The little girls have been quiet since we sold 10 of their flock to a friend.
They seem a little sad.
They’ve been cuddling as if consoling each other.
They are no longer pecking the hand that feeds them and they don’t get too excited when I reach in to pick Pecky Greenleg, Yellow or Little Yellow up.
They are being…good.
At first I was worried.
Then I did some research and found something interesting.
Chickens can suffer from depression.
I laughed when I read the first article.
I shook my head when I read the second.
By the fifth, I was convinced. When a flock is split, especially a flock that has “grown up” together, the chickens are sad.
They do, eventually, get over it.
They move on with their short lives.
They start bickering with each other again.
But right now, they are glum.
Maybe I’ll get them some dried worms to cheer them up.
Sad little chicks
Mad little chicks
No longer bad little chicks
Sweet little chicks
Neat little chicks
Here is a treat little chicks
a pinch of homestead 
Aww, sweet babies. Maybe the alpha went with the other flock and they lost their leader. 🙂
I think we might have another Alpha emerging. Pecky does a pretty good job staring me down when I change out water and food.