Poppy has never accepted the 3 youngsters. Gloria is top chook and doesn't have to worry.
All 5 are moulting heavily, and I think this is making them hormonal, crabby and intolerant. I suspsect it also means they are hypersensitive to any touch (I've not been picking them up at all, I know theu *hate* it when they are moulting) and this isn't helping.
They have two Cubes to choose from. Poppy continues to be a bit of a bully. Two of the younger ones, Fay (the Fayoumi) and Fleur (the Marans), continue to try and sleep in the CUbe with Poppy and Gloria. Sasha, the little Appenzeller, sleeps in the other Cube on her own.
There's a lot of squawking from the four-hen Cube. And there's a lot of screehing in the morning. The other evening I went out and took Fay (who was screeching) and put her in with Sasha. Fay screeches in anticipation of anything happening, and has a big voice for a tiny bird.
There was even more screeching in the morning.
Fleur, who has the most extreme moult of all of them, doesn't like going back in the Run in the evening, In the mornings she stays up in the Cube for longer. I think she's feeling particularly sensitive.
I'm giving them extra protein to help with the feather renewal.
I hope it calms down soon.
