I felt terrible about it, but in late January, I had to evict Penguin, our 1 1/2 year old black bantam cochin hen.   As I mentioned in a prior post, she started to crow at least 3 to 4 mornings a week, and was spending most nights in the garage to avoid waking anyone in the pre dawn hours.  I figured as long as she remained a “top hen,” she was probably going to keep crowing.  Thanks to my good friend, K, Penguin was welcomed across the street into K’s larger backyard flock.  I like Penguin so much and didn’t want to sell her to a stranger that I might have even paid K to take Penguin if she asked.

Well, Penguin is actually fitting in really well over there.  There was no blood shed in the initial transition.  At first, K said Penguin got pecked at every once in awhile by the others, and she didn’t sleep on the roost the first few weeks, but she would follow the rest of the flock into the coop at night.  Two of the large fowl girls helped to put her in her place, making her lower in the pecking order.  I think that is what was needed for her to give up being a flock protector and crower.  K said she has not made a single peep in the 4 weeks she has been there.  And just in the last week, she has finally conquered her own territory on the roost at night.  K jokingly calls her Napoleon.  Penguin might be little, but she comes with a big personality and lots of confidence.  She isn’t at the top of the pecking order (yet), but she quickly established herself over the Easter Eggers and Black Sex-Link pullets.  She isn’t letting the older hens intimidate her either.  She appears to be somewhere in the middle of the flock hierarchy.  It seems to have been a good fit for her.  The only sad part for me, is when I visit, Penguin acts like she doesn’t remember me.  K says Penguin (aka Napoleon) has yet to forgive me for exiling her to Elba.