Fine tuning the new girls part of the run

I have been trying to address the things that were not working well in the new girls part of the run. In recent years I have had new girls in September. This has meant that the main flock had stopped laying and I could switch the whole flock to grower pellets for the winter and start integrating straight away.

Having new girls at this time of the year means that the main flock are just about to start laying with Flame laying already. This means that the main flock need to stay on layers pellets while the new girls need to be on growers for the next couple of months.

This means that it is worth making an effort to make their part of the run work as well as possible. Once I have sorted out bedtime I will be able to open the bottom half of the run and give the new girls more space but for the moment I need to sort out the issues with their current part of the run.

One of the problems has been that the new girls constantly stand in their water dish or run through it so it is always dirty and needing changing constantly. I decided to buy a different water dispenser.

The other problem has been bedtime. I had been going in to them at dusk in the hope that they would go in the coup without me there to distract them but each evening they were perched on top of the chicken wire just under the roof. This makes it awkward for me to lift them down and must be uncomfortable for them as its a thin edge to cling to.

Last night I decided to go in to the new girls earlier and see if I could persuade them not to fly up but to go in the coup. I soon discovered that it isn’t because they don’t know where to go it’s because they don’t want to go in the coup. They want to perch high up.

As it got near dusk Gold became very agitated. She was marching up and down the perimeter and looking upward. She looked stressed and was obviously looking for somewhere suitable to perch.

I tried picking each girl up and putting them in the coup in the hope that that they would then go back in later. They all three popped straight back out and Gold continued to look agitated. I decided to pick them up once more and put them in and close the coup. I decided that today I needed a new plan.

I remembered that I had the same thing with Peaches and Barley, the cream leghorn chicks of about the same as age as our new girls. They too wouldn’t go in the coup but used to perch on a plant holder that I had in the corner of the run. I ended up putting a little perch there in place of the pot and letting them perch there each evening until I would go in and lift them down and put them in the coup.

I decided that I needed to put up a high perch for the new girls that they would be happy to perch on and then after dusk I would be able to easily lift them down and put them in the coup.

I also realised that the where the coup is now, in the corner, water can drip in when it when it rains, through the mesh above the marine ply. I decided to cover it with tarpaulin to make sure it stays dry. I then decided to place a board over the tarpaulin as the new girls like to stand on it and were slipping and sliding on the tarpaulin. They will be able to use that as their way up to the perch so I wanted to make everything as safe as possible.

I also decided to remove the slates that the food and water dish had been standing on as I don’t want sharp edges in case they fly down from the high perch.

A new high perch

This shows the new perch which I can reach easily and the coup covered with tarpaulin and then a board on top.

My first idea for a new feeding station was to put it in the shelter.

A feeding station that didn’t work

The girls absolutely refused to go in the shelter. I tried picking up Gold and Storm and placing them in there but they immediately jumped back out. I abandoned this idea as I didn’t want them going without food and water too long as they are usually always in the food dish.

A revised feeding station

I decided this position was out of the way and with the new water dispenser and it’s new position I thought it wouldn’t be stood in. I also switched to one of our big food dishes so I don’t need to constantly fill it up.

This works better
New water dispenser

With the food and water dishes in their new position the girls went to them straight away. All that remains to be seen is if the girls use the new perch tonight. This is going to be interesting!

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Spot’s comb

I have been aware of Spot’s comb gradually getting redder over the past couple of months. However yesterday it struck me how much it had changed in size and shape too.

When Spot’s comb was pale and narrow the tiny feathers either side of it looked like hairs. It is now a wide strip with no hair like feathers visible. I looked back over the last two months to see how dramatic the change has been.

Spot’s comb in January
Spot’s comb in February
Spot’s comb in March
Spot’s comb is amazing

Spot has also really grown in confidence recently. I am sure she will start laying eggs any day now.

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An update on the new girls

The new girls being checked out by Spot

I love this photo of the girls and Spot checking each other out. It’s so unusual to get all the girls in focus at once.

The new girls have settled in really well. Having said that they were easy to handle I soon realised that wasn’t strictly true. Gold and Storm are very easy to handle. Snowflake isn’t at all. She lives up to her name and I could call her The Snowflake. She is the only one that is nervous and doesn’t like me to get too close.

I discovered this at bedtime on the first evening of the first full day with us. Getting new girls to go in at bedtime is always the first hurdle. I wondered if they would make their own way in.

The first night I was pleased that Snowflake was in as I knew she would be the difficult one to catch. Gold was perched by the hatch so I knew she would be easy to pick up. Unfortunately when I put Gold in Snowflake shot out. I easily picked up Storm and put her in but spent a bit of time chasing Snowflake from corner to corner before I was able to catch her in the corner.

Snowflake screamed when I picked her up as if I was trying to murder her. Not great at all.

The next day Storm discovered the coup during the day and was in and out. I knew this was good as once familiar with the coup during the day there was more of a chance she would go in at bedtime.

Sure enough Storm was in the coup at bedtime. Gold was perched above the hatch this time. Again easy to pick up and put in. Once again I chased Snowflake around the corners until I could pick her up. She didn’t make a sound this time so that was an improvement.

Last night I left it a little later in the hope that the new girls might be in the coup. The first thing I saw when I went into the run was Storm on the main flock’s side of the run. I was puzzled as to how she had escaped as there were no gaps.

I then looked up and saw that Gold was perched on the chicken wire divider just under the roof. I realised that storm must have followed her and then dropped down on the other side

We have had girls dig underneath before but have never had them come over the top. Luckily Storm is so easy to pick up that I picked her up and put her in the coup. I then stood on tip toes and lifted Gold down and put her in the coup.

I then started chasing Snowflake round but luckily as she went round the coup she went straight in the coup on her own. Progress.

This morning when I went out it had been raining all night and the new girls’ area near the hatch was wet where it drips in at that part where the original part of the run joins the later part of the run.

I had a light bulb moment. I decided to move their coup and feeding station into the corner of their space next to the large wooden shelter. This will give them a bigger dry area.

This also has the advantage that instead of chasing Snowflake into that corner I will be able to chase her straight into the coup. This should make bedtime a lot easier.

The new set up

Originally we had a bush in that corner and when it died it left a stump that I left for the girls to perch on. I think that was why I had always put the little coup in front of the shelter.

The stump eventually fell over and I removed it but just hadn’t thought of putting the coup in it’s place until now. The coup is now in the corner that the girls are in in the first photo. As you can see it should be easier to guide Snowflake towards the open coup at bedtime.

I am hoping that over the next few evenings the girls will get the hang of going in at bedtime.

I am amazed how much these girls eat and Gold is permanently in the food dish. She is definitely the top girl of the three.

I am very happy with how it is going and am hopeful that bedtime will soon sort itself. It usually takes about a week.

Postscript

I have now updated all the pages that appear under the heading of my blog. I had got a bit behind with them recently. If anyone would like some information on my newer breeds you could click on “Some information about my bantam breeds”. You would need to scroll down to almost the bottom where I have now given information first on Spot and then on the three new girls.

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New girls

My three girls were supposed to arrive between 2.00 pm and 5.00 pm yesterday. When they hadn’t arrived by 5.00 pm I started to get anxious.

The phone doesn’t get answered after 5.00 pm so I e-mailed the lady to ask if she could track when they would arrive. She was very apologetic and said that the courier had been held up in traffic and was running late but was on his way to me.

She e-mailed again that he was 40 minutes away and then again that he was 10 minutes away. He arrived at 5.45 pm.

I had separated the small part of the run and had put a barrier around the little coup and feeding station as I wanted to give the girls a chance to have food and water before going in the coup but wanted to confine them close to the coop so that I would be able to get them in easily.

After being confined to the chicken carrier for so long the girls were not interested in the food and water but just wanted to escape the small area I had put them in. As the main flock were already in the chicken shed and the pop hole was closed I decided the safest thing was to put the girls in the coup.

I checked back on them a bit later and they were settled down with the chabo and the modern game snuggled together and the ardennaise a little away from them.

This meant photos and blogging had to wait until today. I followed my tradition of giving them descriptive names. The chabo is Snowflake, the modern game is Storm and the ardennaise is Gold.

This morning at 7.00 am I let them out. Gold was first out and straight to the water then the food then the water again. Snowflake was next out and Storm was reluctant so I guided her out. They are beautiful and I am thrilled with them.

They must have been used to being handled because they are not bothered by me at all. It looks like Gold is top girl of these three. The only one of the original flock that took more than a passing interest in the new girls was Spot.

Spot was going all around the new girls’ perimeter and being very vocal. It is typical that it is the bottom girl that does this as they want to be sure they don’t remain bottom girl when new girls come along.

The new girls all had food and water then Gold had a dust bath so she is really making herself at home. I am really pleased with how it is going so far.

I lifted the lid for a photo before opening the coup this morning
Gold was first out and Spot was most interested
Gold is in the food dish
Storm and Spangle say hello
Gold is back in the food dish
Snowflake and Spangle say hello
Gathering at the water bottle
Gold makes herself at home with a dust bath
A blur of movement in a dust bath
Storm walked right over Gold and Gold took no notice

I feel that I definitely made the right decision to use a courier service to have a bigger choice of breeds. I think these girls are beautiful and make a lovely addition to the flock.

We shouldn’t have favourites really but I just love Storm so much for her quirky and different appearance and her small size. They are all beautiful but I think she is a bit special. I am so happy.

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Flame lays her first egg of the year

Over the last few days I knew that Flame was getting ready to lay her first egg of the year. Flame has been in all three nest boxes and all four corners of the chicken shed over the last few days and has been flicking the shavings out of the nest boxes. I am constantly sweeping up shavings.

Spot also looks as if she won’t be long. She has a red comb and blue lobes and has been looking in the nest boxes. Even Sugar and Spangle have investigated the nest boxes.

Salmon is the only girl not looking in the nest boxes but she too has a red comb and face.

Yesterday Flame finally settled in a corner of the chicken shed. The next time I checked on her she was in the process of laying her egg. What a clever girl. Flame laid her first egg of the year yesterday.

Spot has a red comb and blue lobes
Flame has a red face and comb
Spot is looking good
Sugar and Spangle investigate a nest box
Salmon is looking good
Flame is in the chicken shed putting pine shavings on her back
I caught Flame in the process of laying her egg
Flame’s first egg of the year

It feels like the circle of life to have Flame’s first egg of the year after our recent losses. Well done Flame.

Edit – Some exciting news

I e-mailed the chicken breeder with a courier service (Pippenchick) to see if I could put my name on a waiting list for the three breeds I had chosen which were bantams : chabo, modern game and sussex hybrid. They e-mailed back that they already have in stock chabo and modern game but not sussex hybrid. However they have ardenaise which was the next choice on my list.

I replied asking what I need to do to order them. The lady rang me to talk me through it and said that they could deliver this Friday.

I wasn’t expecting this to be so soon and can’t quite believe it at the moment. They are three and a half months old so are on growers pellets. I will separate the run today to get ready for them. Watch this space for the new arrivals.

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Smoke

It has been shock to lose Smoke less than two weeks after Shadow. We always thought that she would outlast the other girls as she was so robust, feisty, and had never had a day of not looking on top of her game.

Smoke will be for ever known as the most serial broody ever and a great digger of the deepest holes.

Last year Spangle laid 31 eggs, Salmon 47, Sugar 57 whereas Shadow laid 107 and Smoke a whopping 121. I think this prolific egg laying was what led to Smoke’s sudden departure.

While looking back over four years of photos the theme with Smoke has been many photos of her while broody or making herself look bigger, more than any other girl we have had. I could repeat the same image of Smoke many times over but have just picked a few to capture her character.

The five amigos at three months old with Smoke on the left – Sept 2018
Smoke at six months old
The first time Smoke went broody – Jan 2019
Broody Smoke in the nest box wouldn’t budge for any other girls – May 2020
When broody Smoke liked to make herself big
Smoke would share a nest box with any girl
Smoke and Sugar broody together – April 2021
Smoke loved to dig the deepest of holes – April 2021
Smoke’s head would disappear into her hole
Smoke’s feet sinking into her hole
Smoke has a bit of cucumber – Sept 2021

Smoke was a character and will never be forgotten.

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I can’t believe this is happening again

Smoke looks like she has an egg laying problem. It has been a month since Smoke last laid and I was expecting her to start laying again about now.

Yesterday Smoke didn’t look her usual self. She wasn’t rushing for the treats and she was sitting in the familiar pose of a girl struggling with an egg. I picked her up and checked her and she had a slightly mucky bottom.

Smoke is not looking good

I am so shocked by this as Smoke has always been a good layer and never had a problem before now. Of all our girls I never expected Smoke to run into a problem. Smoke is four years old and is our top girl.

It is heartbreaking to be facing this again so soon after Shadow. The thing that Shadow and Smoke have in common is that they were the best layers by far and they were both the only ones to continue laying in winter. I often think it’s not good for them to lay so many eggs.

It also seems that spring is when problems arise as they come back into lay. I am feeling as if there is some conspiracy against me at the moment and as the girls come into lay I am going to lose them. I know this can’t be true but it just seems that way.

Last spring we lost Marmite as she came back into lay followed by Speckles, at a good age, soon after and it now seems as if it is happening again.

I will see how Smoke goes on today but I know that I must not let her suffer and will have to make a decision to take her to the vet sooner rather than later. I feel very heavy hearted right now.

Smoke has gone

Smoke rapidly went downhill. She was sitting in a hunched position with her eyes closed. The other girls were moving around her but she wasn’t opening her eyes.

Smoke went down rapidly

This was so fast compared to Shadow and I knew I had to take her to the vet as soon as possible. I got an appointment for three o’clock today.

While I waited in the vets Smoke had her eyes closed the whole time and I wasn’t sure she was even going to make it to see the vet.

The vet examined Smoke and said that she had egg peritonitis. She said that she was fluid filled and inflamed. She agreed that the kindest thing was to put her to sleep.

I explained to the vet that most of my seramas lay between thirty and fifty eggs a year but that Smoke laid a hundred and twenty and laid through the winter too. The vet said that her egg laying had exhausted her.

Egg peritonitis is when the egg is laid internally and can be free floating in the abdominal cavity causing inflammation.

I think this was the reason that Smoke went down hill so much faster than Shadow.

The vet was very kind and when I asked if I could hold Smoke she gave her the anesthetic in her vent and settled her on a towel on my lap. Smoke very gently went to sleep while I held her and talked to her.

I will do a tribute to Smoke soon but at the moment I am still shocked by the speed that this has happened. I can’t believe that we have lost another girl so soon.

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Shadow

We lost our sweet Shadow on Thursday. We got Shadow and Sugar on the eighth of September 2020 when they were about three months old.

It is so sad as she wasn’t yet two years old. She was not only a beautiful girl but she had a beautiful nature too. Shadow was so friendly and easy to pick up. She never minded being handled. She had a lovely chatty nature too.

Most mornings when I would clean out the poop from the chicken shed Shadow would step inside the pop hole and scratch in the shavings beside me. As soon as I stood up and closed the shed door Shadow would bounce out of the pop hole. It was as if she just liked keeping me company.

Shadow had a lovely, distinct, voice. It was a bit husky and she was never one to shout. She would show Sugar that she was above her in the pecking order but it would be with the sort of swift peck that didn’t connect and never any aggression.

Shadow was just so easy around me and she loved to take spinach from my fingers. When I bought her indoors and stood her in a bowl of warm water and cleaned her she would stand still and let me deal with her.

When I would return Shadow to the run she would stand at my feet and wait for me to give her some spinach. Shadow was a little sweetie.

Shadow and Sugar at about three months old
shadow and Sugar have their first dust bath together
Shadow and Sugar at about six months old
Shadow laying her first egg
Shadow was such a beautiful girl
Shadow was always happy to pose for me
Shadow was happy to share a nest box
Shadow poses again
Shadow when moulting last September
Shadow with a yogurt beak last Christmas Day

Shadow is such a huge loss. The flock seems very small and quiet without her. In her short time with us Shadow made a big impression and she will never be forgotten.

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Shadow has gone

I said in the comments this morning that I may have been wrong about Shadow having her next egg stuck as mid morning she was so enthusiastic when I hand fed her some spinach.

I added another comment when I next checked on her and she had gone downhill again. I think that she had just had her last hurrah. I took a couple of photos as I wasn’t sure if her face was paler.

Shadow this morning
Shadow

Closer up I think her face is still as red but a little later she was back in the position with her back up and her tail down and her eyes were closing. I know that when their eyes are closing this is not good.

Shadow looked miserable and uncomfortable. I knew I couldn’t let her suffer and that it was time to ring the vet. I got an appointment for quarter to three.

The vet was so kind. I explained everything from five weeks ago until now. She felt Shadow’s abdomen and said that she had a large egg stuck and she thought there was a smaller one behind it. I was surprised because Shadow had always laid tiny eggs.

The vet said that she was surprised that Shadow had managed to poop at all. She lifted Shadow’s wings and said that she thought straining had given Shadow some nerve damage.

I can only assume that the last egg, five weeks ago, was also large and had caused the problem and also resulted in Shadow being unable to expel her poop properly.

The vet agreed that the kindest thing for her was to put her to sleep. I asked if I could hold her and she was so kind. She said she would squirt the anesthetic up her vent and then I could hold her.

It would take five to ten minutes for her to gently go to sleep. She pulled up a chair and put Shadow on a towel on my lap and dimmed the light and left the room saying she would return in five minutes to check on us.

The vet came back and lifted Shadow’s eyelid to check her and said that she would leave us a few minutes more. I was of course in tears but the vet was so kind.

I feel so upset that this has happened to such a young girl and can’t understand why after laying tiny eggs Shadow should produce a larger egg.

I have grown so close to Shadow over the last five weeks of caring for her and picking her up every day but I know that it was time to let her go. I will do a tribute to her in a few days time but it is too raw at the moment.

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It’s getting closer to decision time for Shadow

We have been aware that Shadow was on borrowed time until her next egg was ready. We have kept her for a further five weeks since she first looked unwell.

I have continued to pick her up every day and wipe her bottom as clean as I can with tissue. I have then been bringing her indoors every week to stand her in a bowl of warm water and clean her properly.

Shadow has spent a lot of time trying to preen her bottom feathers and I know it bothers her that she can’t keep clean. I feel that bringing her in and washing her must make her more comfortable for a short while.

Shadow yesterday
Shadow spends a lot of her time like this

Yesterday I bought Shadow indoors to wash her again. She is such a good girl and stands still in the water and lets me clean her.

Today I picked Shadow up to inspect and her bottom was mucky again. In fact she was more mucky than before I washed her yesterday.

The most worrying thing is that I can tell by her stance that things are not well. I think she has her next egg brewing.

Shadow today
Shadow with her flock

We recognise this stance, with a hump back and tail down, having seen it many times before. We know that we must make a decision soon because we can’t let Shadow suffer.

At the moment Shadow is still eating and enjoying the treats. I know that if she stops eating it will be her time. I keep hoping that she will go overnight so that I don’t have to make the decision.

I know this is unlikely though. The girls that have gone overnight have been the ones that looked fine the day before. The girls that look unwell continue to look unwell until a decision has to be made.

I find this heartbreaking and dread having to take her to be put to sleep. I think that I will probably know in the next few days though. I keep hoping for a miracle but sadly that’s unlikely.

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