I went to check on the Girls, as usual, after they had gone to bed.
I check to see if anyone has not managed to get into a coop, and I take a look and see who is in each coop. After months of a mostly comsistent arrangement, last night saw an unexpected change.
For a long time now, the Green cube, out in what was once our fruit cage, has housed 5 hens. Four of the ex allotmenteers - the ones in the second evacuation, namely Nora (oldest hen), Katy (one of the 3 next oldest), Big Bird, and Ping, and also Fay. Fay was temporarily at the allotment when some Girls were stolen, so she kind of had a foot in both camps. She is low in the pecking order, and a very small, nervy, girl.
I had been very happy that she seemed to have found a place in the ex allotmenteer group. I have a soft spot for her.
Last night, however, she wasn't in the green cube. She was in the purple cube, which is where most of the other girls go overnight. [Poppy, another of the 2 second-oldest, sleeps in the orange cube, sometimes on her own but often with a party hen, or a hen which has been denied access to the "in" crowd].
I was really surprised.
It could be that she just didn't get in before the Green Door closed.
It made me wonder whether her link to the Greenies was a friendship with Ping (who died yesterday).
I'm interested to see what happens tonight.
