This is the second annual molting season (or is that moulting) for our four remaining Orloffs. D felt this would be a good time to take the lead Orloff from the Welsummer's pen and add her to the Orloff pen. Um, I'm not so sure this is a good idea. But, since they are already stressed, who knows? It might be the perfect time. She is definitely is fiesty and may be able to dominate in the end. Yet, she is also a very friendly hen, so, she may not be able to win out with the transition. We are adding probiotics to their water to help their immune system and we will watch to see how they fare.
The hen keeps calling to the Welsummers and they to her. It's quite interesting. After a few attacks between her and the other Orloffs, she seems to be ruling the pen dominance, but that may not last as they wear her down. It would be one thing if we had pulled the others into her territory where she feels the dominance, and moved the Welsummers to the other pen/coop. But that would have been considerably more work and efforts. This will be an interesting experiment.
The Welsummers are not yet molting, and producing plenty of nice eggs. So this should reduce the burden of the eggless time period.
