Preparing for Storm

Great example of how the three older, original hens are a bit more
comfortable together.

Since we are scheduled to get three days straight of rain - thanks to Hurricane Sandy - we decided them give the birds on last chance to be out in the yard.

Ok, who knocked over the feeder?

Evidently, getting out of the coop meant it was time to groom and clean.

Highlight Martha

Martha is so lovely.  She is a beautiful bird.
She will most likely be one of our largest hens.

Enjoying being up high as well... Martha is not going to let Rosie
be the only one to hang on a perch.

 Always the queen of the yard...

(this video shows a typical interaction between the birds)

You can see her size and beauty in this photo.

Highlight Rosie

Aren't they beautiful girls?! (Rosie and Donna)
Getting so big.

Rosie continues to adjust to her new home and the other hens.  She remains low-bird in the pecking order, but she is growing in size and the others associate with her regularly.  She continues to enjoy being up high whenever she can.

Rosie is ever the high-flyer.

Rosie remains the most docile of the hens.

Winterizing

Since we had one night of predicted frost, I decided to put some plastic around the base of the coop (the run portion).  It does not go all the way around... they like being able to look out.  I also added a lamp.  It is not a heat lamp, but it is set on a timer to come on in the morning to extend the 'daylight' hours for the birds.

Our 3-year-old neighbor, Brooklyn, stand next to the coop.
You can see the plastic around the bottom, and the lamp just behind her.
(The birds are already up in the top, nestled in for the night.)

Martha Takes Control of the Yard (videos)

When we first brought the birds home, Donna was the one who seemed to be mother bird, because she was the largest.  Since getting rid of the rooster and introducing a new younger bird, Martha has established herself at the top of the pecking order.

How Are They Looking?

Rosie (top); Amelia (below)

Well the girls seem to be adjusting.  Rosie remains low bird in the pecking order, but she is taking care of herself by flying up to some perches we put in.

You can see in the picture that at least they are fine with Rosie, as the other three are right there at the open door.  Have to watch Rosie, since she goes up high... she will be the one who will take flight out the door if you leave it open too long.

You can also see in the picture that I put a bowl to put some food in for Rosie, but I have found that she does come down to the base of the coop.  The others are beginning to let her peck around... as long as she remembers her place.

Looking good, Donna! 
You can just see twine in the picture...
she was the most curious one with that...
had to peck at it several times.

Amelia makes me a firm believer that dinosaurs
are more closely related to birds than reptiles.

Getting Used To The New Girl

Well, Amelia is not giving Rosie much relief.  We had to move the bar that the water hangs on because Rosie was making it a mess.  Amelia spent much of the past two days making sure Rosie stays up in the top part of the coop.  It is so interesting to watch... Amelia chases Rosie; Martha makes sure Amelia knows that she is boss; Donna lets Rosie know that she is the big sister, but does not get mean about it.  I think on occasion Donna will get Amelia to let up on Rosie.  While we have been putting small amounts of food and water in the top part of the pen for Rosie, she will come down the ramp after the others have gone up to roost, and eat and drink at the bottom part of the coop.

This evening, our friend, Roy, put up some new perches for Rosie to hang out on, and we relocated the water.

Thanks to Roy... two new perches for Rosie and hanging water again!

We are grateful that it seems like the girls have permitted Rosie to roost in the upper part of the coop... especially glad since it is getting colder at night.

Settling in for the night (Inside the coop at dusk)...
you can't see her but Rosie is in the nesting box behind Martha (speckled).

Peaking in the door at Donna and Amelia

Peaking through the nesting box door... you can just make out Rosie in the lower left of this picture.
Amelia is facing us at the upper left, Donna has her back to us, and, well, Martha makes sure everyone knows how significant she is in this group.

Rosie's First Day

OK, so I know that they need to establish a pecking order... but can I just say I don't like it!
The one draw back to having a smaller coop, rather than an open yard, is that there are limited places for the lower in the pecking order to go.

Rosie, you are so pretty!

Rosie has established that the rebar which holds the water off the ground is her 'safe place.'

Rosie hanging on to the thin bar.

You can see Rosie in the background.  Of course,now she is pooping in the water,
which was the reason to hang it... to prevent that from happening so much.

Two top girls!  Though you can just make out Donna in the background.

I have been hoping that Donna lets her 'mothering' instincts set in with Rosie, and she 'takes her under her wing.'  That is why this morning I let Donna in the coop with Rosie and the other two are in the pen just outside.  I know later today, I will need to let everyone share space again...

Good-bye Rory, Hello Rosie!!

Rory in the dog crate in the back of the car.  Good-bye, Rory, you handsome bird!

Well, today, we loaded up Rory to take him back to Stacks Chicken Farm.  They were very nice about trading out the rooster for a hen, although they did not have another Buff Orpington hen.

Todd Stacks said that he was hoping to use Rory for breeding, not eating.

Patty holding our new addition!  Welcome Rosie!!
She is a Cherry Egger, a little smaller and darker than Amelia at the moment.

 The other birds did pretty well with the slow introduction of a new bird.  We kept her in the crate and put the crate in the outside pen so the other birds could walk around her.  Once they went in to roost for the night, Rosie was allowed to move from the dog crate to the coop.  She had a bit of tough time finding a place to roost as first, but then she settled down.  I think she will do just fine.

My, What a Big Comb You Have!

So, Patty was looking at the birds while talking on the phone.
She noted, "one of our chicken's comb and waddle is so much larger than the others."

The friend on the other end, who has chickens, said, "are you sure she is not a he?"

Well, we were not sure.

So we sent the following photo to the place where we had gotten our pullets.

Great pic of everyone looking at the camera!

Unfortunately, they identified that, yes indeed, Rose, our Buff Orpington, is a rooster!
So, we changed his name to Rory, and set up a time to take him back to the farm where we got him.
We are not able to keep a rooster... we don't need fertile eggs or crowing at 4am!