Carol's Chickens

Last night we put the girls together for an hour before bedtime. We knew that we needed to get them together on the big side otherwise the big girls go into the bantys side and have a lovely time scratching around and the bantys hide. This is not progressing integration at all but it’s difficult to tempt the bantys out from their area where they feel safe.

I put the chicken toy on the patio with some sunflower hearts in it, to occupy the big girls, while I tried to tempt the little girls out with some corn. They were reluctant to come out even for corn so my husband went into their side and shooed them out then shut the gate.

As soon as the chicken toy was emptied the big girls went out into the garden area. There were a few pecks and the bantys darted up to the patio area with one of them going in the coop for a few minutes. Overall it went quite well with the big girls spending some time scratching and seeming not to take too much notice of the bantys and sometimes running at them and getting in a peck. I don’t mind so much when it’s a quick peck but at one point Bluebell held on to one of the bantys by the neck and then Dotty joined her. That’s really hard to watch and there was lots of telling off and water squirting from me.

The bantys then perched on the log out of the way which I thought was a good idea. A little later when the big girls returned to their scratching the bantys came down from the log and one of them sat down. We wondered if this was a sign of submission to the big girls.

The big girls then decided it was time for the bedtime routine of perching on the coop roof. I was surprised that the bantys flew up to join them and also surprised that they didn’t get as badly treated by Pepper as Bluebell often does. I think with more girls for Pepper to deal with she was confused as to which one to peck and the pecking from her and sometimes Dotty was only brief. Bluebell was too concerned with holding on to her place for a change that she didn’t attempt any pecking.

At this moment Bluebell wanted to jump on to me so I held out my arm and she perched on it. That made the other two want to jump on me and Pepper perched on my shoulder and as there was no more space Dotty jumped onto my head! I still had the camera in my hand so while I had three chickens perching on me, I snapped the bantys leaving the roof. I thought afterwards that I should have handed the camera to my husband to take a photo of me with three chickens perched on me but the moment had passed.

The big girls move towards the bantys

They are getting closer

The big girls are busy scratching

Bluebell heads over to the bantys

The bantys take refuge on the log

One of the little girls sits down, could this be a sign of submission?

All on the coop roof

There are five girls up here but due to lack of room the other banty is behind her mate

Time to go

We opened the gate and let the bantys return to their side. Once the big girls were back on the roof I lifted them down and put them in the coop as the door was closing. By now the bantys had gone in their coop and I shut their door.

I think this was progress but it’s still going to take some time yet.

As if it’s not hard enough getting the big girls and the little girls together without a battle, both sides are now engaging in their own battles. For a while there has been a bedtime battle going on with Pepper trying to keep Bluebell from joining her and Dotty on the coop roof and Pepper has left peck spots on Bluebells comb.

Now there is a battle going on between Amber and Honey. I looked out of the window this morning and the bantys were going at each other like mad. They had chests out, hackles raised and were flying at each other. I had forgotten that the big girls went through this when they growing up but because the bantys are more flighty, it looks like much more dramatic. They fly at each other about two or three feet from the ground and the battles are more prolonged.

By the time I got out to them Amber was pottering about while Honey was behind the bush. She did come out to see if I had treats so she was unharmed but soon returned to the bush. My husband saw them at it again later during the day.

This afternoon I took all the girls a treat of halved corn cobs. I usually put in two for the three big girls and one for the two little girls. Amber and Honey had always shared one with no problem until now. Now Amber wouldn’t let Honey near it and gave her some hard pecks if she came near. I ended up removing the corn cob and cutting it in half, then placing the two halves at opposite ends of their space. Even then Amber did what our big girls have done in the past, she would move from her bit of corn to Honey’s and Honey would move on to the other bit. They played musical corn cobs but at least honey had a chance to have some.

I am amazed that this tight little pair have suddenly started sparring like this. It’s already obvious that Amber, despite being the smaller of the two, is top girl out of these two. We have a very clear order of one down to five which is: Pepper, Dotty, Bluebell, Amber and Honey at the bottom. I wonder if this new battle will effect the big battle for better or for worse!

This afternoon I thought I would try the chicken toy distraction again, while opening the dividing gate as it worked so well yesterday. The difference today was that the bantys have now learned what it is too, so Amber hurtled straight over and tried to take a sunflower heart. Bluebell gave her a swift peck and dislodged a feather so Amber ran back to her side and the little girls were afraid to come back out again.

Once the toy was empty the big girls moved into the other side and carried on scratching and running at the little girls if they dared to get near.

One thing I did notice was that if Bluebell or Dotty got close to Honey she would squat. This would indicate that she may be ready to start egg laying soon. I mistakenly thought that Amber was the more mature when we first got them because she appeared to be practising laying. She went into the coop (or the cardboard box to begin with) every other day during the first six days with us. She hasn’t done so since and I now wonder if she was looking for the security of somewhere to escape to, or if she herself was receiving mixed hormonal messages and it was just a false alarm. Honey is bigger than Amber and her comb is much more red so I am now sure that she is the more mature.

Once they had half an hour together I separated them again and gave the little girls a turn with the chicken toy. This drives the others crazy and they spend the whole time pressed against the wire and making metallic clicks as their beaks keep tapping at the wire.

The big girls have the chicken toy

The little girls have the toy

If sheer determination could get these three through that wire they would be in!

Last night I decided to have another session of getting the girls together. Despite digging over both sides of the run, the big girls went straight into the bantys side as soon as I opened the gate. The earth is much better for scratching on that side as it doesn’t compact so quickly. With the big girls and myself constantly walking over it, the ground soon gets compacted whereas the little girls don’t make much impression on their side.

The big girls were having a lovely time scratching so I decided that although I would rather they all mixed on the other side where there is more space, I would just let them do it their way. The bantys would move towards the big girls and Bluebell would run at them so that they quickly backed away again.

I was quite pleased that it seemed less aggressive. Bluebell seemed happy to just run at the little girls instead of pecking them. Pepper and Dotty were so engrossed with their scratching that they weren’t taking much notice of the bantys, Dotty would just run at them occasionally. Bluebell drank some of their water and ate some of their pellets then had a look in their coop. Every now and again she would run at them and seemed happy that their response was to run into the corner. The bantys weren’t vocally complaining though, just keeping out of the way.

When it was near bedtime I encouraged the big girls back into their own side and the bedtime preening commenced. Soon after that they all made their way to bed. This was a lot less stressful and I am feeling really pleased with the progress.

This afternoon I decided to try the girls together again. I suddenly had a brainwave and decided to use the chicken toy as a distraction. I put some sunflower hearts in it and put it on the patio area. While the three big girls were busy with the toy, I opened the bantys gate and let them out. They came out as the big girls rolled the toy into the garden area.

The bantys were intrigued by the toy and really wanted to join in. They would get close to the toy then one of the big girls would peck them away and they would run back into their side of the run. They crept out and ran back a few times. It went so much better with a distraction and the toy held the attention of the big girls for longer as they have to work to get the sunflower hearts out rather than just hoovering up some corn.

Once the toy was empty I decided to shut the bantys back in their side, put some more sunflower hearts in and let the bantys have a go. I have to say that I think these little girls are brighter than the big girls.

One example of this is that when they are in the big girls area and they get pecked at, no matter how far away from the gate they are, they quickly run back through the gate to safety. Yesterday during integration time, Dotty was in the little girls space while they were behind the bush. Dotty was enjoying scratching in their space and Pepper was on the other side of the wire. Pepper desperately wanted to join Dotty but couldn’t work out where the open gate was. She would keep going back and forth along the wire opposite Dotty when the open gate was only about a foot further up. It wasn’t until Dotty moved nearer to the gate that she suddenly found it again. Not the brightest of sparks, our top girl!

When we first gave the big girls the chicken toy, Bluebell our bottom girl, but our brightest, quickly worked out that pecking at it and rolling it released the sunflower hearts. Dotty cottoned on a little later. Pepper our top girl, but I sometimes think also our dimmest girl, took weeks to cotton on to it.

I put the chicken toy into the bantys side and joined them with my camera. They went straight to it and started pecking at it or moving it with their feet and got to the sunflower hearts straight away.

The bantys immediately come to investigate the toy

Checking it out

Having a peck at it

Soon getting at the sunflower hearts

Job done, how easy is this!

Throughout this entire process Bluebell and Pepper were pressed against the wire, desperate to get at the toy. Dotty was busy on the patio with a cabbage leaf and oblivious to the goings on!

This also showed who was top of the pecking order between the bantys and it was no surprise to me that it was Amber. The toy got stuck between the feed pot and the slab that the water stands on. Amber would use her foot to roll it out and every time Honey tried to join in, Amber pecked her away. This is the first time I have seen any pecking between these two and Amber repeatedly pecked Honey away from the sunflower hearts.

Once the toy was empty again I put a few more sunflower hearts in it (I only put a few in each time) and returned it to the other side of the wire and opened the gate again. This time Honey managed to get past the big girls while they were distracted and made it up to the patio area. At least the little girls are getting further into the entire area and with less pecks. Once the toy was empty again and the big girls tried to get a few pecks at the bantys, I decided that that was enough for now. They had had half an hour together without too much hassle so I felt it was a bit of progress.

My husband suggested perhaps little and often is the way to go and I think he is right, so I will continue like this. That was the least stressful so far and a distraction definitely helped.

I am a very light sleeper and look at the clock quite often in the morning between dozing. I have been getting up between half past five and quarter to six to let the bantys out at six o’clock or a bit before six, each morning. This morning I looked at the clock at five o’clock and again at half past five before dozing off again.

The sound of chickens shouting woke me with a start and I realised it was six o’clock. I leapt out of bed and ran straight out to the girls to see what was wrong. There was no sign of anything wrong but although I was talking to the girls, Bluebell just wouldn’t stop shouting at the top of her voice.

I opened the bantys coop and they tumbled out and instantly Bluebell stopped shouting as if a switch had been flicked. All was calm and silent. Could it really have been because I was a little late letting them out! Surely that couldn’t be it, could it? There was no sign of anything amiss and all remained quiet once the little girls were out with Bluebell watching them like a hawk as usual. Who knows what goes on in that little chicken brain!

Yesterday I bought the bantys their own feed dish to replace the ramekin dish they have been using. It fits quite nicely on top of their upturned pot.

New feed dish

The bantys are getting used to me now and will let me get closer to them.

I also dug over both sides of the run. I thought maybe if the big girls side is completely dug over they won’t immediately head into the other side when I open the gate. It probably won’t work but I have to try everything I can think of.

Both sides of the run are dug over

Bluebell and Dotty both have the exactly the same tail up posture while watching the bantys. Pepper as top hen, is definitely the least bothered by them.

Last night we decided to put the girls together for an hour before bedtime. The bantys came out of their gate and Bluebell immediately took a peck at them. Amber ran into the coop and Honey ran behind the bush. The big girls then saw the area inside the bantys gate that I had dug over and they all filed in for a good scratch. Amber came out of the coop and joined Honey behind the bush.

This was all a bit of a waste of time as the big girls were enjoying the new patch to scratch in and it was so close to the bantys that they stayed put behind the bush. Because this patch hadn’t been dug over for a while it was damp and probably had bugs in and was just irresistible to the big girls.

I had to entice the big girls out of the bantys area with some corn. I then shut the gate so that the they would come out from behind the bush. By now it was nearly bedtime so we decided to give up.

The big girls started a massive preening session and the bantys joined in with the preening on their side. Soon afterwards they all settled down for bed.

We decided to try again after lunch today and it wan’t any more successful. The problem is that the bantys come out and quickly get pecked by Bluebell which understandably scares them. They then retreat to behind the bush and are very reluctant to come out again. I decided to pick Bluebell up and hold her for five minutes. My husband tried to encourage the bantys out with corn but they were very reluctant and the big girls would keep going into their space, forcing them to retreat to the bush.

The bantys venture out

The bantys look so small in the whole run. I only managed this one photo because the next minute they were pecked at and it was too stressful to take any more photos.

Once the big girls came out again we shut the gate and I put Bluebell down. We decided they had had enough for now as it’s stressful for the bantys. The difficulty with having two spaces is that there isn’t a shared space for them to mingle in. My husband did suggest that when the bantys come out we shut the gate so that they have to mix on one side. I just worry that the little girls won’t have any where to run to that feels safe to them.

The good thing though, is that as both sets have a good space and coop of their own it doesn’t matter if it takes a very long time. My husband pointed out that even if they stayed separate, we would still have five happy chickens in a nice environment. Ideally though, I do want them to mix eventually but I am not worried if it takes a long time, so I am not going to stress about it. They are all healthy and happy and that is the most important thing.

The bantys are getting used to me now and run towards me rather than away from me. They have sussed out that the treats are kept in the storage cabinet and run to the corner nearest the cabinet when I open the cabinet door. When I poop pick their area they don’t get stressed any more. They move out of my way but they don’t complain like they used too.

I have also stopped giving mash for the last few days to encourage the bantys to eat the pellets. I wasn’t sure if they were actually eating them or just flicking them out but today when I was watching them I saw them eat a good amount of pellets.

Today I dug over the big girls corner and a found a few worms for them. Then I dug over the bantys corner inside their gate. They weren’t bothered by me digging in their area and I threw them a worm which they both battled with. I think it was a bit big for them and they had a long tussle with it while the big girls were going crazy on their side of the wire.

I passed a few worms through to the big girls. At one point Pepper was running around as if demented with a worm in her beak while Dotty and Bluebell chased her.

When I had finished the bantys went straight to the freshly dug earth and had a good scratch about.

The bantys scratch in the corner that I have dug for them while Bluebell and Pepper patrol the border

The bantys enjoying a scratch around

All we need now is to get them all together.

Yesterday it rained all afternoon and I was able to see how well the panels were working at keeping the run dry. Most of the run is staying dry. The areas under the plastic are dry, but water drips between the wooden batons. The water was dripping on the ramp of the bantys coop and also onto the back of the coop. I don’t want the ramp to get wet because it would mean that when I close the ramp by lifting it up, I would be closing the damp on to the inside.

I decide to move the coop to the driest part of their run. I moved the log into the big girls side of the run to make more room and put the coop next to the big bush with the ramp facing towards the wire. This makes the bantys run seem bigger as they now have a bigger area by the gate which I can dig over for them to scratch in.

The coop in it’s new position

The coop from inside the bantys run

I am quite pleased with the coops new position as I think it will now stay dry. I did wonder if it would upset the bantys moving their home but when I went back a little later there were pine shavings on the ramp. This shows that they have explored it already.

We decided to try the girls together for half an hour before bedtime. I opened the bantys gate and sprinkled a little corn. The bantys came straight out but Bluebell instantly went for them. She landed a few pecks and the bantys ran back into their part of the run. They didn’t venture out again so it was all a bit short lived. At one point Pepper went into their side and gave one of the bantys a good, hard stare, then came out again.

The big girls decided it was time to take their places on the coop roof and this turned out to be more of a battle. I noticed yesterday that Bluebell had some spots on her comb which look like peck marks. I assumed it was probably from Pepper pecking at her when she tries to get on the coop roof at bedtime and I was right.

Every time Bluebell tried to settle on the roof, Pepper would peck her head or comb. It was quite hard to see how determined Pepper is not to let her join them and Bluebell is now determined that she will join them. Where as she used to give up and go inside the coop, instead she kept on trying to sit with them and Pepper kept on pecking at her. It made me feel a sense of understanding as to why she is so determined that the bantys are going to stay below her in the pecking order. These three girls have been together for a year, since they were babies, and yet Bluebell is still on the outside at bedtime. It’s a shame they don’t just go into the coop like they used to.

Just as Bluebell finally managed to take her place, the coop door started to shut and I lifted them down and put them in. I feel sorry for Bluebell having to go through all that just for a few minutes of success before I move them all.

By now Amber had gone into the coop but Honey spent a bit of time going in and out. She appears to go in then pop out to check if I am still there. After about five minutes of this she finally went in and I shut the door.

I think tonight I will try letting the bantys out a little earlier. I think this is going to take quite a long time to get them integrated but it doesn’t matter how long it takes, the bantys are quite happy with their run and coop.

Last night we decided to take the plunge and give the two sets of girls some time together before bedtime. We timed it to give them half an hour together then quarter of an hour to calm down on their own sides before going to bed.

I opened the gate and sprinkled some corn around to encourage the bantys out and keep everyone occupied. I sat on the wooden block with the water spray in one hand and the camera in the other.

At first they were all more interested in the corn but once the bantys came out Bluebell went for them pretty aggressively and I sprayed her with water. Amber, the smallest of the bantys, retreated to the coop on their side. At least she feels safe in her own coop. I was surprised that Honey was the bravest and came back out into the big girls side.

The behaviour of the three big girls was different according to their place in the pecking order. Bluebell, bottom girl, just wanted to attack, getting in pecks where she could. Dotty who is middle girl was next to make her move and did it all with display. She stood up tall and raised her neck feathers (if only she knew how ridiculous she looked with half her neck feathers missing!) and tried to intimidate by show. Pepper who is top girl just walked straight up to Honey and froze like a statue giving her a long stare. Once the stare was broken she gave a quick peck.

A little corn to entice the bantys out

Getting closer with the distraction of the corn

Honey bravely walks past Bluebell and Dotty

Bluebell is soon in pursuit

Pepper gives Honey a long stare

Honey voiced her alarm and Amber came out of the coop to check on her.  I found it all very hard to watch and intervened with the spray but my husband said that I should leave them to it a bit as it’s natural and they need to do this. I am too soft though and find it really hard to see the aggression. I decided this was enough for tonight and as the bantys returned to their side I shut the gate.

The big girls settled next to bantys on the other side of the wire and commenced to have a massive preening session. The bantys joined in with a bit of preening on their side. I am not sure if the preening was showmanship or because I had sprayed them with water, or perhaps a bit of both.

Pepper preening and one of the bantys preening in the background

Pepper preens while Bluebell keeps a close eye on the bantys

All the big girls preen

Bluebell can’t take her eyes off the bantys

Bluebell continued to watch the bantys every move even when Pepper and Dotty were settling on the coop roof ready for bed. I think if it was just the bantys and the dominiques, they would very soon be ready to integrate without too much trouble but it’s Bluebell who is going to be the problem. Bottom girl is determined to hold her position and so my most docile girl has turned into the most aggressive. I think this is going to take some time but we will keep on with this in the evenings for now.

Once the coop door started to close I lifted the big girls in and by then the bantys had gone into their coop so I closed the door. We have now got the first session behind us and will see what tomorrow brings. I guess it wasn’t too bad really!