The Missing Piece

Our flock is complete! Gus brought home our fourth (and final) chicken last night... A ten-month-old Ameraucana hen who has been dubbed "Mary Poopins":

She is quite a bit older than the others, and is already laying eggs (though we didn't get one today... boo!). So, we really had no idea how the chickens would all get along. The expression "pecking order" exists for a good reason, as we learned when we introduced Barbie Q. into our old flock. The other chickens would attack her, so we had to slowly get them used to her in a way where she was still protected from them. Truthfully, it was a pain in the butt. We were really hoping that, since all the chickens were new to our house, that they might not be super territorial yet. And we were especially worried about little Cookie (sweetest baby chicken EVER!), because she would be the obvious target, being the smallest.

Anyway... We put Mary Poopins into the run with the others, and at first they all just stood there, checking each other out. A few minutes later, Harriet Potter came over to her and pecked at her once-- but was PROMPTLY put into her place by the much larger, older Mary. And that was pretty much it. I think it was clear to everyone that Mary was the Queen Bee. And she's an excellent leader-- she lets Cookie snuggle with her, unlike the other two. And she doesn't pick fights. Really, she was exactly what we needed! She seems to have unified all of them. By sunset last night (just over an hour after being introduced!), this was the scene out of our dining room window.

Can you see Mary? She's on the bottom. Everyone wanted to snuggle on top of her, haha!

Still, it was late, and they hadn't known each other very long. We tucked the three original chickens into the coop, and Mary spent the night in a separate cage with a little nesting box. Just in case they decided they didn't like each other after all. We didn't want little Cookie getting hurt!

Today, however, the lovefest has continued. The four of them were together all day long! They rested on the sand and preened themselves, they all ate together at the feeder, and Cookie ran all around Mary (under her, in front of her, under her tail...) without bothering Mary in the slightest. Here's just one quick cell-phone shot... but they did this all day! No fighting. Happy little flock!

Anyway, we put them all to bed in the coop together tonight, and everyone settled down right away. Yay! Gus says the true test will be to see how they behave when they wake up in the morning and are cooped up together, but I would be shocked if there's an issue. They all seem to like Mary Poopins, and she seems to be calling the shots. And she's a nice chicken. So that worked out really, really well!

And one more chicken picture, just because. Cookie is seriously the cutest chicken in the universe. The others are friendly, but I think Cookie thinks she's a person. She comes running over to any of us when we go out there, peer-peep-peeing like crazy. She is super easy to pick up and snuggle, and genuinely seems to enjoy it. Like when Maya cradles her like a baby. No fussing whatsoever! Exhibit A:

Anyway, these chickens are already a lot of fun, and we are anxiously awaiting Mary Poopins to pop out her first egg! She might not have laid today because of the stress from moving to a new home, but we are hoping to get an egg tomorrow! And it should be BLUE! I can't wait!