Been spending time watching chick and chicken behavior.

In the coop I've noticed the Reds have been hanging around on the top of the cage that Bob is in. My wife speculated that they might like the heat he's giving off, but after observation, I think I have another reason.

When they're up there, Mildred can't get to them.

Where I was once worried that she would be at the bottom of the pecking order because she was wounded, she has turned into this slow, waddling menace to the Reds inside the coop. So they stay up on the perches and the top of the isolation cage where the Rosses cannot follow.

They seem to be fine out in the barnyard, where there's lots of room for everyone to stay out of everyone else's way. But in the coop, Mildred rules the floor.

This came to me when I shut them up the other night. Three of the Reds flew right up to the goat gate, where I petted them. The fourth stayed right at the edge of the cage, hunching like she was going to jump to the gate, but doubtful she could make it. I wondered why she didn't just jump to the floor first, then I realized: she's afraid of Mildred.

What I'm seeing might be pecking order, but some of it could be Ross aggression. My wife was told by the company that gave the chicks out that Ross chickens were aggressive, and any small predator like a rat that tried something with them was just asking for trouble.

So now I'm wondering if I should get out of the Ross business completely, and butcher Mildred when I do Bob. However, I came up with another solution: why not build a chicken tractor and keep the two Rosses in it? Then I could move it around the yard, they'd be happy, the Reds would be happy, as would the incoming batch of chicks. I could even take the tractor over to the space where Henry's garden is going to be and let them do some weed and bug picking and fertilizing.

We have plenty of scrap wood around. I'm thinking it's a plan.

I've also been watching the chicks. It looks like the White Rocks are maturing the fastest. They're losing the yellow chick fuzz and have white feathers coming in. The Red Sex links are starting to rust, and the RIR's also have a thick undercoating of pinfeathers coming in. The Wyandottes all look a little ratty, but seem smaller and less developed than the others. Different breeds, different rates, no doubt.

When I stuck my hand in what I refer to as the "chick condo" to replace the food and water, the little ones all went nuts trying to get away from me. I'm wondering now if I should have been handling them a little every day so they're less shy. Well, soon enough I figure they'll figure out that I'm Brings Food Man and am the Emperor of Everything in their little world.