Carol's Chickens

Last night when I sat with the chickens at bedtime, Bluebell as usual sat on my lap. She then jumped down and Treacle kept circling me and looking at me. Suddenly she jumped up on my lap for the first time. Bluebell immediately ran over and jumped on too. Soon Bluebell jumped off again but Treacle stayed put and hunkered down making herself comfortable. She sat there for about ten minutes, sometimes closing her eyes and she seemed really content.

I am so pleased that Bluebell and Treacle are so interactive with me after only two weeks. I have had Pepper and Dotty for six weeks but the dominiques are more closely related to game birds and are naturally more skittish and nervous. I am not sure if they will change as they get older or maybe they will always be a bit more shy. I love them just as much and have a special fondness for them as they have been with me from a younger age, but am now glad that I have a mixed flock and have two girls who are more interactive.

We decided to treat them with maggots again today as I have read that, with the problem we had with Peppers crop, it is a good thing to do to keep it clear. It was the first time for  the new girls, but they soon got the hang of it. Treacle in particular hoovered them up really quickly.

We love maggots

They seem really happy together and I am so enjoying spending time with them.

The new girl’s joined the dominiques two weeks ago and have now settled in really well. I haven’t seen any pecking over the last week and they now all four stick together. The new girl’s used to stay a bit separate but now they all come to me together, they all preen, scratch, perch, feed and snooze together.

We like to sit close together

Every evening I sit with them for a while before bed time and Bluebell has sat on my lap every evening since the first time she did it. Last night Pepper looked as if she might like to join her and kept gently pecking at my knee. Treacle also looked like she would jump up but couldn’t quite make up her mind. She comes right up and stares at me.

I also heard treacle “boc boc” yesterday for the first time. The perch in their enclosure had fallen down and my husband was nailing it to the vertical wooden post to make it secure. I heard a loud “boc boc” of displeasure at this banging in their space and when I turned to look, I saw that it was Treacle. It seems she can make this sound but has chosen not to until now. I haven’t heard her do it since but I am sure she will in time.

The turfs that I had cut up into seeds tray are now working well. I put one tray in the run each day and the chickens peck out all of the green within a very short time. It then looks very brown but within a few days, it starts to green up again. As there are twelve trays, I hope that when the last brown comes out of the run the first rejuvenated  green one will be ready to go back in.

The grass in the trays on the right are now regrowing

The trays on the right were really brown a few days ago, but are now regrowing nicely.

I had the idea of doing the same thing with the pots inside their enclosure. They had a pot of herbs which has been in with them for five weeks now and has been reduced to just stalks and a pot of nasturtiums, which has also been pecked to bits.

Only the stalks remain in the herb pot

The nasturtiums have been obliterated

I decided to replace the herbs with a fresh pot of parsley and I have two pots of mint that have been on our patio for many years. I thought I would put one pot in the enclosure and when it has been stripped I will exchange it for the second pot. As mint grows back quickly, I hope this will give them a constant supply and it uses something I already had.

A pot of mint replaces the nasturtiums

Another pot of mint to switch with the first when it needs to regrow

I replaced the herb pot with a pot of parsley and the girls found it straight away.

Treacle finds the parsley

Now they have all found the parsley

I was quite pleased with myself until I returned an hour later and found this.

The parsley has all gone already

Back to the drawing board on the herbs. I have removed the pot to regrow, at least the mint is established and a bit tougher so hopefully will last a little longer.

Next year instead of sweet peas on the outside of their enclosure, I will grow a row of nasturtiums, so that they will grow through for the chickens to peck at.

Other news is, Bluebell at bedtime last night, sat on my lap for about ten minutes instead of  constantly getting on and off. She only jumped down when I tried to stroke her. She sits there looking up at me and I talk softly to her. It is funny how she is the only one so far, that likes to do this.

Last night just before the chickens bed time, I went and sat with them again on my little wooden chair. This time my husband came to watch and took a few photos. She jumped on to my lap five times last night. None of the others showed any interest.

Bluebell jumps on to my lap

Bluebell on my lap

Bluebell

Bluebell jumping down again

It is such a sweet feeling that she wants to come to my lap. I hope in time the others will become more interactive too.

Last night I sat on my little wooden chair watching the chickens going through their bed time routine. Bluebell kept coming right up to me and suddenly she jumped on my lap. I had my arms resting on my lap and she perched on my arm. I talked gently to her and didn’t try to hold or stroke her as I didn’t want to put her off. She stayed for a few minutes, then jumped down. To my surprise she circled round me then jumped up again from the other side. I told her how clever she was and after a few minutes she jumped down again. She repeated this four times. Pepper was watching and looked as if she might do the same but then changed her mind. I will be interested to see what happens this evening. I was really pleased as Bluebell and Treacle have only been with us a week, where as Pepper and Dotty have been with us five weeks.

It seems that Bluebell is at the bottom of the pecking order as Pepper and Dotty peck her away to keep her in her place. Treacle being the largest doesn’t seem to feel the need to peck anyone. Despite this Bluebell seems to be the smartest. She is always the first to find anything new and is the most willing to get close to me and now to sit on my lap.

Pepper has asserted herself as top hen, yet seems to be the dimmest. She is always last to the treats and rarely gets much, although I don’t worry about this because after her crop problem she shouldn’t have many treats. It’s as if she is regulating herself at the moment. Pepper is also the one least likely to want to be touched or picked up (understandable as last time she was turned upside down and had her crop emptied!).

Pepper doesn’t peck Treacle as she is bigger but does run at with her chest puffed out and her ruff up, just to show her who is boss. It is interesting watching them settle their pecking order. When it comes to feeding, preening, perching or snoozing, they are all together though. This is nice to see and they seem to have formed a happy group.

Each of my chickens sound different. Pepper is the only one with her grown up voice so far, Dotty still goes “cheep cheep”, but Pepper goes “boc boc”, all day long. Treacle makes a strange sound, sort of  “rrrrrrr”, and sometimes gives a little growl. Bluebell rarely makes any sound at all,  just an occasional single chirp!

Bluebell will now come right up to me the most often and is the only one of the chickens that doesn’t run off, if I lightly stroke her back. I pointed the camera and this was Bluebell running towards me, I had to snap quickly before she was on top of me!

Here comes Bluebell

We decided a while back to make a few changes to the chicken enclosure, the main improvement being to extend the dry area. We have contacted the guy who built it for us and he is really busy at the moment but will come and extend the roof area one day within the next two weeks.

Meanwhile we decided to get on with a few changes of our own.  We bought a potting cabinet for storing all chicken related items. This takes up the same floor space as the plastic box I was using, but as it is tall with plenty of shelves it holds so much more. This means I no longer need to go out of the gate and into the shed for things. This small change has made life easier for me.

This potting cabinet makes ideal storage for all my chicken related items

Every time I open the door to the cabinet all four girls come running over, as they have quickly realized that this is where the treats are kept. If they hear the rustle of the meal worm bag they are right under my feet waiting, not slow to catch on when it involves treats! We also decided to turn the coop sideways to allow easier access for cleaning. The end panel comes out, as does the nest box. Before we moved it, I was hemmed in by the fence and struggled to clean it out. I now have plenty of room and this simple action has also made life easier for me.

We have turned the coop sideways to make cleaning easier

The chickens were so funny when they came up to find the feeding station. It used to be on the left by the coop but we moved it to the right hand side to keep it within the dry area. All four chickens were looking for it on the left and trying to reach under the coop as if they thought it was hiding there. I tried rattling the feeder but they took no notice. Finally Bluebell discovered it and the rest quickly followed. I wondered if they would discover the way in to the coop as that has also changed, but again Bluebell found it first and they followed. Bluebell is bottom hen and gets pecked away by the others and yet it seems that she is the smartest hen.

The turf I put in the run had been completely pecked and looked dead, probably because I sat it on top of the wood chip. As they are half price at the moment (£1.99), I decided to buy another, cut it into squares and plant it in seed trays. It divided in to twelve trays and  I thought that I could put in one tray per day then bring it out to rejuvenate

The girls love the grass

This won’t last long

I have twelve trays of grass (one is in the run)

The two trays on the right have already had all the green pecked out by the girls

I only hope they do grow back as they look really brown. If not, it hasn’t cost much to do, but it would be nice to be able to keep the girls supplied with fresh grass as they love it.

The girls seem to be getting used to each other now and seem to be more integrated. They feed together, go to bed together with less argument and snooze together in the sun or the shade depending on how warm it is.

We all relax together

The new girls have also discovered the perch now. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to photo all four on the perch as Bluebell jumped down when I approached.

Treacle has found the perch

Pepper joins Treacle on the perch

Dotty joins them on the perch

Pepper’s crop has remained much improved and Dotty is not growing at the rate Poppy did, so I am now settling into believing she is not a roo. I am now really happy with my mixed flock and they seem to be settling happily too. I am really enjoying the experience and looking forward to a time when we start to get eggs.

Yesterday we decided to give the girls a treat and bought a piece of turf to put in their enclosure. The new girls had been used to being kept in grassy pens and a lot of the green plants I had put in for them, have now been completely pecked.

At first they were wary, then pecked at the edges but wouldn’t step on it. Then they suddenly got the hang of it and all started pecking at the grass together. For the first time they were in complete harmony, no squabbling! They were so engrossed that I was able to get close to photograph them.

We all want the same bit!

Grazing in harmony

Enough grass now!

Last night we had family with us and went out to eat, so the chickens were left to put themselves to bed and solve any disputes on their own. On our return we checked in on them and they were all in the coop and quiet. I think I can now feel confident that they can sort out their own bed time routine. They seem to be getting along together much better already.

I have managed to get a few better photos of the girls today.

Bluebells close up showing her little crest

Pepper perching in the apple tree

This used to be Poppy’s trick, now she has gone Pepper has decided it is now her trick.

Dotty

Treacle

Pepper

Treacle’s turn in the flower pot

Bluebell

Pepper in the flower pot and Dotty on the left

Treacle stands tall but Pepper stands taller in the flower pot

Pepper has been asserting herself as top hen and she and Treacle have done a bit of breast  to breast with ruffs up. There has no been no pecking though, so I think they are just sorting it out.