Cold mornings, hot afternoons

In the morning their water is frozen, the hens stand around with no necks,or on one foot. It's a calm time.  After the mating, chasing, scrapping, squabbling, and gobbling, that is.  When they are first released, it's mayhem.  Later it's calm.  Time to groom. What is she doing in there? And glean.And doze off.   Sometimes when you look at animals, they look back at you with equally avid curiosity.  Cheeks is good at that.The Colonel has been given access to hen land.  I didn't think he'd stay in there because the flock he protects is larger than just the Silkies, but he's very comfortable. The chicks are showing their combs, nearly teens now, and they can use the male role model.  I'm not joking.  Young roosters hero worship the big cocks, and I bet good roo behaviour is learned, just like they learn to wipe their beaks and scratch from their mothers.The first night I let him in there, too, at night when I usually do the airlift, I opened the fence and he matter of factly escorted the whole troupe (but one) to the coop.  A few chicks who have known nothing but the airlift process, were walking around the ramp, worming underneath it, clearly mystified how they were supposed to make the transition from out to in.  Funny.