Carol's Chickens

At last I have the elusive photo of all four girls on the big perch.

Four in a row

Not for long though, Pepper and Bluebell soon jump down and run to me. I quickly got  a photo of the remaining two.

Dotty and Treacle on the perch

Then there was one!

Treacle

I have seen the girls sitting on the big perch in combinations of one, two, three or all four, but getting a photo is really tricky. It’s not so good from outside, through the mesh, but how ever carefully I open the gate they jump down and run to me. I have to be patient and wait for them jump up while I am in with them, but they don’t want to perch while I am in with them, it’s something they do when left on their own. In the mean time, this picture will have to do to show that they do use the big perch.

Perching

They are very good at jumping up. I have seen one of them perched in the tree, two on this perch and the other one on top of the flower pot. It’s as if when it’s time to perch any where will do!

Yesterday the guys who built the chicken enclosure came to extend the dry area for us. The dry area covers half the patio area that houses the coup, storage and feeders. I soon found this area was too cramped during wet weather for both me and the chickens and for cleaning the coop. It will also be much easier to clean a dry patio than a half wet one. There is plenty of uncovered, outside space over the garden part of the enclosure. First of all I separated the garden area with the spare roll of weld mesh, so that the guys could work without worrying that the girls would make an escape. I returned the nasturtium pot to give them something to peck at, along with their feeder, water and the square bird feeder with melon and tomato in it.

The girls are confined to the garden part of the enclosure

The guys got to work and as they made some noise the girls all piled under the bush in alarm, practically on top of each other. As the noise continued they soon became used to it and happily sat in the garden, under the bush or would be at the feeder. They made a nice dust bath and seemed to quickly accept these new conditions.

The extended roof is going on

This will double the dry area

This took almost all day to complete. When it was finished I removed the weld mesh and let the chickens return to the entire space. I moved the coup further up the new dry space and moved my storage unit (potting cabinet) to the back wall. This gives a more pleasing look and opens up the space opposite the coop.

The finished roof from the outside

The finished roof from the inside

Looking the other way

At the end of the patio area is a raised box which used to be full of heathers, that I have moved to other parts of the garden. This makes an ideal place for the girls to scratch as it doesn’t get compacted. The rest of the area gets compacted by me walking on it to clean up but I always step over the box. The girls also like to perch on the wood on the other side of the box. When they have been scratching, I just sweep the soil back in.

The best spot for scratching

At first they could only manage small bugs and very small worms but over the last few days I have seen Bluebell wolf down some big worms. Bluebell and Treacle have also started to develop their grown up voices. They both now go “boc boc” with Treacle’s voice being louder and deeper. Only Dotty still has her baby voice, but I think she is about a month younger than the other girls.  I am really pleased with this improvement and think we are now finished and will finally stop spending money on these chickens!

Last night when Treacle sat on my lap, she suddenly jumped up on to my shoulder. I was worried she may not be able to get down again, but once the other girls had gone in to the coop, she launched herself to the ground.

I usually sit with the chickens just before they go to bed and this seems to be when they are most receptive to a bit of affection. They like to sit on my lap and will let me stroke them. Only Bluebell and Treacle will do this, Pepper and Dotty don’t like to be touched. In the morning when I go in, all four run to my hands and I can now stroke Bluebell and Treacle on the breast when they do this, but Pepper and Dotty will just move away

Treacle likes to be srtoked

Treacle gently nuzzles my arm

Treacle likes to snuggle

Treacle also likes to get on eye level

Bluebell joins Treacle

Bluebell and Treacle snuggle into me

Bluebell and Treacle get close

Bluebell snuggles in close

Bluebell and Treacle perch on my arms

I love having this interaction. Other news is that today I saw Treacle on the big perch for the first time. She was sat beside Pepper and Dotty while Bluebell sat beneath them. I hadn’t seen her on the perch before and presumed she didn’t use it. I would like to get a photo of them all on the perch together but it’s really difficult, because I want to take it from inside as the photos are not good through the mesh. The problem is that as soon as I go in through the gate, they all jump down and come to me. The only way I can get the snap is by spending time inside and waiting for them to jump up. It’s a game of patience. That’s why it took a while to get Bluebell on the perch but I am sure I will catch the elusive snap eventually.

I have a square bird suet container for the chickens. It hangs just inside their gate, quite low, so that I can put in things for them to peck at, while keeping it off the ground and out of the dirt. I could put in apple or lettuce, fruit, vegetable or even dandelions. I have put in melon and lettuce and none of the chickens found it, so I removed the items untouched. Today we had a break through. They have been pecking at melon and tomato over the last few days but they do pick it up, put it in the dirt then abandon it. Today I took the holder away and filled it with chunks of melon and halves of tomato. When I went in through the gate, they rushed to me to see what I had got. I showed it to them, then hung it on it’s hook inside the gate. Immediately Bluebell started pecking at it, followed as usual by Dotty and Treacle. Pepper hung back and I wonder why, when she is brave enough to display chest out to Treacle, she doesn’t put herself forward for treats. Once the other girl’s had their fill and moved away, she went over and had it to herself. Is this her strategy?

As usual Bluebell is the first to find something new

Treacle and Dotty quickly catch on

Pepper has her turn when the others have finished

We recently moved the chickens perch, it is a branch which ran at an angle from the ground to the vertical wooden strut on the run. This meant that very little of it was horizontal and the angle was a bit steep for all four chickens to be able to stay on. We decided to put it across, horizontally between the vertical wooden struts. This means I have to limbo underneath it when cleaning up but I thought it would be worth it to give the chickens a better perch. Now we wondered how long it would take them to find it. Within a few days Pepper found it followed by Bluebell and Dotty. Treacle seems to have no interest in the perch, I’m not sure if that’s because she is a bigger bird. Pepper and Dotty like to jump up into the tree which neither Bluebell or Treacle have tried. So far I have only managed to photograph Bluebell on the perch as when I get near Pepper and Dotty jump off.

Bluebell has found the new perch

Bluebell on the perch

I also decided to try giving the girls melon again, last time they looked at it as if it might bite them and at the end of the day it was still untouched. This time, once again Bluebell found it first (she is the smartest of the four), but was quickly followed by Dotty and Treacle and lastly Pepper (she seems to be the dimmest of the four). They have got the hang of the melon now.

Bluebell finds the melon

Dotty and Treacle find the melon

The other trick we are learning is stroking. The evening before last, when Bluebell came and sat on my lap, I tried stroking her underside. She seemed to like it. When Treacle sat on my lap, I tried the same thing but she jumped down. Treacle hasn’t been coming to sit on my lap as long as bluebell, so I know we need to take it slowly. The next morning when I went to the chooks and they all ran to my hands as usual to see if I had anything good for them, I stroked bluebells sides while she was close to me and she didn’t seem to mind at all. I felt really pleased. That evening Treacle twice sat on my lap and I stroked her underside again. This time she didn’t mind at all and stayed put enjoying it. I really felt this was a break through. Thank you Flock Mistress for your advice on this. I now realize that if you go to stroke them on their back they will always move away, but when you stroke them from underneath they don’t seem to feel threatened and seem to enjoy it. I am not sure if Pepper and Dotty will ever come and sit on me and allow me to stroke them as they are much more skittish. I am so glad now that I have a mixed flock because although I really love Pepper and Dotty, I also love the the way Bluebell and Treacle interact with me.

The pot of mint I put in for the chickens has lasted a week, so not too bad. It’s time to change it for the next pot and cut down the stalks so that it can regrow.

In a week, the mint has been thoroughly stripped

The parsley is making a comeback but I will leave it a while to get established. The nasturtiums are also regrowing nicely and I will put the pot back in soon.

The parsley is coming back

The nasturtiums are recovering

I used the twelfth and final tray of grass yesterday and today put the first one back in as it had grown back. This is working well to give them one fresh tray of grass each day in a continuous cycle. I am quite pleased at being able to give them some fresh greenery to peck at each day. I have tried giving them some lettuce but they don’t seem interested if it’s not growing. I am sure as they grow up they will eventually accept loose greens. I am also growing a couple of pots of lettuce for them, which I will put in when they have got to a decent size. I am growing a row of lettuce in the veg plot for us and these were a couple of spares.

Bluebell and Pepper climb aboard

I am not sure how long this pot of mint will last.

Yesterday I decided to see if the chooks like tomato. I put in two halves and at first they would almost take a peck, then recoil as if it might bite them. I broke off a few small bits and dropped them near the half’s and they soon ate those. They then plucked up the courage to peck at it and decided they did like it.

What is this? will it bite me?

We like tomato

Last night at bedtime both Bluebell and Treacle repeatedly sat on my lap, as is the evening routine at the moment. At one point though, Bluebell got behind me and jumped on my back. I leaned forward so that she wouldn’t slip off and Treacle jumped on my lap at the same time. I felt sandwiched between two chickens! I could feel Bluebell nuzzling my hair before she leapt down. Treacle stands a while looking at me on eye level then sits down. One thing that surprises me is how warm their legs and feet are, I think I expected them to be cold. Next time I will try stroking them. I have felt reluctant to do anything to put them off but I feel they are now ready for me to try being more interactive.

Last night as I sat with the girls, Bluebell was quick to jump on my lap as usual. She has done this every evening since the first time, just over a week ago. She got down again then back on and Treacle circled me, looking up at my lap. Treacle then  jumped on my lap and immediately Bluebell got on with her. Bluebell then got down first followed by Treacle, but then Treacle jumped back on and hunkered down, making herself comfortable. Not to be out done Bluebell squeezed back on but this time Treacle nudged her off and stayed put for quite some time. They seem to be vying for my affections. Since Treacle has been sitting with me she follows me around and runs to greet me first. She is a bigger bird then the other three but is really docile and friendly. The shape of Treacle’s  head and beak often remind me of an eagle. This is Treacle on the right.

Treacle sometimes looks an eagle

After the girls have a feed they all preen together, then settle down for a snooze together.

We all snooze together

I love the way they are such a tight little unit and do everything together.

My chickens love yogurt. Live, pro biotic, plain yogurt is good for chickens digestive systems. It must be given sparingly though. I have read that two teaspoons per bird, twice a week is the right amount. I buy a small pot mid week, divide it in to two and give it to them for two mornings. Some people mix it with their pellets but my chickens like it just as it is. They eat it from a small dish in the same way that they drink, tipping their heads up to swallow. They splash it over themselves but then peck it from each other to clean up. One thing I have read though is, don’t give it to a hen with sour crop, as it could sit in the crop going sour and adding to the problem.

We love yogurt