Step One: Last night, just after chicken bedtime, I added extra fresh water dishes and feeders to the main coop. The old hens will try to dominate the food sources so I leave a lot out so the new hens can eat and drink.
Step Two: At 1:30am I rose when my alarm clock sounded. First I moved Lou to the pen and laid her to sleep in the nesting box there. She's been a big bully in the yard with the new hens so I decided to take the advice of many bloggers and isolate the bully. Second, I carried Jim and Murphy from the little coop into Red Door Coop and put them on the main roost alongside BB, Bill, and Weezy. There were some quiet squawks at the interruptions to sleep, but everyone quieted down in the dark.
Step Three: At 5:15 my alarm sounded again and I rose to make coffee, gather chicken snacks, check on Lou, and then wait. At 5:45 the Red Door Coop door opened and five birds emerged, in order: Jim, BB, Bill, Weezy, and then Murphy. There was a lot of loud squawking from then until about 7am when things quieted down. Poor neighbors. The old hens strutted their stuff like they were in Milan during fashion week. Flapping their wings, beaks in the air, voices loud and proud, dominating Red Door Coop with attitude. The new hens hid in the coop, on top of the little coop, near one of the hidden away feeders, and wherever else they could get a moment of peace. Luckily, these new hens are plucky. They ran in and out from hiding to nibble and drink, showing that they are much more bold than Weezy and BB were when they started their lives here last summer.
Step Four: I checked on the chickens many times today. If there was an especially loud cackle I ran out to check that no blood was drawn. The chickens are establishing a new pecking order minus Lou plus two new hens. It'll be rowdy for a few days. When things calm down, probably by the weekend, we plan to bring Lou back into the fold.
However...in the afternoon I noticed that Lou did not look quite right. I observed her for a bit as she sat unmoving and then switched to standing unmoving. This is not like Lou. She is ALWAYS moving. Then I noticed a big drip (kind of like a big long snot) coming from her vent. No! I checked it out, washed her off, added cider vinegar to her water and then went back to our books and online bloggers. She could have a prolapse although her vent does not look like it is poking out like (disgusting) images online. Later, Lou started walking about and scratching again. Yet, she's currently under close observation and staying in the pen. With all her other recent health issues, Papa Hen and I are not certain what we will do for her if it is a prolapse. Those are very serious.
Step Five: After twelve hours together in Red Door Coop, I let the five hot chickens (high of 95 degrees today) into the yard. Lou stayed in the sick bay. As predicted, the old hens found one corner and the young hens found the opposite corner.
Here are a few photos from this evening.
Lou is in the sick bay.
Shake those tail feathers.
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