Carol's Chickens

This afternoon we heard all the chooks shouting. This often happens when their is a cat in the garden and we went up to see what was going on.

To my surprise Peaches was stood on the table shouting. Up until now the chicks have only made a squeaking sound but there she was stood up proudly and very loudly shouting “boc boc BOC – boc boc BOC”

A few seconds later Barley joined in. It was if she thought that anything Peaches could do she could do too. With that the whole flock joined in and there was an enormous din as all eight were shouting.

I decided to distract them with them some corn.

Once they had hoovered up the corn Peaches and Barley settled on a perch together.

Peaches and Barley perching together

They are so alike

Peaches is the furthest away in the photo. I only know that because when I stood behind them I could see that peaches is slightly bigger than Barley although Barley looks bigger in the photo because she is nearer.

I am hoping that as they mature their faces will be different. When Honey and Amber were this age I could only tell them apart because Honey was bigger than Amber but as they grew up they looked more and more different and now their faces are completely different. It’s hard to imagine that, with these two at the moment, but I am sure they will look less alike as they grow up.

I only hope they don’t turn out to be too noisy for the sake of the neighbours. They were certainly very loud today but I think they were just practising their new voices.

Peaches and Barley are always together. They are such a tight pair. They are both in the food bowl, at the water, in a dust bath, perching together, preening together and of course at bedtime perching next to each other.

Sometimes they are sitting in the sun or in a dust bath and they are almost on top of each other. Their heads flutter under and over each other. They both suddenly run off together. They are inseparable and it is so sweet.

They were both at the food bowl together when I decided to go and get my camera but when I got back they had moved on. However they were just together somewhere else.

Always together

We preen together

First one then the other

We sit together

Their combs have really grown and are red and spiky. They are now fifteen weeks old. They may start laying in a couple of months. They are beautiful and endearing and I love their togetherness.

I had arranged for my chicken friend Jackie to visit yesterday to see how my angry bird was behaving. This was the first chance I had to invite Jackie over as we have had family staying and visiting for the past two weeks.

When I went out to the girls at seven in the morning yesterday, I was surprised to see that Topaz was out in the run. I gave the girls some corn and Topaz then went back into the nest box. I thought to myself that that was one less time to have to get her out.

When I returned a couple of hours later I was surprised to see that Topaz was out again and was much calmer. She was still out in the run when I left to do my deliveries.

I returned at lunch time and Topaz was still out and behaving normally. It seemed that she suddenly wasn’t broody any more. It was like a switch had been flicked and after two weeks of being an angry broody she was suddenly completely back to normal.

It was so lovely to see her out with the flock and no aggressive behaviour towards her flock mates.

When Jackie visited all was calm and normal as if Topaz had never been broody at all.

Topaz is back to normal

Topaz is back with the flock

It is lovely seeing Topaz back out with the flock doing all the usual chicken things. Even at bedtime when I lifted her down from the perch to put her in the coop she didn’t try to peck me. My sweet topaz is back again.

This afternoon I got Topaz out of the nest box as usual and closed all the coops. She had some mash and some apple and grape then wanted to go back in. When she found the doors closed she rushed out again and proceeded to dig a hole at break neck speed.

Topaz then set about having a lovely dust bath.

Meanwhile Honey looked as if she wanted to lay her egg so while Topaz was distracted in her dust bath I opened the coops again.

Suddenly Topaz sprang out of her dust bath and headed for her favourite coop. I tried to get to it and close the door so that she would shake herself first. She was so speedy that I didn’t make it in time and she zipped in and settled herself down absolutely covered in dust.

Oh well, I suppose she will shake herself off when she next comes out.

Topaz takes a dust bath

To the right of Topaz is her large broody poop deposited on her way to the dust bath.

Topaz is completely covered in dust

Dusty Topaz back in the nest box

I swear Topaz has a sixth sense about when the nest box is open.

Amber immediately took Topaz’s place in the dust bath. With her little legs a ready made dust bath is always welcome.

Amber takes Topaz’s place in the dust bath

At least I know Topaz has had food, water, a poop and a dust bath today even if she is sitting still covered in dust.

Okay, I admit it. I cracked first!

Last night the overnight temperature was forecast at just one degree. I decided it was time to start putting the girls in the coop at night. Topaz may stay broody for weeks yet and I have to think of the flock rather than just one of them.

I went out at half past nine when it was dark and lifted them down from the high perches one by one and popped them into the coop. It was quick and easy, no problem. I opened up the nest box and peeked in and they had settled evenly spaced out between the four perches and Emerald in the nest box.

It does mean Topaz probably goes straight to her favourite nest box in the morning instead of being out for half an hour but as the automatic door gradually opens later each morning that time span would get shorter anyway.

I turfed her out at seven o’clock when I went out but she was only out for a few minutes before she managed to sneak back in.

This afternoon Honey was being quite vocal as if she wanted to lay her egg. I then noticed she had disappeared and checked each nest box for her. To my surprise she was in with Topaz.

Topaz and Honey in the nest box together

Honey has a good look at Topaz

Topaz doesn’t seem at all bothered by Honey

Maybe this is the explanation for Topaz sitting on Honey’s egg. Although she is angry when out of the nest box she doesn’t take any notice of the other girls joining her in the nest box.

On the “Down the Lane” forum recently there has been a thread about how we all notice that which ever nest box is the chosen favourite of the day, all the girls want that one and will shout and wait rather than go in another one. It has been thought that it may be because the hens would rather lay in the same nest box so that there is a clutch together ready to sit on. Some of us agreed this seemed a plausible explanation.

This may explain why Topaz is tolerant of another hen laying an egg next to her. So far Sparkle has done it once and Honey has done it twice. Maybe Topaz is thinking this is her chance to get that egg under her. I know they don’t think the way we do but they certainly do take any chance to ease any egg underneath themselves at any given opportunity while broody.

Topaz is very calm while Honey is in next to her whereas outside the nest box she chases off any girls that get anywhere near her. I am finding my first broody quite a learning process but the other advantage of picking the girls up and putting them to bed is that it gave me a chance to feel Topaz for weight and I was pleased to find that she actually feels the same.

I worry about her not eating enough but my husband pointed out that if she sitting most of the day she probably doesn’t need much. It was re-assuring to hold her and see that she felt the same as usual. So the new, or should I say old, bedtime routine is resumed.

Topaz is still committed to being broody. At lunch time today when I moved her out of the little coop nest box she was once again sat on an egg.

For a moment I wondered if she had actually laid it herself which would be surprising as broody hens don’t usually lay.

I concluded that once again it was probably Honey’s egg. That morning before I had opened the right hand favourite coop, Topaz in her haste to get back in, went in the left hand coop. When I returned to check on her a little while later she was back in the right hand coop. I always wonder how she knows it may now be open.

I think Honey may have already laid in there and Topaz just when in and sat on it. Honey is laying every other day and didn’t lay yesterday so this seems the most likely explanation.

Fluffed up Topaz

This was Topaz at lunch time after I had moved her out of the nest box with the net.

It surprises me that she is so committed when she roosts overnight on the high perch. I would have thought the cool air underneath her overnight would have interrupted her broodiness but in the morning she can’t wait to get back in the nest box again.

I really want to start putting the girls into the coop again at night time but feel it would be better to wait until Topaz has finished being broody as I think she would just stay in the coop in the mornings and it would be one more time a day for me to get her out.

It remains to be seen who’s resolve cracks first. For now I am going to just hang in there and carry on as we are.

My husband went to the farm today where we get our disposables and where we re-homed Pepper and Dotty. While he was there he went to look for them. He started with the barn but there were no chickens in there. He then went to the part of meadow that is under a big tree and seems to be a favourite spot for the chickens.

There he found Pepper and Dotty together amongst some of the other chickens. He said they were happily scratching and pecking at the grass. Both had fluffy bottoms (Pepper’s was quite bare before) but Dotty still had a bare head.

I didn’t even mind this fact because I know it means that they are still sticking together as close a pair as ever. Pepper probably still plucks Dotty’s head when they are together on the roost but I know Dotty would rather it be that way than they were separated.

At least now they aren’t plucking any other chickens and they aren’t plucking my little girls and they are happily free ranging. My husband called me to let me know he was with them and I felt a lump in my throat to hear that. I felt so very pleased that they were happily settled and free ranging.

Meanwhile back in our run Topaz is still the angriest chicken I have ever seen. I am continuing with the routine of having her out first thing in the morning, at lunch time and before bedtime.

Yesterday afternoon after I had got Topaz out for a little while I let her back into her favourite coop but forgot to open the other coops back up for egg laying.

Before bedtime I went in to get Topaz out and was most surprised to find that she was sat on an egg. That was when I realised that the other coops were still closed and brave Honey had gone in the coop with Topaz to lay her egg. Topaz must have manoeuvred the egg under herself.

Topaz was the most angry we have seen her yet. Having an egg to sit on for the afternoon before being forced off of it enraged her. She would stand up tall, lift her wings, raise her ruff and screech. We had never imagined such a small chicken could be so angry. She shouted and rushed at the other girls. At one point she grabbed Amber by the neck feathers when she got too close to her.

I must make sure in future that the other coops are re-opened for Honey and Sparkle to lay their eggs.

Today I took my camera with me in case she did this again but today she was just normal angry. When she comes tearing across the patio shouting the chicks get up on the coop roof or the high perches to keep well out of her way.

Peaches and Barley on the coop roof

They look at me as if to say can’t I do anything about this mad chick!

Topaz meanwhile pecks at an apple with fury. My husband says she looks like she is taking her anger out on the apple. I see how hard and fast she pecks the apple and I know I don’t want my hands near her.

Topaz takes her fury out on an apple

This was the only photo that wasn’t blurred as everything she does at the moment is at break neck speed. She has been like this for a week now. It will be so nice to get our sweet Topaz back when she comes out of this.

We collected Peaches and Barley two months ago at six weeks old so they are now three and a half months old.

Their voices have started to change. They no longer cheap like chicks but don’t have their grown up voice yet either. It’s something in between, sort of a cross between a squeak and a honk.

They are still bottom girls at the moment but I wonder if that may change when they are fully mature. At the moment they run from the other girls and keep out of their way. They are really speedy and are always together.

They do have little spats between themselves but it seems quite playful. They never peck each other but run at each other with their ruffs raised. They circle each other then run off and each time it only lasts seconds. I keep trying to get a photo of this but it is over so quickly that I haven’t managed yet.

They are still skittish if I move towards them but if I crouch down to get a photo Peaches is really inquisitive and will come right up to me.

Peaches comes over to check me out

She edges nearer to me

Getting closer

Peaches close up

I do think these two girls are beautiful and it will be interesting to see how they mature. I am looking forward to a few more eggs too.

Emerald and Toffee have been moulting for five weeks now. There has been a constant stream of feathers to pick up each morning but finally they are slowing down. They both lost their tails two weeks ago but their new tail feathers have now grown back in. They are both looking pretty good now.

Toffee is looking good after her moult

Toffee has her tail back

Emerald also has her tail back

Emerald shows off her long neck

I love how these two game birds have such a long neck when they stretch yet it completely disappears when they are relaxed. We wondered if that’s where the expression “wind your neck in” comes from.

That’s the first two through the moult, only four more adults to go and the two chicks to get all their grown up feathers in and then we are done.

Today when I got Topaz out at lunch time she went off in an angry whirl chasing the other girls away. She pecked furiously at some apple, ate some sunflower hearts and pooped. She scratched for a few minutes as usual. She came back to the locked coop and protested but then she took herself off for a dust bath.

Topaz having a dust bath

This is the first time Topaz has had a dust bath since she has gone broody and I was really pleased to see this. After a few minutes she came up to the patio area, shook herself off and marched back to the little coop nest box.

While she was in her dust bath I topped up the shavings in her nest box and sprinkled in some D.E. It was so lovely to see her in the dust bath even though it was quite brief.