Musical chickens continued

After a sleepless night, I had a plan. Well, I hoped it would work. Distressed clucks greeted me when I opened the backdoor. Poor Cirrus was getting some serious grief from Roxy. As I opened the run door, Roxy ran up to me and I grabbed her. The relief was visible on the silkies faces! Walking through the house to the front door, I put Roxy on my shoulder and walked down the street. The postman’s double take as I walked passed was hilarious. Similarly amusing was the reaction from the drivers passing through the Queen Street junction. As soon as I arrived on site, I put Roxy in the greenhouse and went to the outdoor coop to pick up Sadie.

Sadie was not impressed with being picked up but settled in my arms as I walked down to the main coop. Placing Sadie on the nest box I stood aside to watch what would happen. Tommy immediately clocked the new arrival and jumped up to meet her. Having never seen a cockerel so close, she freaked out and jumped down to be greeted by the other girls. Out of the cauldron and into the fire was the phrase that sprang to mind! The other girls gave her the odd peck but Tommy stopped them from going too far. When Sadie got chased, she would run being Tommy and the other girls would stop. This is precisely why I wanted a cockerel – they can help integrate new hens quicker and with fewer issues than without. I was so proud of Tommy – he seems to be a wonderful protector, if somewhat defective in other areas!

In the evening, we popped down to the allotment to check on how Sadie was doing. She was still getting picked on but Tommy was keeping an eye on her. We collected a whopper six eggs from the main coop, one from Lilja and a tiny one from Roxy! We will keep a close eye on Sadie over the next couple of days to make sure she isn’t being picked on too much. Back at home, the silkies are still a little shaken from their experience with Roxy but I am sure they will get back to their usual selves tomorrow.

Easter Bank holiday is looming which means I will have time to complete several projects as well as digging over the plot and organising my seeds for the new growing season! Let’s just hope the weather stays dry!