Don't be chicken, chicken

Poor little Storm. She arrived in our household last Saturday and has not emerged from the hen house since our other chickens, Cheeky and Little Brown, backed her into a corner and pecked her to within an inch of her fluffiness. She is the cutest hen I have ever come across: very shy (she had to be tempted with a handful of corn to have her photo taken as she prefers to have her back to us) and so soft and cuddly. She is still very young so she can't fly yet - simply flaps her wings and clings on to my finger for dear life - so it's easy to hold her and stroke her. We are trying to get the other two bossy boot hens to accept her and to stop bullying her, but presumably Nature will have to take its course.

(Storm was a birthday gift for my son from his best friend who is possibly just a tiny bit more animal-obsessed than he is. My son's friend has quite a few chickens of his own, not to mention quail and a Harris hawk! He is planning on getting an owl for HIS birthday, but I don't think his parents know this yet . . .)

It is quite alarming to see how vicious hens can be. Most of the time our hens are amiable creatures who enjoy being handled, and very tamely trot around our garden oblivious to the cats and dog who sit and watch them with the word "LUNCH" hanging hopefully above their heads. But Cheeky and Storm are demonstrating just how nasty the "pecking order" can be. They are behaving like the worst kind of playground bully who herds their victim into a corner out of sight of the teacher before laying into them. And it's not just the physical violence that has been upsetting: they harangue Storm with verbal abuse as well! The clucking and crowing that has gone on since Storm's arrival has to be be heard to be believed.

But we are already very much in love with Storm, so there is no question of her leaving us. The two madams she has to share a coop with will just have to get used to their new room mate!