I've been letting the young BR group run with the very old ladies-the old gals have no energy to chase them down, most have some degree of arthritis, etc-so the kids can get away from them easily. Today, I did the same, but Cora, Bash's 19 wk old daughter was out with them, too. She's also used to running with the old hens. So, Gypsy, ,my almost 10 yr old black Ameraucana hen, was allowing the chicks to eat some scratch with her, no pecking, which by itself was odd. Cora wanted to hassle them because she does not normally run with the 9 wk old chicks.
Gypsy came between them several times and actually ran Cora off, defended the BR youngsters! I think she remembers Zane, the absolute love of her life, and has a thing for the BR cockerels. I loved to see that. Good girl, my Gypsy. She doesn't have a maternal bone in her body, but she does have an affinity for BR roosters, I think, considering her history with Dutch and Zane. Wish so much that I had a daughter from her. She is my heart, that hen. I will be so sad when I lose her. She has not laid eggs in a few months, though awhile back, she did lay a few one month.
The largest BR cockerel decided he'd had enough of Cora hassling him, so he met her head on, flared up and tried to flog her in the face....then ran like the wind, LOL.
By the way, Bonnie and Tessa are trying to go broody again. I will never allow Tessa to hatch chicks. She's barely civil on a good day, but I never want to try to wrangle chicks with a mama like her. And Bonnie just started gaining a little weight back from her second batch of chicks. This is going to be her pattern, I guess, that when the last batch is 8-9 weeks old, she goes broody again.
If he needs any help, or tips or anything, you got my email, tell him he's welcome to get in touch.
