Chaos and Stress

Everytime I introduce new birds to the flock it is so upsetting. Upsetting for everyone, including me. Why can't they just get along? There has to be a pecking order..and it will take all of today to get that order, but I sure do hate it.

The guineas are being the worst. I might have to lock them up for about a week as they are causing the most trouble. The white one I brought home is not much better. She isnt running with the other three. She is sticking by one of the new buffs.

But let me start from the beginning. I will have some pictures later...it is just too cold right now outside. Maybe when I go out later to feed.

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Yesterday Ian, Shelby and I left the house at 5:30 a.m. together to save on gas. After I dropped him off at work we went on down towards my parents. Shelby and I  were supposed to meet Karen and Tiffany for breakfast but as it turned out they were still helping Karens sister move more stuff, and catching the chickens and guinea. Shelby and I went it alone and were going to go to the Ryans breakfast buffet but the Ryans down there does not have it..I reckon because just down the road the Golden Corral has theirs open, but the Ryans is better in my opinion. We ate our fill and I called Karen back but they had run into some trouble. Her sister had a flat tire, so they were going to be delayed. I decided we would switch the day around and get the chickens and guinea later in the day and go ahead and visit with Mama and Daddy for a while.

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We got there around 9 a.m. and they had already been up and had breakfast. We had a really nice visit. I showed Daddy how to set up a journal on AOL for himself so he can share his guitar and singing with everyone. I am going to post his journal site on my side bar so if anyone is interested in hearing more of what you have heard already...go right ahead and enjoy his new journal. He is still tweeking and testing and playing around learning the workings of journaling so be patient as he sets up house over there. :)

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After visiting we left to go pick up the birds. Turns out there were FOUR chickens instead of three. Two Buff Orpingtons just like I thought and one Rhode Island Red, and one beautiful Americauna, and the white female guinea. We talked for a bit and then loaded them up and got on our way to go pick up Ian from work. We made it on time (I am famous for always being late, so I am working on that. I was actually on time to Mama and Daddys and on time to pick up Ian, pretty good for me, eh? Twice in one day!) We headed for home and decided to go straight on to do our walking before going home. I was afraid after a long day of being out and about we would get home and not want to leave again and since we already had the dog with us too, we went on. Yesterday was our last day of walking for 45 minutes. We will do 50 minutes for two weeks now. That gets us around two miles round trip. Oh I checked the scale at my parents and I was right, the docs scale is off by ten pounds, just like I thought. So, since right after Thanksgiving I have lost ten pounds. I am so happy about this! It shows that all this walking is helping.

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After we got home it was time to get the animals tended before dark. I put out everyones food and then let the new recruits out. At first, it wasnt too bad. Then all hell broke loose. My guineas were chasing the white one, she was picking on as many chickens as she could, it was like an all night smorgasborg or something, lets see how many tail feathers we can pull in 60 seconds! I dont know...what had I done. Then the americauna decided to try to fight Hank. Poor Hank, he was so confused. He had to put her in her place, later he was seen dancing for her, but she ran from him. The two buffs went unnoticed for a long time because they look almost identical to my four old buff girls. Mine have become more lowrider looking over the years though, lol, so you CAN tell, but I saw a couple of the old hens taking a double glance as they would pass a new one..like they were saying

HUH? Wait...do I know you? Or not?

There was a lot of fighting and tussling, running about. I just hate it when everyone is like this. It will eventually even out and everyone will settle down, but oh I hate it til then. If the guineas insist on all day harrassment of everyone I will have to pen them up for about a week. They dont seem as inclined to settle down. They werent just picking on new chickens, they were picking on everyone! Running everywhere pulling tail feathers, the whole yard was in an uproar. The golden phoenix roo got so riled up in the special pen he started picking on poor Speckles. I opened the pen door and up Speckles flew onto my arm. I cradled him and petted him, told him it would be alright and took him inside with me for a while. We sat and rocked. I talked to him and he clucked quietly to me. After things settled down and it was dark I was able to quietly put him on the perch back in the pen and everything was alright.

What a day. I just have to try not to run out the door every five seconds and worry myself to death. They will work it out, they always do. When I introduced the new layers this past summer things worked out, and it will again, just sooner than later, PLEASE!

I often regret getting the guineas. :( We will see how the coming days go.