Carol's Chickens

The new girls have discovered the big branch perch in the run and it’s become a favourite spot in the afternoons.

This is the new girls favourite spot to catch some afternoon sun

Topaz finds a spot in the sun

Sparkle perches with the big girls

Topaz is queen of the castle

New girls and big girls on the branch perch

Now I just need a photo of all six girls on the perch. That may take some time!

I gave the girls mash this morning with some olive oil added to help Sparkle eat something that would be easier on her throat.

She has already improved since yesterday. She isn’t sitting on the coop roof today and is joining in with scratching with the girls. She is eating anything that is in small bits or is soft and is drinking and pooping. The sound she has been making isn’t as loud today. I think her throat is healing.

I think Topaz has moved to the top of the pecking order. She has given Pepper some warning pecks today, the sort of peck that isn’t nasty but just lets Pepper know she is now top. Pepper hasn’t contested it and walks off with a surprised look on her face as if she is thinking “how has this happened!”. Topaz has already done the same to Dotty who just side steps out of her way.

Sparkle is top of the original bantys and has also given them a quick warning and they too just hop out of the way.

The new pecking order is top girl Topaz followed by Pepper then Dotty, next is Sparkle followed by Amber then Honey still at the bottom and happy to stay there.

This is actually looking like a good move because since Topaz has moved to the top we haven’t seen any feather pulling. Topaz puts every one in their place without any nasty behaviour and they all accept it. Also when the treat dishes of mash or fish are on the patio there isn’t the constant moving around that Bluebell used to do. Topaz and the bantys seem to use one dish and the big girls another and they just get on with it. It seems that as long Topaz can eat from any dish she doesn’t feel the need to constantly chase another one away.

The flock dynamics seem to be much better with the new girls. This afternoon they were all sat together resting and all was calm with the flock united. Also although in reach of feather pulling we didn’t see any of this behaviour at all.

Another bonus is that since Bluebell left the flock Amber has continued to lay every other day with no problems. It seems like the flock is much improved all round and I really feel now that I made the right decision for the flock.

Today topaz discovered the nest box in the big coop. She sat in it for a while but when I lifted the lid she legged it and shouted her displeasure. She hasn’t laid yet but likes to practice each day.

Topaz leaving the nest box

Sparkle likes the big branch perch in the afternoons

All six girls were resting together until I got close then Honey wandered off to look in the new girl’s coop

Topaz the new top hen

This has all turned out so well and I am really happy with way my flock are all getting along.

I had arranged to visit Jackie after lunch today to see how well Bluebell had settled in with Jackie’s flock.

Meanwhile I thought I had a possible problem with Sparkle. She had always been really quiet but at the weekend started making a loud noise like a hiccup.  It almost sounded like she was shouting “Shut UP” with the second sound the loudest. We didn’t know if this was her voice or if she had something stuck in her throat.

Sparkle had always been the one with her beak constantly in the food dish and her crop bulging. Today I noticed she didn’t appear to be eating and was spending a lot of time sitting on her coop roof. She would eat sunflower hearts but didn’t appear to be eating the pellets. Her crop wasn’t as big as usual.

My husband suggested I call the farm we got her from and ask for advice. The farmer said it did sound as if she had either got something stuck or scratched her throat. He suggested I syringe some olive oil into her beak and give her some bread and milk.

I decided to visit Jackie as planned and ask her if she would then come back with me and help me do this as my husband said this would mean that he could get on with our days work.

Bluebell looked so happy in her new surroundings. I wondered if she would remember me.

Bluebell and Shadow in the background

I hunkered down and called her name while talking to her and she came over to me.

Bluebell came to me to say hello

I felt that by her closeness she knew me or recognised my voice.

Jackie digs for worms

Bluebell is happy with Jackie’s girls

Both Jackie and I agreed that today was a kind of closure for us. We had said at the start of moving Bluebell that if it didn’t work out I would have her back. Jackie said that I would not be getting her back and I agreed that it would be really difficult now to integrate her back into my flock and we are both so happy with the way things have turned out. We agreed that this is now her home and she is happy and therefore so are we.

I asked Jackie if she would come back with me and look at Sparkle and she agreed. On the drive back Jackie said that she had finally settled on a new name for Bluebell (as Jackie already has a Bluebell), she has re named her Blossom. I said that I liked that but of course in my head she would always be Bluebell. I said we must call her Blossom in our future e-mails and blog posts and so that was agreed.

We took a syringe with a little olive oil and I held Sparkle while Jackie administered it into the side of Sparkle’s beak. It was actually easier to do than we expected.

After I had dropped Jackie back home I separated Sparkle in the new girls part of the run and gave her a dish of bread and milk with a little more olive oil added and another dish with scrambled egg made from one banty egg and olive oil and water. Sparkle didn’t appear interested in these things.

When my husband went to check a little later he said that Amber had managed to get under the wire and was tucking in to the scrambled egg.

I opened the gate again and gave the other girls the scrambled egg but put the dish of bread and milk on top of the little coop. I sprinkled some sun flower hearts into it. I thought that for now the other girls haven’t noticed that coop roof whereas it is where Sparkle goes to sit. I knew this would only work until another girl discovered it but thought it worth a try.

I gave the girls their late afternoon sunflower hearts and Sparkle joined in with these. She seems to be eating anything that is small and easy to swallow. As I watched them for a while Sparkle returned to the coop roof and saw the dish with the bread and sunflower hearts. She started to tuck in. I felt so pleased to see her eating.

She already seems a bit brighter and the noise she makes seems less loud. I really think it was a problem with her throat and it is getting better. The farmer said a lad opposite him has bantys and had the same problem. He followed this same advise and said a day later she was back to normal so I am feeling quite positive.

When I went back at bedtime the dish of bread and milk was almost finished with only a tiny bit left so I think Sparkle must have had it. I am hopeful that Sparkle will be on the mend tomorrow. It’s been an eventful day but I am feeling very positive.

Today was the day for getting the girls together and once again it got going a bit sooner than intended. We had work to do in the morning and after lunch I intended to poop pick then clean all the food and water bowls then start mixing the girls.

Half way through cleaning the bowls I noticed Honey was missing. Then I saw her coming out of the new girls coop. How on earth had she managed to get into their side! I think she must have got under the wire.

So there was no point in delaying and I opened the gate and let them mix. I lifted the wire at the patio corner so that there was a get out route. To my total surprise they mixed without any problems. There was a bit of quick pecking to say “out of my way” but nothing nasty. I soon felt confident enough to carry on with my cleaning tasks.

Topaz is definitely going to move up the pecking order though. Topaz gave Dotty a quick peck and then the little bantys. Then Pepper approached her and she gave Pepper the warning peck. Pepper looked totally surprised but just moved away. Pepper looked as if she couldn’t believe that her top hen status was being questioned. She has always remained top without the need for any aggression and she looked amazed that it was now being tested.

Sparkle was keeping well out of it and sat out of the way and snoozed.

The girls are together

Topaz is a great scratcher

For a while all the girls were in the new girls area and Topaz had the bigger area to herself. She was constantly scratching in the bigger area. She reminds me of Bluebell who was a great scratcher too.

Sparkle settled for a snooze out of the way

Sparkle moved to her favourite position on the coop roof, again out of the way of the others

The big girls enjoyed getting back into this part of the run.

Later the girls mixed on the bigger side of the run

The new girls investigate the patio area

Sparkle has discovered the big branch perch

Sparkle definitely likes to perch up out of the way. I did wonder if she would be bottom girl but occasionally she gave the other bantys a warning peck so I think she just likes to make it easy for herself and keep out of trouble.

I think Topaz may rise to top hen position. If this happens it may be a good thing as Pepper will not be at risk from a smaller girl whereas I worry more when the smaller girls get bullied.

Also we have seen no feather pulling today and I don’t think Topaz would alow anyone to do this to her. It may change in time but wouldn’t it be great if this solved the feather pulling.

The other change is that since Bluebell has left the flock Amber has laid every other day with no fuss and good shells. I wonder if the stress of Bluebell constantly chasing her caused her egg laying problems. I know it is early days yet but things seem to be going much better at the moment.

Jackie also sent me a photo of Bluebell dust bathing with her girls today. It seems that things are turning out for the best for all of us. I am so pleased with how it has gone today.

The old girls checked out the coop in the new girls side of the run but the new girls didn’t attempt to investigate either of the coops in the old girls side so I expected the new girls to put themselves to bed in their own coop which sure enough they did.

I completed my usual bedtime routine but I left the new girls run open. I will let the new girls out at half past six in the morning as usual and provided everything is as settled as it has been today I will just leave them together.

The next stage is introducing the new girls to the old girls coop but it is only the first day so there is no rush. Last year the integration took a month and this time it’s only been a week so I am really pleased at the way it’s going.

Jackie has been keeping me updated with Bluebell’s progress and it is going better than we could have hoped. Jackie let Bluebell explore the garden while her girls were dust bathing in the run and sent me some photos. Bluebell looked like she was having a great time in the garden and in one photo was dust bathing in the sun on the other side of the wire from Jackie’s girls in their dust bath.

Then the gate swung open and the girls were together. Jackie said it was fine with the odd slight peck to show who was who but nothing nasty. She said it was a success and I felt so happy that it had gone so well, it has only been four days.

My husband said he felt our set up was too small for a girl like Bluebell and that she will be so much better off with Jackie. I feel so much happier now that I know she is happy. I am going to visit her on Monday.

Today we had a manic day. My eldest son and his partner arrived last night on a mercy mission to install our new printer as my old one had broken a few weeks ago and we were finding the new one impossible to install. They stayed over and left after breakfast.

Earlier  this morning Steve and I went in to let the new girls out (at half past six) and while we were watching them the two new girls started sparring. This was the first time I had seen this between them but Steve said they are just reaffirming their pecking order and it was soon over.

We then took lunch with us to visit the grandchildren and returned home briefly before we were to set off again to visit friends at their new business venture.

I just had time to collect eggs, give the girls some apple to occupy them and do a quick poop pick. In this short space of time there was drama. Honey and Amber had another of their spats and were flying at each other with their ruffs raised. I did my best to break it up and after a furious few minutes they settled down.

I was then cleaning up in the new girls part of the run when the gate swung open (there seems to be a pattern emerging here) and in a flash the new girls were in the main run. They immediately set about exploring. It actually wasn’t too bad at all. Dotty had a bit of a go at Topaz. I used the water spray. Pepper gave a slight warning peck. One of the other little girls had a quick go then I sprinkled some corn and they were all fine.

We needed to go out so I had to get the new girls back to their part of the run as I wasn’t about to leave them together unsupervised. I led them back in with a sprinkle of corn.

I am really pleased with how it went although accidental and brief. Topaz has been showing that she wanted to join the other girls for days now and tomorrow when I have time at home I will put them together for longer. This has so far gone much better than last summers integration. It will be interesting to see how they get on tomorrow.

This morning I decided to introduce the new girls to mash. I made up three dishes and put two in for the old girls and one in for the new girls.

At first they looked at it but made no attempt to try it. I sprinkled some chopped grape on top to get them started. Sparkle, who always has her head in the food dish, was first to investigate. As soon as she announced it was good Topaz joined her.

First mash for the new girls

Sparkle is the first to try the mash

Topaz soon catches on

They decide they like mash

Mash is always a good treat to give as they are getting their normal food but the different texture makes it seem like a treat. It’s good to get them used to it as it’s very useful for adding worming powder, limestone flour, crushed eggshells or anything else I need to give them. I think I can safely say they enjoyed their mash.

Jackie has been keeping me updated on Bluebells progress. Bluebell went into the coop at bedtime by herself, both on the first night and again last night. I was really pleased by this and think away from the influence of Pepper and Dotty she will go in on her own from now on.

Bluebell also laid her egg both mornings and has appeared to be quite content. Bonnie shouted on the first morning for a few hours but Jackie said it was quiet after that and quiet the next morning.

Jackie intends to start integrating at the weekend when both herself and her husband are at home.

My flock is so much quieter without Bluebell and there has been no shouting. I did notice yesterday that Dotty had a small spot of blood on her comb just above her beak so Topaz must have given her a peck through the wire.

Everything has been calm today though and they all seem fine and not taking any notice of each other but I know that will probably all change when they are allowed to mix. I too will wait until the weekend when I have more time. In fact it may have to wait until Sunday as we are seeing family Saturday morning and friends Saturday afternoon.

Sparkle laid an egg for the first two days, missed a day, then laid again today. Topaz is still practising. Topaz looks like she would love to come out and join the other girls but Sparkle is taking no notice.

Sparkle

Topaz

Sparkle

Topaz

Topaz is definitely the feisty one and the one we may have most trouble integrating. Sparkle constantly has her head in the food dish and she likes to sit on the coop roof.

Its also interesting that after Bluebell, Dotty the next bottom big girl, was the next to get a peck on her comb so must have had some confrontation with Topaz. Pepper who is top hen hasn’t taken any notice at all other than joining in the shouting on the first morning.

Also out of the little girls it was Honey, also bottom girl, who raised her ruff to Topaz. Luckily it didn’t go any further than that but Amber, top of those two, has also taken no notice of them.

I have come to learn from experience that it is the bottom girls that confront the newcomers as they don’t want to slide down the pecking order.

At bedtime the little girls go in the nest box and Pepper and Dotty as usual go to the coop roof. I lift them in. The new girls put themselves to bed in their coop and I just close the door.

At the moment all is calm but the fun begins when we start mixing them.

I was going to call this post “Saying goodbye to Bluebell” but changed my mind as that sounds too final. I can still visit her and I know Jackie will keep me updated so it isn’t goodbye.

Jackie had her separate part of the run ready for Bluebell and I carried her from the dog crate and put her in the run. She set about exploring her new area and was soon scratching happily.

When ever I have separated Bluebell in the past when she was bullying the little girls she was always happy and never looked like she wanted to get out. She seems to quite like a bit of time on her own.

The odd thing was that Jackie’s Bluebell was the first to go and check her out. Jackie’s Bluebell is bottom girl and very cautious and not one to usually go up to another hen. We wondered if somehow they sense this in each other.

Jackie already has a Bluebell so there may have to be a name change here.

Bluebell explores her new surroundings

She seems quite happy

Jackie’s Bluebell checks her out

They seem quite interested in each other

A little later Clover, Jackie’s top girl, went to check her out and they both raised their ruffs to each other. There wasn’t any pecking though.

I think if top girl puts Bluebell in her place she will accept it and take her place in the pecking order whereas with the little girls she felt compelled to show them all the time that they were below her.

I felt a bit emotional but happy that Jackie will take good care of her and we feel sure that she will be a happier girl there.

Jackie will decide later if Bluebell will sleep in her own side or join the others. Jackie is happy to take as long as it takes to integrate her and will play it by ear and I said that I know from past experience that Bluebell isn’t bothered by a bit of separation. I feel sure this is all going to work out well.

I am sure my little girls must be relieved to have a break from Bluebell and I am sure I will be visiting Bluebell soon.

I have such a lot to say today that I hardly know where to start. The beginning of recent changes I suppose is the best way to start this post.

The reason I felt now was a good time to add two more bantys had a lot to do with Honey and Amber. Amber has always struggled with her egg laying and although she is the same age and breed as Honey and started laying eggs at the same time she is noticeably smaller than Honey. I wonder if it’s a bit like the runt of the litter, she is smaller, and less well able to lay her eggs.

I was worried that if I lost her, Honey would be one little girl alone with three big girls and it may not be easy to get more bantys and integrate them. I thought if I got two more now then if anything happened to one of the little girls in the future they wouldn’t be alone.

I love Amber’s small size and feisty nature but I do worry something in her egg laying is not right. Honey lays every other day with never a problem whereas Amber lays once a week to ten days and always struggles with it.

After the first turf I gave the girls, I decided that a smaller square would be better.  These photos show the difference in size of Honey and Amber.

A smaller square of grass

Compare the difference in size of Honey and Amber

The first day with the new girls was quite stressful and I hadn’t expected bloody combs through the wire but I knew Bluebell would be the problem girl.

Today was much better but when I let the new girls out at quarter to seven and was poop picking their coop Bluebell and Topaz started sparring again through the wire. I lifted Topaz away and the situation diffused.

Throughout the morning there was more shouting from the big girls but not as bad as yesterday. Bluebell was first to lay and chose the crisp box again. Dotty laid in the little coop followed by Pepper. Sparkle also laid again in their coop.

In the afternoon I collected my friend Jackie to visit the new girls. Jackie approved of my choice and agreed they are beautiful.

We had a discussion about how difficult Bluebell was with the first little girls last year and now again with the new little girls. Bluebell has always been Jackie’s favourite of my girls because of her striking colours and her inquisitive personality.

I said that if Jackie wanted her she could have her as she is so problematic with the little girls. The idea started to take hold and we both agreed it might just work.

Bluebell had been the most placid girl and bottom girl of my big girls when I first started my flock. She had never pecked at any other hen and was affectionate and bright and inquisitive.

Then after losing Treacle I added the bantys last year and Bluebell turned into a monster with them, constantly bullying them. It took a long time for things to settle down and she is still the one to chase them.

Now we have the new girls it is once again Bluebell that is the problem girl. She paces their boundary and is the only one of the old girls to peck them through the wire.

My girls seem to have formed into pairs with Pepper and Dotty being really close and Honey and Amber are also close and I am sure the two new girls will be too. Bluebell has always been the odd one on the outside of the circle since Treacle went. Pepper and Dotty settle on the coop roof before bedtime and the bantys usually settle in the nest box and Bluebell is not accepted and settles on the store cabinet until I put her to bed.

I think it’s because of this that she gives the little girls such a hard time. Jackie has four different breeds all of a similar size and if she took Bluebell she would then have five different breeds of a similar size. Bluebell going into a new flock may be bottom again but go back to being as docile as she used to be and she wouldn’t be the odd one out any more. She may be happier in Jackie’s flock.

We all agreed to think about it and Jackie said she would discuss it with her husband when he got home from work.

I had noticed that Sparkle sits on the coop roof and realised that there were no perches on their side of the run. Jackie said she had woodland behind her house and we could look for some branches or logs for the girls.

I bought home a branch and two logs which I put in and Sparkle checked it out straight away.

A new perch for the new girls

Later Jackie called me to say she had talked to her husband and they were both happy to give it a go with Bluebell. I discussed it with my husband again too.

I felt a bit sick at the thought of letting Bluebell go and was tearful when talking it through with my husband but we both agreed that as well as the little girls having a better life we felt Bluebell could be happier with Jackie’s flock.

I know Jackie will give her a good home and she is only ten minutes away so I can visit and she will give me updates. We both agreed that if it didn’t work out I would take her back.

We agreed that I would take her to Jackie’s tomorrow afternoon as now the decision is made we feel it’s best sooner than later.

I went up to give the girls their pre bedtime corn and felt that I must take a photo of Bluebell.

Bluebell

The big girls awaiting their pre bedtime corn

At Jackie’s Bluebell could grow back her feathers and be restored to her former glory. I remarked to Jackie that she would have blue eggs and my eggs would not be so colourful to which she quite rightly said that you can’t have everything.

I am feeling quite emotional about this decision but I really do feel this could be the best thing for my flock and for Bluebell’s happiness. At the moment it’s as if she is constantly struggling to keep her position and she may have a better quality of life with Jackie and being my biggest girl she will have more space and the chance to free range with Jackie’s flock.

If it doesn’t work out she can come back so we all feel we should give this a go. This is turning out to be a time of changes but we must decide with all parties best interests at heart and I have every faith in Jackie to give my girl a better life.

The first day was more difficult than I thought it would be. Everything seemed calm when I was out with the girls first thing. I went upstairs for a bath and looked out of the window to see Bluebell and Topaz really going at each other through the wire. They were both chest thumping and pecking through the wire.

I ran out to them and sprayed water at Bluebell but she didn’t stop. I threw some sunflower hearts as a distraction and she finally stopped.

I had my bath then we had some work to do. We could hear the big girls shouting at the top of their voices. We had a very stressful morning with me keep running up to the girls and trying to calm them and my husband stressing about the neighbours especially with it being a Sunday.

Dotty had laid her egg in the little coop earlier in the morning and now Bluebell was in the little coop and Pepper was shouting to get in. I lifted the lid to find to my horror that Bluebell’s comb had been pecked and was bleeding.

Bluebell’s comb is bleeding

I then checked Topaz and sure enough her comb was pecked and bleeding too.

Topaz has a bleeding comb

I found this quite upsetting, I thought all the girls would be safe with the wire between them but they obviously both pecked each other.

I then thought that Bluebell may be in the little coop because she had been pecked rather than wanting to lay. She had laid four days in a row already and Pepper didn’t lay yesterday so I thought her need may be more urgent. I lifted Bluebell out and let Pepper go in.

Bluebell continued to shout her head off and my husband suggested we put a crisp box in with some pine shavings as another nest box. It’s under the dry covered area so a crisp box will do the job for now.

The new crisp box nest box

Bluebell in the crisp box

A few minutes later when I checked them again Bluebell was settled in the crisp box. I felt quite guilty that she obviously did want to lay after all. A little later I found Bluebell’s egg in the crisp box. This is quite pleasing as it means that it’s one problem solved and the crisp box has been accepted as a nest box.

After all this fuss Pepper left the little coop an hour later without laying an egg. Pepper always takes the longest time to lay her eggs and does often have a false alarm.

Amber went into the nest box and finally laid her egg after nine days since her partly soft shelled egg. This egg was normal.

I then saw that Honey and Topaz were sparring through he wire.

Honey has a go at Topaz

I only took this one photo as I already had my camera in my hand and wanted to show what the little girls look like with their ruffs raised. I then immediately went to break it up as I didn’t want Honey to get pecked.

Every time Topaz has been sparring with the old girls Sparkle stands on the little coop roof as she is in the photo above. It must feel like her place of safety.

Shortly after this Sparkle went into their little coop and laid an egg. What a clever girl. It is the same size and colour as the other little girls but slightly more matt in appearance. Topaz then went into the little coop and had a practice but didn’t lay, so I think she will soon be ready too.

I then went round to my neighbours next door and also next door but one to apologise for the noise (the house the other side of us is empty at the moment). Both neighbours were fine and said they didn’t mind at all and I promised them both some eggs soon.

All the shouting and sparring seemed to occur around the egg laying time and after they had all laid things were calm for the rest of the day. It was a stressful and noisy morning but dare I hope that things may be a bit calmer now. I do hope so.

At dusk I went and got the old girls in as usual and Topaz was in the little coop already and Sparkle on the ramp. I thought I could ease her in but my presence caused them both to come out again. I realized that I was probably rushing it and decided to leave them a bit longer. I went back ten minutes later and they were both in so I closed the coop.

The end of the first day which was more difficult in the morning than I had hoped but much calmer in the afternoon. We can only wait to see what tomorrow will bring and hope it gets easier.