I'm not quite sure what is going to happen when they start going broody. We know that Poppy and/or Gloria is likely to go broody, and all the allotment girls are known broodies. We don't yet know what last year's babies ("The Littlees") are going to be like.
I don't mind the upcoming reduction in number of eggs (although I hope we still get enough!) that broodiness causes. but I can't imagine how we're going to manage for broody space. And how we're going to manage for nest box space for those that do want to carry on laying.
I suppose we have to consider taking the allotmenteers back to the allotment. In which case, we should also consider taking still-to-be-renamed Summer (STBRNS) and Blondie down as well, as that's where they are earmarked for.
I was thinking about this last night as STBRNS decided to get shut in the run with the Allotmenteers. She refused to come out, and I was sorely tempted to leave her to it. After the third attempt at gettting her out, I'd had enough. I couldn't leave her though, because I could see that there would be blood at bedtime.
It did made me think though. Maybe now is the time to gently encourage STBRNS and Blondie to mix with the Allotmenteers. That would make their subsequent relocation to the allotment, whenever that happens, much easier.
So, I'm going to start on that today.
General free ranging is mostly OK, unless someone happens to cross paths with some else. There's the odd spat, but nothing outrageous. It gets worse in the run.
In fact, the upset is more within existing groups. Poppy and Gloria are making it difficult for Sasha to get into the Coop at night. . As a result she goes and occupies the Littlees' coop. They won't go in the coop with Sasha there, so they end up on the verandah outside.
Every night I'm having to go and evict Sasha, then watch her try and get into the correct coop. Fay and Fleur won't go in the coop until Sasha is in.
We had a bit of this before the Allotmenteers came, but it's become worse now. Poppy has always felt under pressure and insecure of her place in the pecking order. Gloria has never felt insecure.... until now.
