Caught Without a Camera Again!

[3KillerBs]

When I was shutting up the birds for the night I found that the adults had managed to knock part of the cover off the integration pen, releasing the little ones into the main coop -- where they seem to be mingling without issues.

I made an attempt to round them back up, but they were too fast for me.

One intrepid little bird, probably one of the California Whites, decided that she should roost with the big girls and flew up to the perch -- landing squarely on the back of one of the Marans.

Said Marans promptly objected, so the little one hopped to the back of a different hen -- who also objected.

By the time I had my phone out of my pocket she'd been on three different backs and, finally, been unceremoniously dumped to the floor.

Too bad I don't have a coop cam! That would have gone viral on YouTube for sure.

 

[springvalley123]

Ahh, but you have the memories, that will be priceless!

 

[3KillerBs]

And another no camera moment last night.

For the first time ever I saw Ludwig mate. I was sitting in the run waiting for the chickens, who had all darted out of the coop when I approached to shut them up, to decide that yes, they *really* did want to go to roost. Dumpling, the Brahma in my avatar, was the last hen out and Ludwig was still out with her though Rameses had taken the others back in.

He didn't do any dancing, just caught her gently by the neck feathers, waited for her to squat, and did his job.

A few minutes later he did it again -- and this time Rameses charged out to see what was going on and appeared to be contemplating knocking Ludwig off but stopped.

Then the two of them got her back into the coop.

Making me think that it was as much about dominance and getting Dumpling to obey and go to roost as about mating per se.