Yesterday we took a deep breath and put both Maran mothers and their Silkie chicks into the run in the small paddock.  Maran mother number one has five large chicks under her care and control and Maran mother number two just has the smaller, younger Silkie over which to watch.  As we stood back the birds checked out their new home. Then the two mothers began to fight, flying at each other and pecking viciously.  I think my cries could have been heard by my neighbours half a mile away. I insisted that the birds have separate houses within the run so that they could not fight during the night.  Reluctantly Jeremy agreed to load the small hen house onto the wheelbarrow and we managed to manoeuvre it through the door into its place by the fence.  A tense truce ensued and as the sun went down Mother number two and single chick took up residence in the large hen house and Mother number two and her brood of five scuttled into the small house!  It’s not the number of chicks but the fierceness of the mother that counts in this pecking order.