Because the weather has been quite lovely and warm, we decided to take the freaky chickens outside for their first look at the world.

As you can see, all their little combs are about the same size. Which would suggest that they are all hens and a rooster hasn’t been smuggled in among them. Which is a very good thing.

Not that we’d mind a rooster necessarily, I just don’t want a Rhode Island Red rooster as they’re notoriously mean chickens. Marty, our last rooster, was an aggressive jerk that would claw and peck at your legs if you turned your back on him. That said, he also leapt headlong at a fox that was chasing our girls and got himself eaten, so he was a brave jerk…but a jerk nonetheless.

They hung around outside for about an hour or so, and then it was time to put them back into their brooder before things got too chilly for them.

Speaking of chilly, that’s certainly the reception that our current hens gave them.

Doris and Bev were pretty oblivious to the whole thing. Mildred, who is the smartest one, figured out what was happening almost immediately and was having none of it.

The three of them waddled off and stood under the dogwood bush in a rather unsettling quorum. As if they were deciding what to do with these new chicks…

I’ve no doubt there’s going to be some violence when we try to introduce the chicks into the flock. I’m told the best way to minimize said aggression is to drop the new hens into the coop at night. Then, the next morning, the dumb hens just assume the others were there all along and set about the task of establishing a new pecking order.

Hopefully that means poor Bev won’t be at the bottom anymore…

For now, they’re all back in the laundry room.

Once I have some free time this week we’ll try to take them out again for some more sunshine and fresh air.

In other animal news, there’s still no sign of Chuck.

Sad. I do miss seeing my flabby lil’ buddy every day…

Okay, have to get back to work.

j.s.