From the coop

Elvis and Atrud have been  spending time in a cage in my studio. They are still to small to manage the pecking order. I let Fuzztop and PeeWee out to free range for several hours when I get home from work and Elvis and Astrud join them. For several weeks now with those two pairs meet-up it has resulted in the babies being pecked. Hello, cold, harsh world. They learned not to follow the two older girls and instead find their own foraging spots and  sunny spots to catch some rays.

Yesterday as I was cleaning every ones cage and coop (I have a bunny too), I noticed PeeWee just following Astrud and Elvis all over the yard like some embarrassing older woman trying to be hip and hang with the  teeny boppers. Elvis and Astrud were in their own world and really didn't pay much attention. Then they started to walk away each time PeeWee got too close resulting in PeeWee becoming more and more pathetic. Of course this is only one funny way to look at the scenario. I was pleased to see PeeWee trying to make nice with the two girls. The two pullets didn't welcome PeeWee not did they seem to be threatened. I hope this means things will work out  when they go into the coop in a few months.

I felt good for PeeWee though. It would be nice for her to have these two to hang with when Fuzztop goes broody or just gets plain moody. I have noticed that Fuzztop  will choose not to hang with PeeWee and just go into the coop to eat or drink water and sit. Other times she will leave to lay an egg  or seem to go broody for all of two hours. I call this fake broodiness. I wonder if she does that to get away from PeeWee. Poor PeeWee will then walk the yard alone, mumbling to herself and come by to be picked up. So new friends will be nice.

I can see a bit of a power struggle between Fuzztop and Astrud though. I can see Astrud as a leader but Fuzztop not wanting to relinquish control of PeeWee. She can still control PeeWee but will she allow herself to be bossed? I can see Elvis below PeeWee. Elvis is so "la-la-la" about everything. I love to see her play maid in waiting and help Astrud pimp and preen. We joke about her being such a little sycophant that her once white feathers are becoming speckled with black to look more like her little idol.

That's the drama from the coop this weekend. I have to go back out there and get back to doing nothing but watch the  clouds and hens go by.