After three days of sleeping in the big roost, the new chicks and our two older hens have finally become a flock. The chicks can eat worms together without being run off by the hens.
This moment came this morning when I went out to the barn, clucked my chicken sound, and the four gather around me.
I tossed out some revolting worm and fly larvae that the chickens love and recorded the coming together of a flock. There was no trouble, they all shared the eating and tolerated each other.
This may not seem like a big deal to normal people, but it is a big deal to us; we have invested a good deal of time into raising these chicks as part of the family and getting them to trust us as hens.
We have also worked to acclimate them gradually into the existing group of grumpy and imperious hens. Here at Bedlam Farm, we take nothing for granted.
This has worked. Chickens are not the brightest bulbs in the shed. We waited until the chicks were asleep and then carried them into the roost with the sleeping hens.
In the morning, the hens forget that the chicks were strangers to them and accepted them as part of the flock.
Peace reigns.
Maria and I have breakfast on the porch; the chicks come over and sit down right next to Zinnia, who has accepted them as sisters and to us.
The Peaceable Kingdom stays peaceable.
I had chickens for fourteen years, believe me, Jon, I know how hard it is to introduce new stock into an established hen house. That is where the term ‘pecking order” comes in. Chickens can be ruthless with any new introduction into a flock and also, when one of the chickens is not well, they can peck it to death. You’ve both taken time with these chicks and it’s paid off.
Sandy Proudfoot
Nice flock of chickens. Is that a nail sticking out of that slat on the floor – Ouch!
Amazing! Congratulations on introducing the new chicks with the hens.