The Puppie family has expanded. →[More:] After the week-long debate, we picked up a couple more chooks this weekend. They're so cute! I forgot how cute and gawky young chickens are. Every treat they find is new to them. They are starry-eyed about the yard full of grass. They found some sunflower seeds too yesterday and it made them peep like crazy.

One's Cinnamon Queen, the other's a White Rock. The White Rock is a worrier, but she's very cute. I didn't get a chance to take pictures this weekend, but here's a picture of their previous flock at their previous home. They're about 3 months old and would normally start laying in a month or so, but chickens don't lay much in the winter, so that's an open question.

And Chickpea. Well, Chickpea. I was so worried that after a lifetime of suffering Porkchop's bossiness, she'd succumb to the double-team. Oh god, was I wrong. She's made it clear that she's the boss, and not very nicely. She wants to be near the little ones, but then it's like she gets a revelation that Hey, they're eating my food! In my yard! and she chases them away. Then they find something else to eat and she chases them away from that too. They're terrified of her. Last night she wouldn't let them in the coop at bedtime. I had to put them in there myself after she fell asleep. I'm having to come into work early this week so that I can get home before dark and referee the nighty-night.

God, I hope they work this out. The little ones can't sleep in the yard -- they'd be owl/raccoon/cat food. Chickpea needs to shape up, but I'm not sure how to make that happen. I might have to build a separate nesting box inside the chicken run for the little ones and hope that Chickpea lets them sleep in it.

I mean, I like the little creatures an all, but I can't put them to bed every night for the rest of their lives.

Get over it, Chickpea!