<p align="center"><em>A guest blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara</em></p>
I have previously mentioned how the adolescent roosters resemble adolescent boys, i.e. chest bumping.

Now that the roosters are no longer around, I have noticed how much the hens resemble adolescent girls. 

Without the imminent danger of the roosters forcing them to band together in self-defense, the hens are now picking on each other. The “pecking order” phenomenon is especially observable at bedtime when each hen has her spot on the roost.

However, I have seen some of the older hens chasing the younger ones around the chicken yard. This usually happens after I have thrown some kind of food.<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/hens2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2328" alt="hens2" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/hens2.jpg?w=300" width="300" height="199" /></a>

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I keep telling them “Be nice to each other. You are all you have.” 

They aren’t listening – any more than adolescent girls listen.

Last night the hens were making all kinds of racket. Rachel, who had shut the coop door, was concerned that something was posing a threat. 

The sounds were reminiscent of the possum ordeal so I walked out with the flashlight.

The minute the chickens spotted me, they got quiet.

It reminded me of a girls’ slumber party. All manner of noise comes from the room, but as soon as mom enters – silence.

<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/slumber-party1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2321" alt="?????????????????" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/slumber-party1.jpg?w=300" width="300" height="190" /></a>

With the hens, I could at least go back inside knowing they were safe. You never know what girls at a slumber party are going to do.