Carol's Chickens

Yesterday mid morning I decided to give the girls some mash. I was worried that the little girls may not get enough pellets while competing with the big girls, although there are three dishes of pellets, so they should be able to. It’s just that I always worry.

I made it in the usual bigger dish for the big girls and ramekin for the little girls. Why did I think they were likely to stick with their own dishes?

Two dishes of mash

Bluebell has her own dish

At least while Bluebell has a dish to herself she isn’t hassling the little girls.

Mix and match

Next time I will just put two dishes of the same size, side by side. They love the mash so much that they don’t squabble too much and the bantys were able to get their share.

When they had finished, Dotty went straight into the nest box to lay her egg. The bantys pottered around but Bluebell and Pepper went into what was the bantys area and sat down.

Rest and digest

I find it quite amusing that Bluebell sits with her tail straight up, while Pepper has her tail down and looks quite flattened!

Resting together

The bantys didn’t seem to need a rest. I guess Dotty took her rest in the nest box and when I checked a while later she had laid her egg.

When I got back at lunch time Bluebell had also laid and Pepper was in the nest box and had soon laid her egg as well. Honey was in the little coop so hopefully is at last getting the hang of laying in the right place.

An hour later when I checked again, Honey was still in the coop. I went back a bit later and she was out but hadn’t laid an egg. I don’t think she has got into the swing of this yet.

Several times yesterday Amber went into the big nest box. She had made a well in the centre so it looks like she is ready to start laying soon. It’s funny that Honey has chosen their little coop to practice in (she’s only managed to actually lay one out of five eggs in there) and Amber has chosen the big girls nest box.

When I went back to do my pre bedtime clean up, I was most surprised to find the tiniest little egg in the run. I can only imagine that it is Ambers first egg as Honey has laid five normal banty sized eggs.

The tiny egg

Bluebells egg on the right and the tiny egg on the left

The tiny egg sat on a fifty pence piece

I haven’t got a normal banty egg to compare this one to as we have recently eaten them (and very nice they are too, mostly yolk and very little white), but I will save this and compare it with a normal banty egg when we next get one. I will also do an update on the inside of this egg once I have cracked it. It is cute, smaller than a quails egg. It looks like I will soon have all five girls laying and an abundance of eggs.

When I went back in at dusk to get the girls to bed I got another surprise as all five girls had settled on the coop roof. There was one banty on either side of the big girls. I decided to try my luck at putting them all in the same coop. I picked up the nearest banty and put her in. I then picked up the three big girls and put them in. I couldn’t pick up the second banty as she quickly flew off.

I now had a dilemma, do I leave one banty in the big girls coop and let one banty sleep alone in the little coop, do I remove one banty from the big girls coop and put her in the little girls coop with her mate or do I try to move the banty from the little coop to join her mate in the big coop. I decided that the last option may be a way of speeding up the integration process. This was sooner than I had planned on doing this!

I first lifted the roof of the little coop and tried to pick up the banty but she was too quick for me and flew out. I waited until she returned to the little coop and this time reached in through the door and grabbed her. I put her in the big coop but felt a bit bad about having to grab her. I looked in through the nest box, with the torch pointed at the ground, and they had all settled on one perch together.

Maybe it would be good for them to all sleep together. My only worry was, would they be okay together in the morning. I decided that as soon as I woke up I would go out and check on them.

This morning I went out to at quarter to five as I thought this was about the time that the automatic coop door would open. I think it had just opened as by the time I had got half way up the garden all five girls came running towards me. They seemed fine together so we have progressed again, more quickly than I was expecting. I wonder what they will do tonight!

I decided to put the girls together yesterday from six o’clock in the morning when I let the bantys out of their coop. Every time I looked out of the window or went up to them they seemed to be getting along fine.

I gave them their morning cabbage leaves and there was the occasional chasing but nothing too aggressive.

Amber, the smallest girl, tackles the biggest cabbage leaf

At one point when I went to check on them, Bluebell was in the nest box (she usually lays her egg first) and Amber popped out of the coop. I thought that a little risky but guessed Bluebell was unlikely to move from nest box while trying to lay her egg.

Mid morning just before I had to go out to do my deliveries I heard Bluebell shouting at the top of her voice. I went up to see what the problem was and Amber was in and out of the coop with Bluebell shouting as loud as she could. I checked the nest box and there was Bluebell’s egg. I removed it and calm resumed again. I think Bluebell was upset at Amber going in the coop while her egg was in there. This isn’t the first time Bluebell has behaved like this, she is very possessive about her eggs.

This was the first time that I have felt able to go out and leave all the girls together, it’s a real break through.

I got back at lunch time and everything seemed fine. I gave them some fruit to peck at.

Five girls mingle together, hurrah!

Amber eating apple while Honey keeps watch

The pellets in the bantys dish taste much nicer!

The bantys get the patio area and the fruit to themselves

The three stooges

Bluebells fluffy bloomers

There were so many shots I just missed, such as Bluebell coming out of the bantys coop where she had been having a nose and the bantys standing on their coop roof to eat the leaves of the dog wood plant. The big girls haven’t sussed this yet and jump up to reach what they can.

Another thing I noticed this afternoon was that when Bluebell went for Amber she now crouched in submission and Bluebell backed off. This is good news on three levels. It may mean less aggression from Bluebell, it may mean I will be able to pick Amber up soon and it may mean she will start to lay eggs soon. This may also be why she was investigating the big girls coop today.

I did my evening chores and decided to leave them until just after dusk to see where they choose to go to bed.

I went back out as it was just dark and the little girls were in their coop so I closed their door. The big girls were on the coop roof as usual so I lifted them down and put them in their coop.

I know there will be more progress to be made in getting them into one coop eventually but I am not worried about that right now. I am just elated that after a month we have progressed in the last two days from the odd hour together with me watching over them, to half a day, then a full day together! They have been together from coming out of the coop in the morning until returning to the coop at bedtime and that is truly progress!

Yesterday I got back from my deliveries at twelve o’clock and decided to put to the girls together again. This is the longest they have been together so far but I am still not comfortable enough to leave them together when I am out.

It’s working much better now that there is an escape route in the corner of the little girls area and they have soon worked out that they can run behind the bush then out through the escape hole and easily get away from Bluebell.

Bluebell unfortunately has not been as good as the day before. She chased them around a lot more yesterday and  sometimes managed to grab them by the feathers on their neck or back. I told her off and sprayed her with water and sometimes just a warning or holding out the spray stopped her but I can’t be there all the time.

The little girls are getting plenty of exercise and bounce back from her attentions. They are getting braver around Pepper and Dotty but know to stay out of Bluebells way. If it wasn’t so frustrating it would be funny because they do look comical the way they see her getting nearer and scoot away at top speed!

Another thing my husband pointed out was that sometimes when Bluebell went for Honey she would crouch in submission and Bluebell would then move away rather than grab at her. I realised that Bluebell probably grabs Amber because she doesn’t yet crouch so maybe when she starts to crouch this whole thing will get easier. Chickens pecking order (or dominance) is quite complex and just has to be played out before the flock can settle together.

The escape route

I had just dug over this little corner which is why they are all wanting to scratch here.

One of the really nice things was that when I went up the garden to visit the girls, I now had five girls run down to the fence to greet me, all on the same side. It was so nice to see the same enthusiasm from all five together as one flock (for a few moments anyway).

Later on in the day the big girls noticed the plastic egg that I have put in the bantys coop to encourage Honey to lay in there. She has laid five eggs so far and only managed to get one in the coop. They all had a good look at it and Bluebell had a peck at it.

We are intrigued by this plastic egg

We tap it but it seems quite hard!

Bookends

Meanwhile the bantys were doing their impression of bookends on the other side of the wire. Sometimes I call them ” Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum”, they are very alike and very together! Despite that there is no doubt that Amber, although the smaller of the two, is definitely top between these two. A couple of times they would be sharing a bit of apple or tomato when Amber would give Honey a quick peck.

The day before I put the girls back in their own areas when I went out to do my clean up chores after dinner. Last night I decided to delay my chores until just before bedtime to give them longer together. Again it was so nice that when I went in to clean up, all five flocked around my feet as one flock, disagreements forgotten for now. They are always more chilled at bedtime so I thought it would be good to give them this time together.

It was almost tempting to leave them together but I’m not ready yet to worry about the hour between five when the big girls come out and six when I go out to them (and at the moment let the little girls out), plus the little girls have got used their own coop and I am not quite ready for the next stage yet. I want to have longer with them together when I am around but am still wary of leaving together when I am not there. I know I must do this soon but feel I need a bit longer to be sure that the time is right.

I went back just before dusk and the little girls had returned to their area and the big girls were settled on the coop roof. As often happens if I go out before dusk the big girls jumped down and ran to greet me. I decided to have a last sweep of the patio area while I let them settle into position again.

This time Honey suddenly decided she wanted to join the big girls on the coop roof. Pepper wasn’t having this and pecked at her in the same way as she does to Bluebell at bedtime. I decided to intervene and picked Honey up. This was the first time I had been able to pick her up without a chase. She did squawk her protest but I stroked her and softly talked to her, then returned her to her area and closed the wire and shut the gate.

This has also been progress. I want to be able to handle the little girls eventually in case I need to check them over at any time. Since the early days of having to catch them at bedtime I have avoided trying to pick them up to let their confidence in me grow. Being able to pick Honey up is a big step forward and hopefully once Amber starts to squat I hope I will eventually be able to pick her up too. I feel this is really progressing at last!

It rained heavily all night and when I went out at six o’clock this morning, despite our best efforts, there were very few dry areas apart from the patio area, which has a solid roof. I decided to bite the bullet and put them all together. I put in six quarters of corn cob to give them something to peck at and left them to it. I have got to do this sometime.

I had no work this afternoon so decided to spend a lot of time with the girls trying to get them together. It had rained heavily all night and continued all day. The bantys had very few dry patches left in their side of the run. Although we have put in the sliding plastic panels, the continued heavy rain proved too much and it leaked in between the wooden batons and blew in through the side and the open end by the veg plot.

My husband has another plan to make the bantys area more water proof. He is thinking of using the left over felt from the shed roof to clad the underside of the wooden batons where most of the water is leaking in. Just another of the never ending improvements!

The little girls were taking shelter in the coop. Honey’s egg was just outside the coop so I am not sure if she didn’t make it in today, or if they pushed it out when they went in the coop.

I made both big and little girls a dish of mash so that if the little girls were kept away from the food at least I knew they had had a good feed.

I started by separating Bluebell on the little girls side and as usual Pepper, Dotty and the little girls were fine together. After quarter of an hour I decided to let Bluebell join them as she was getting very wet and bedraggled.

Bluebell looking really wet and bedraggled

Bluebell needed a good preen

I put an extra food dish on the big girls side for the little girls as I’ve never seen them go to the big girls feeder.

The little girls discover the extra food dish

All five girls mixed quite well. Bluebell seemed a bit subdued and therefore not so aggressive with the little girls. I don’t know if it was because she had got wet over their side, although I still had to coax her out of their area. Bluebell made a strange noise on and off all afternoon which was a cross between a growl and the noise Roy Orbison makes on the song “pretty woman”. I don’t know if this noise is something to do with her mellowing towards the bantys today.

I took a book and sat on my little chair so that I could keep watch over them. The big girls settled on the coop roof for an afternoon nap.

The big girls take a rest on the coop roof

They all snooze

I love the way Dotty has her head under her wing.

Meanwhile the little girls were sitting on one of the wooden blocks. First they preened then sat down for a while.

The little girls preen

After their snooze the big girls went for a dust bath in the only patch that had stayed properly dry.

The big girls enjoy a dust bath

The little girls were trying to scratch a hollow in damp soil when they decided to abandon that and join the big girls.

The little girls join in the dust bath

They gradually got closer together

Taking you under my wing

This was so nice to see, such a step forward. My husband came to see how we were getting on and as it was approaching dinner time, he suggested opening the gate and letting them have the whole area. As I expected they all went in the bantys side and the big girls either scared  the bantys to behind the bush or to the corner. I said they needed an escape from the corner so that they don’t get trapped and my husband lifted the chicken wire over their dead branch perch to allow them a second way out.

This worked really well and they soon got the hang of escaping from either end or getting back in through the corner. I checked back on them a few times and everything was going okay.

After dinner we went out to them again and the big girls were settled on the big perch in the run and the little girls on the coop roof so still in two camps but not hassling each other. I did my usual evening clean up chores then decided it was time to put them back on their own side and lower the wire again. They have been together for a whole afternoon with hardly any hassle so this has been a big step forward.

Today we put up two, new, high perches so that the bantys will have somewhere to escape from the big girls. From past experience it may take them some time to discover them though.

New high perch from the outside

The new perch is above the tree branch perch. I don’t think the big girls will be able to get up on this perch. As it’s above the existing perch which I duck under when cleaning, it won’t be in my way at all.

New high perch from the inside

Another new high perch over the patio area

I think the big girls may discover this one as they will be able to jump on to it from the storage cabinet but the more perches the better as they can’t be every where at once!

This afternoon I decided to put Bluebell in the bantys area and let the little girls mix with Pepper and Dotty to build their confidence a bit. They were together for a couple of hours and it went really well. Pepper and Dotty would give the occasional quick peck to show them their place but nothing nasty and they all intermingled really well.

The bantys soon discovered the big girls apple.

The bantys with the big girls apple

I always give the bantys a smaller bit of apple on their side but they love it and eat it straight away where as the big girls take all afternoon to eat theirs.

Bluebell is actually perfectly happy on the other side on her own. I think they find the other side a novelty and view it as a bit of a treat.

Bluebell in the other side

In fact for a while Pepper and Dotty were patrolling the fence desperate to join her. I dug over the corner of the run and found a few worms which all four girls chased each other around for.

I then dug a strip on Bluebell’s side so that she didn’t miss out and in fact she was better off as she had her worms all to herself!

Four girls together

Bluebell is in the background on the other side of the wire.

After a couple of hours I let Bluebell join the others. She immediately went for the little girls and I sprayed her with water several times. After a while it settled down and they mixed better than they have before. At one point they all preened and snoozed together.

All five sit together

They are getting braver

Despite Bluebell keep having a go at the little girls they still mixed a lot more where as they used to just go and sit on the coop roof. It does mean that they haven’t found the new perches though.

At one point Bluebell perched in the apple tree, this is the first time I have seen her do this since last summer.

Bluebell in the apple tree

At this point I decided to let the little girls go back to their own side so that I could go and get dinner on. This has been the best time together so far and I feel we really are making some progress.

I have been so involved with introducing the new girls lately that I realised I haven’t photographed the big girls close up recently.

The bantys are not so used to the camera so there is a limit to how close I can snap them at the moment and this is probably the best I can get.

Amber in the foreground and Honey facing head on

Close up of Bluebell

Bluebell is still missing some neck feathers from the feather pulling but it doesn’t show so much on her.

Close up of Dotty

Dotty still has a bare neck and is missing feathers from under her wing but the good news is the feathers on her bottom have started to regrow and there are now no bare patches showing.

Close up of Pepper

Pepper still has bare patches on her bottom and has a full fluffy neck but the most tatty behind.

Bluebell

Bluebell’s comb has a few marks from Pepper pecking her when she doesn’t want her to join herself and Dotty on the coop roof before bedtime.

Dotty

Dotty’s comb was quite dirty a while back but is now clean. I’m not quite sure how it got clean again! Her wattles are also quite a bit longer than Pepper’s.

Pepper

Pepper’s comb is not as dirty as it was but not as clean as Dotty’s.

Yesterday we had a really busy day, a function to deliver in the afternoon, a long wait at the opticians and we were going out for my birthday to a restaurant that was an hours walk away (it being the first nice day in ages). This didn’t leave much time for getting the girls together so I decided before going out that I would sprinkle some corn, open the dividing gate and see what happened. Amber didn’t want to come out but Honey came out and was immediately attacked by Bluebell. She then ran back in and I shut the gate.

I then realised that her comb was bleeding. I was quite upset that in just a few moments (the shortest time they have been together yet) Bluebell has managed to draw blood. Luckily she seems fine and it soon dried but I decided to give them a break from integrating for now.

However this morning when I returned to see what the girls were up to, Bluebell was in the nest box laying her egg so I decided to open the gate and see what happened. Both the little girls came straight out, they obviously realised Bluebell wasn’t there and they had about fifteen minutes of mixing happily with the two big girls until Bluebell reappeared. She immediately went for them and they ran back into their side so I shut the gate. I decided that was enough for today.

The day before yesterday, Honey laid her third egg in the run then sat in the coop for half an hour just like the two previous times. I decided to put a plastic egg in the bantys coop to see if this would encourage her to lay in there. I moved the egg to one side at bedtime so that it wouldn’t be in their way overnight.

In the morning Honey went into the coop and moved the plastic egg into the middle of the coop. She went in and out a few times after this. The next time I went to check she had laid her egg next to plastic one, in the coop. Hurrah! Maybe she has got the hang of it at last.

I think my next step is going to be separating Bluebell for short spells while the bantys mix with the other two on the big side. I hope this will build their confidence a bit as at the moment we seem to have come to a bit of a stale mate!

The day before yesterday Honey laid her first egg, missed yesterday and laid her second egg today. The big girls laid every other day at first so this was what I expected. The funny thing is that it is obviously catching her off guard as she laid her egg in the run again today. When she laid her first egg in the run, she then went and sat in the coop for half an hour then gave up. I assumed that she hadn’t realised she had already laid it. Exactly the same thing happened today, she laid her egg in the run then went in the coop for half an hour.

All the time that Honey was in the coop Amber strutted about complaining, she obviously doesn’t like being out on her own. As soon as Honey joined her she was quiet again. For little girl’s they do know how to make their complaints heard!

Honey’s first egg on the left, her second egg in the middle and Bluebell’s egg on the right

Honey’s first egg has a streak of blood on it, this often happens with the first egg. Her second egg is reasonably clean considering she laid it in the run. On both the first day and today all the girl’s laid giving us our first two, four egg days. well done Honey!

We have been putting the girls together several times a day for about half an hour at a time and there has been a little less aggression but it’s still a long way off me feeling that I could leave them together without me being there.

Bluebell is still the most aggressive and I have to watch her all the time. Dotty goes for one of the bantys now and then and Pepper seems fine with them, mixing with them and taking no notice then occasionally she will suddenly go for them.

Yesterday I gave them half an hour together from half past five to six o’clock and it was the best yet with them mixing together a lot more.

Sometimes when Dotty approaches Honey, Honey will squat in submission. While Amber was on the log all the big girls were preening and Amber joined in. Afterwards she sat down on the log which shows that she is getting more comfortable around the big girls.

At one point the big girls went up on to the big perch and to my surprise the bantys joined them. There seem to be no problem while they were on the perch. A little later just Bluebell was on the perch and Amber joined her. I really wasn’t sure that was a good idea but there was no pecking.

All together

Getting closer

Honey squats in submission

Close up of Amber on the log and Honey in the foreground

Amber and the big girls preening

Amber is comfortable enough to sit down on the log

The big girls perch

All five girls perch together

Amber, are you sure this is a good idea?

At this point I wanted to get our dinner ready but wanted to get the girls together a bit more later so I let the big girls into the bantys area and closed the gate. They love scratching in that area and I thought it would give the little girls time to explore the bigger area.

I ended up leaving the girls in each others areas for an hour and a half checking on them from time to time to see what they were doing. The big girls seemed happy in the smaller area and the bantys were exploring the patio area as well as the garden bit.

I went back out to them at half past seven and the big girls had dug huge holes in the bantys area. They had eaten all the bantys pellets and filled the water with dirt and wood chip. I smoothed out the holes, cleaned and refilled the food dish and water then let the big girls back into their own side again.

The bantys made their way down to the gate so I let them back in so that all the girls could have half an hour in their own sides before bedtime. I went back out as the coop door was closing and lifted the big girls down and put them in.

The bantys were still pottering about but I have now found that once the big girls are in if I then go and crouch by the bantys coop they will go in and I can shut their door. This makes bedtime quicker and easier.

I feel that we made good progress and just need to keep putting them together under supervision. I will also continue switching their areas until they all get used to it. At the weekend we will also put up some high perches for the bantys.

This morning after I had just been in and given the girls some greens Pepper was doing a lot of shouting. I went to investigate and found this:

Where did that come from?

I am sure this is Honey’s first egg as she has been squatting for the last week. When we first bought the bantys home three weeks ago Amber would go into the coop to practise egg laying but then obviously decided she wasn’t ready and gave up. Honey has never gone in to the coop to practice but has been squatting so I knew she was getting ready and I think this egg took her by surprise!

Our first banty egg

Comparison

Honey’s egg on the left and Dotty’s egg on the right

I am so excited by this little egg and it has arrived on the week of my birthday, hurrah!

Last night we got the girls together an hour and a half before bedtime, we are gradually increasing the length of their time together. As usual there were a few pecks but then Bluebell would hang to one of the little girls by the neck and try to hold her down. This is horrible to watch and I sprayed Bluebell with water. The bantys looked for somewhere to escape to and flew on to the coop roof but Bluebell chased them down.

Safety on the coop roof but not for long

The bantys found somewhere higher to go and escaped to the store cabinet and my little chair which hangs just under the roof.

The bantys take refuge on the store cabinet and my little chair

Having seen this we have decided to put in some additional high perches for the bantys to escape to away from the big girls reach.

We decided as Bluebell was the problem we would let her into the bantys area and shut the gate. Bluebell was quite happy in there and totally oblivious to the goings on, on the other side of the wire. She was having a good scratch and drinking from the bantys water and eating the bantys pellets.

Pepper and Dotty were going crazy on the other side of the wire and were desperate to join her. They marched up and down pressing their faces to the wire. We decided to let them in and shut the gate giving the bantys a chance to explore the bigger area in peace.

The big girls were having a good scratching session in the bantys area and at one point Pepper found a huge worm which they all chased her for. Dotty managed to steal it from her, then they all got tucked in to the bantys pellets and water as if it was so much nicer on this side, even though the pellets are exactly the same as on their own side.

The bantys were also having a nice time exploring the big side. They had a good time scratching too.

The bantys enjoy some scratching

Scratching is better on the other side of the fence for both parties!

The bantys perched on the log for a bit

The bantys started to wind down for bedtime and went to sit on the coop roof.

The bantys settle on the coop roof

Nearly time for bed

We decided that as it was nearly bedtime we should get the big girls back in their own side. They were reluctant to leave the bantys side and we had to shoo them through the gate. They went straight up on to the coop roof with the bantys. There was a bit of pecking and I decided to guide the bantys down from the roof and usher them back into their own side, closing the gate.

A little later I put the big girls into the coop. One of the bantys was in their coop already and I waited by the coop for a few minutes until the other one went in and then shut their door. They were all in by a few minutes after nine o’clock.

I think it was good for the little girls to have some time to explore and I think some high perches will make a good escape for them. It feels like I will never be confident at leaving them all alone together but I am sure in time that will change.