When I got home I couldn’t resist going to the garden to check everything was OK. It seems that the old two leave the new two along much more now. They were scratching around the back door as normal as I came out. Unfortunately for the newbies, as I walked up the path towards the chicken enclosure, so did the Appenzeller Mafia! As soon as they saw the new chickens they chased them, but it was like they didn’t put as much effort in to it this time. It was almost like “must chase infiltrators, this is what I’m supposed to do, but I’m bored now…”
So hopefully day 4 of adding chickens to our chicken flock is the day things start to settle down! Don’t get me wrong there was still hen pecking, chicken chasing and a blatant bit of bullying but they seem to give up much faster. At one point Whitey was chasing Goldie in the enclosure, Goldie ran straight towards me, flew up my arm and on to my shoulder again. To my surprise Whitey tried to follow her!!! Poor Whitey, I stepped out of the way, she flew straight past me. I felt really cruel. Golide stayed up there for about 10 minutes (I’m so glad my phone was in my pocket!) I wonder if she will always jump on my shoulder? How cool would that be!
I left them all to it, and went in the house to relax. I had the odd look out of the window, but never really saw the new chickens in the garden. So at about 2pm I went and locked the Appenzellers in the enclosure and let the other two out in the garden. It didn’t take them long to do their chicken thing. It’s nice to see them walking along in a couple, scratching and pecking. Silvie is still timid but she is showing signs of getting braver, she will not run off quite so fast as you get close, she also follows Goldie a bit more now, which is a good sign. She doesn’t run away from her at all, in fact Goldie jumped over a bush and landed slap bang in the middle of Silvies back and she didn’t bat and eyelid!
I think Goldie knows the sound of my voice already, I was trying to coax the Appenzellers away from the enclosure, so the new chickens could eat their corn in peace. I walked down the path and shouted “ladies!” the Appenzellers instantly turned around and ran down the path. I shouted it again and there was Goldie, running out from the enclosure towards me. As soon as the Appenzelers turned around and noticed her, she changed direction and went back the way she came!
I have just picked up the new babies and put the on the perch, Lets just hope they learn how to go to sleep in the coop sometime soon!
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