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| Hope and Nellie |
We’ve had Snow and Nala for more than a year now, so they are the self-appointed queens of their little castle, which consists of a coop and an attached pen. Hope and Nellie, the Reds, arrived on the scene May 8. They’ve been sleeping in the coop with the Rocks ever since, but hanging out in their own pen during the day. We separated them every day for the last five weeks or so because the Reds were chowing down on “growth feed,” not the “laying feed” that Snow and Nala eat.
All that changed last Thursday when Hope and Nellie, at 22 weeks of age or thereabouts, finally graduated to adult food. So instead of dutifully relocating them to a separate pen that morning, we left them in the coop that Snow and Nala think of as their own.
Establishing and respecting a pecking order is a big deal for chickens, and obviously Snow and Nala rank higher than Hope and Nellie. But the four hens have been sleeping together without incident for more than a month now. So I had hoped that, once the Reds emerged from the coop into the attached pen Thursday morning, a bit of squawking would be followed by a generally harmonious coexistence.
I can be so naive.
The one possibility that I failed to anticipate is the one that occurred. Hope and Nellie didn’t get into any fights with Snow and Nala that day because the Reds refused to go into the pen with the Rocks. Hope and Nellie hunkered down in the coop, peering out into the pen occasionally without even setting foot on the ramp that leads from the coop to the pen.
My first thought was to force the Reds out into the open by leaving their food and water in the run, but that didn't work, and eventually it seemed to border on cruelty. So I put their bowls in the coop, which was humane, but probably counterproductive.
When Nellie finally worked up enough courage to venture into the pen several hours later, Snow and Nala stood by quietly, on their best behavior. But the seemingly brave Nellie suddenly freaked out. She began cackling and running around and flapping her wings, even though Snow and Nala had done nothing aggressive, or at least not that I could see. (Maybe dominant hens give newbies the stink eye?)
Nellie made a beeline back into the coop, where Hope, her more timid soul mate, awaited her.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and the Reds still refused to budge, even when I tried to coax them out with food. By Saturday noon, we figured it was time for a change in tactics. Liz removed Snow and Nala from “their” pen and put them in the other pen, about 25 feet away. With their overlords out of the picture, Hope and Nellie finally emerged from the coop and checked out the run.
Success? Surely you jest.
Two hours later, we reunited the four hens. You can guess what happened next. Hope and Nellie retreated to the coop, while Snow and Nala reclaimed "their" pen. The Reds remained in the coop Sunday as well, until Snow and Nala went to bed at dusk. With the pen empty, the Reds ventured out for a few minutes of exploring and pecking, before heading back into the coop to spend the night with Snow and Nala.
I suppose they’ll all work things out over time. But at this rate, I just don’t know if I’ll live long enough to see it.
