Great excitement up at the walled garden, where the Landlord has purchased six new chickens to supplement the existing flock, which are now getting on a bit and depleted from the rigours of last winter. The new girls have been put into an adjacent run to the old guard so they can get used to each other, as appears to be the approved method, before they’re mixed together into a single flock. Despite this, I’m fairly certain there’ll be a bit of trouble as the new pecking order is established.
So far, the new birds are keeping themselves to themselves and seem a bit of a timid bunch, while the old ones, after spending a day or so ignoring the upstarts, are now pointedly swiping vegetation from through the fence and generally making their presence felt. On paper, you’d think the newcomers would have the upper hand as they’re younger stronger birds, and there’s six of them against four on the home side. But these four are a pretty feisty bunch, with a home advantage, and when it comes to the attack, they’ve got form. So it should make for an interesting few days…
My money’s on the home side.
Oh well, women …
Fearsome lot, hens, aren’t they! I clicked on the home side photo and saw your caption. Big laugh, thank you. New hen is awful pretty though.
Oh what fun! I like they way you can tell their side easily by their colouring – bit like netball! I hope the new girls settle in.
Frits – yeah, what can I say? Of course if there were two cocks in the mix they’d fight almost to the death, whereas the females will pull a few feathers out and then settle down to a more or less peaceful coexistence (while still reserving the right to comment on the size of the others thighs, dress sense, eating habits etc.)
Kachelhouse – thanks! It doesn’t show, but the darker hens are rather lovely too, with iridescent feathers when the sun shines.
Emma – I’m sure they’ll sort themselves out.
True, but you don’t expect anything else from the male of the species whereas the females are usually seen as tolerant and welcoming. And that is a serious mistake as the girls decide who is who in the coop.
[...] that I have left you, my faithful readers, in a state of terrible suspense over the progress of the chicken wars. I hope you’ve been managing to eat, sleep and get on with some semblance of your lives. [...]
[...] keeping you up to date with the chicken situation. Previously on Town Mouse, the landlords bought six shiny new chickens to complement their four old chickens. Sadly two of those quickly became ex chickens, but after a [...]