One BIG happy family (almost)

I wasn't going to turn the babies loose this weekend because of my hectic schedule.  But when I let them out for some free range time with the big hens, I realized, they were ready.  They were all ready.

The babies know to stay out of the big girls way.  And since there are three of them, the big girls are outnumbered.

And the big girls were not showing the kind of aggression towards them that made me think they might hurt or kill them.

And it's funny but I was most concerned that Coco would try and eat one.  Coco is big, bossy, loud and has an appetite like a Hoover vacuum machine.  But Coco was indifferent.  She never even tried to peck them.  She was most interested in eating feed out of their feeder.  (ALL the feeders have the same grower/finisher feed in them.)

Ginger on the other hand, is still having some issues with the babies.  She isn't hunting or stalking them.  But if they get within a few feet of each other, Ginger will lunge and peck.  Which is so surprising because she's always been so docile and sweet.  But she's also been the bottom of the pecking order her entire life.  And I think she's just decided that she's in a good place now and she's not going down a notch.  So she's defending her position as the number 2 hen.

This is Sugar.  She's 10 weeks old and looks so big.  But she's just feathers over bones.

The three babies do EVERYTHING together.  It's really very sweet.

They are really transforming from babies to pullets.  

And despite how many times I tell Coco that the food in the kids feeder is the same as in her big feeder,
she is convinced that their food must be better and I find her eating more out of their feeder.

Sorry I don't have better photos but there was lots of activity and movement and it was tough to pay attention to everyone AND try and take photos that were not blurry.  More to come...