Mixing the girls

Today I mixed the girls together for an hour in the morning.

Storm was the first one to chase the new girls. Later Mango and Silver raised their ruffs to each other. Later Cloud chased them too. Gold took no notice of them. I had left broody Red in the nest box and Snow was also in a nest box which surprised me as I didn’t expect her to come back into lay as she is dropping feathers everywhere.

Ginger was breathing through her beak so I put the new girls back on their own side in case it was because she was stressed. I think it was more likely because she was hot as she had been stretched out in the sun.

When Snow came back out into the run I checked the nest box and Snow had laid after a break of only eleven days.

After lunch I decided to mix the girls again with Red and Snow now out in the run. I had lifted Red from the nest box and closed both nest boxes.

Silver is definitely the braver one and she ventured on to the patio because their were some bits of apple there.

Red ran at her but Silver bounced around Red and went back to the apple. She is a very brave girl.

The new girls seemed very settled and there was no more hassle so I decided to leave them together for the rest of the afternoon. I returned them to their own space at the end of the day.

This has gone so much easier than I expected. These girls are not as timid as past new girls have been.