Carol's Chickens

This morning the little girls looked fine again. Perhaps Amber was subdued yesterday from laying a soft shelled egg and being bullied constantly by Bluebell. Today Bluebell has been much better, an occasional go at them but not constantly like the last few days and the little girls look brighter. It was a lovely day too which I am sure the girls enjoy as much as I do.

They are eating, drinking and pooping and Honey laid an egg today in the nest box. They run to me when I go up the garden and run to the patio when I open the store cabinet door, just in case there are some treats on offer. They also joined in with the morning cabbage with plenty of enthusiasm.

In the afternoon I gave the girls some maggots. This was the first time the bantys have had maggots and they loved them.

The little girls first maggots

Fun for all the girls

It’s been so nice having a happy flock today and I hope it continues like this!

Last night before bedtime Amber seemed very subdued and I felt a bit worried about her. I checked on her several times and about half an hour before dusk she went into the coop. I decided to shut the door and give her some peace. Honey settled on the coop roof shortly after so I decided to lift her down and put her in the coop too for some company.

Once the big girls settled on the coop roof, I  lifted them down and put them in too. I thought it wouldn’t hurt for them all to go to bed a little earlier than usual. I again peeped in and the little girls were in the nest box instead of on the perch with the big girls. I can’t blame them and am happy for them to sleep there if they want to.

I went out at six o’clock this morning and while doing my morning chores, I discovered a soft shelled egg in the coop just beneath the nest box. It broke as soon as I picked it up and was mostly yolk. By piecing the halves together, I found it was banty sized so must be Amber’s. Honey had laid yesterday and all the girls went on to lay today, except Honey, who only lays every other day at the moment. Amber has laid two very tiny eggs and now this one. Maybe that is why she is subdued.

As the morning went on Bluebell was bullying the little girls to the point where they were just hiding behind the bush. After Bluebell had laid her egg I decided to separate her, in what used to be the bantys area to give the little girls a break from her. She seemed quite happy to be there and made no fuss about it and I left her with food and water of course, plus some greens. I left her there for three hours and when the other two big girls were dust bathing in the afternoon, I relented and let her back out.

Both the little girls seem a bit subdued and are spending a lot of time behind the bush. I am not sure if they are just fed up with being harassed or if something is wrong. I am feeling a bit worried about them but don’t know what else to do at the moment.

like last night, when I went up to check on them just before dusk, the two little girls went into the coop so I shut them in. I returned at dusk and added the big girls, peeped in and like last night the little girls were in the nest box and the big girls on the perch. At least they are all safely in and I suppose it is a case of seeing what tomorrow brings!

Yesterday the girls seemed to making so much progress together, then we had a set back. They had been fine all day, then I went to check on them early evening and they all came running to greet me except for Honey. Honey was perched on the coop roof looking very sorry for herself. I was dismayed to see that her comb was bleeding. A few days ago it was Amber and now Honey.

I sat on the step of the patio and she came and stood by me. She was making little unhappy sounds and looking a bit wobbly. It is heartbreaking to see this. She wouldn’t let me pick her up and I didn’t want to stress her so I sat with her with the water spray, keeping the big girls away. She stayed close to me and seems to know that I will protect her. I talked softly to her and gave her some sunflower hearts, which she ate, while I kept the other girls away.

Although I have no proof, I imagine that Bluebell attacked her as it’s Bluebell that is aggressive towards to the little girls. If this continues I will separate Bluebell.

I left for a while but returned before dusk to see how she was. Both little girls were perched on the coop roof and the big girls were scratching in the garden area.

I decided for their own safety to pick the little girls up, put them in the coop and shut the door. I didn’t want to risk the big girls getting on to the coop roof at bedtime and pecking at them again and adding to their stress.

I went out just after dark and lifted the big girls off the roof and added them to the coop.

I feel so upset that I have bought these little girls into an environment where this is happening to them. I so want to protect them and at the moment am beginning to feel that if someone wanted to take Bluebell, I would happily let her go. I used to feel so sorry for her being bottom girl but now she is the aggressive one.

This morning I went out at six o’clock and you would never know this had happened. The girls were all fine together. It may be naive of me but I am hoping that now both little girls have had their comb pecked, maybe it’s done with. It’s probably wishful thinking on my part.

Bluebell went into the nest box to lay her egg first this morning as she often does. Amber kept trying to get in with her and Bluebell would growl at her and Amber would run out. Bluebell had been in the nest box longer that usual so I decided to feel underneath her to see if she had laid her egg. She seems to have slightly broody moments lately. Sure enough she had already laid her egg so I removed it from under her then picked her up and placed in her in the run. For a while she shouted in protest.

Honey then went into the nest box. When I checked later, Honey had laid her seventh egg, the second one to be laid in the next box. I think she didn’t accept the little coop as a suitable nest box.

In the afternoon all the girls spent a lot of time sitting together. You wouldn’t imagine there was ever a problem. I tried to photograph them all sat together but as soon as I go in with the camera they either come towards to me or stand up and saunter off. I had a few attempts and didn’t get the shot I would have liked but had to make do with these.

Dotty likes to snooze with her head under her wing

We were all sat together until the camera came towards us

Taking a shot through the wire is the only way I can get them together before they move

I almost snapped them sitting together

I had been about to separate Bluebell today but there hasn’t been a problem. I really hope it continues to get better as I am finding this so frustrating! Why they can’t just chill and be nice to each other!

Last night I went out to the girls after dusk and as usual the coop door was shut and the big girls were on the coop roof. No sign of the little girls though. Just as I was wondering if they had gone into the big coop or the little coop I heard a sound above me. There were the two little girls, sat on my little chair, which hangs just under the roof. They looked so sweet! I can imagine that Pepper probably wouldn’t let them stay on the coop roof so they found an alternative.

I picked up one of the little girls and put her in the coop, the other one flew off. I lifted down each of the big girls and put them in the coop. The remaining little girl was stood by the ramp of the little coop but hadn’t gone in. I laid my torch on the ground so that it showed the big coop entrance and waited to see what she would do. As good as gold the little girl sauntered over to the coop and went in. I shut the door, job done!

I feel really pleased at this progress and hopeful that eventually the little girls may even start going in the coop instead of on top. Even if they don’t, I now think this will probably work each evening instead of  having to pick them up.

This means the little coop is no longer needed, so I decided it’s time to take it out. This will give the girls a bit more space too. The little coop will be put away in case we ever need it in the future. This means, after five weeks, integration is now complete! Hurrah!

Amber laid her first tiny egg in the run, the day before yesterday. Both yesterday and today, Honey and Amber had been visiting the big coops nest box and practising egg laying.

At one point today Dotty and Amber were in the nest box together. I took a peek and was dismayed to see fresh blood on Amber’s comb. Bluebell has been chasing and pecking at her a lot today and I imagine it is Bluebell that has made her comb bleed for the second time. If this continues I may have to separate Bluebell.

I went back a little later and Honey and Amber were now in the nest box together. I lifted  the lid to show my husband Amber’s comb and this disturbed them causing them both to run out into the run. As I watched them I saw another tiny egg drop from Amber. If only I hadn’t disturbed them, I think Amber would have laid it it the nest box. It was still tiny but fractionally bigger than her first one.

When I next checked on them Dotty and Honey were back in the nest box. I checked again a short while later and there in the nest box side by side were Dotty’s and Honey’s egg. This is Honey’s sixth egg after a three day gap.

Dotty’s egg on the left, Honey’s egg second left. Ambers first egg on the right and second egg second right

Honey’s egg on the left and Amber’s egg on the right

Size comparison

I broke both of Amber’s eggs into little dishes. They appeared to have no yolk but although all white in colour the centre blob was round and felt like firm jelly to the touch. It looks like it is a yolk but is the same colour as the white.

Amber’s first egg on the left and second egg on the right

Amber is smaller than Honey and whereas Honey has been squatting for weeks, Amber only started to squat a few days ago. I think this probably means Amber is younger than Honey and has started to lay her eggs a bit earlier. This may be why they are not fully formed.

I am pleased that they both want to lay in the nest box though. I have now taken the plastic egg out of the little coop and now that they are using the nest box it will be easier to remove the little coop. I may do this soon but I think I will leave it for a few more days.

It will be interesting to see what Amber’s next egg is like.

Yesterday was the bantys third full day with the big girls. We ate out in the evening and got back home soon after dusk. I went up to the girls and once again all five were roosting on the big coop roof and the automatic door had shut.

This time instead of the bantys being either side of the big girls, one was on the side nearest me and one in the middle. I thought that I would try to lift them down again, but this time decided to lift the bantys down first, instead of lifting them down in the order nearest to me. This worked much better as I was able to easily pick up the first, then the second banty and pop them in the big coop. Once in the coop they made no attempt to leave.

I then lifted down the big girls and put them in too and closed the door. Again with my torch pointing towards the ground, I had a peep in and all five girls were settled on one perch. This was so much easier than the evening before and I felt really pleased by how it went. From now on I will always lift the bantys down first whichever position they are in.

I went out at six o’clock this morning and they were all fine together. This means the little girls get an extra hour out of the coop in the morning and it also means it doesn’t matter how early I go out. Once I am happy that they are in a routine of all sleeping in the big coop I will remove the little coop.

I feel sure that at the end of summer, like last year the big girls will go back in the coop, instead of on top. When they do this, I am also sure that the little girls will follow. I think the little girls are only going on the roof because they want to be where the big girls are.

We made another improvement to the girls run yesterday, it doesn’t look very attractive but we are hoping it will keep the run dryer. We used the felt left over from roofing the garden shed to clad the batons holding the sliding panels in place (this is where during heavy rain it drips through). We left the felt quite loose so that it forms a sort of drain pipe for the water to run down. My husband then fitted some gutter at the end (also left over from a previous job) for it to run into with a turn at the end, facing out to the veg plot.

Water proof cladding

The black strip at the bottom end is the drain pipe.

The view the chickens have over our garden

Another thing that happened yesterday was that Bluebell and Dotty went into the nest box together (as they often do) when Amber decided to join them. When I realised that she was missing from the run I lifted the lid of the nest box and she looked so sweet, looking up at me, squeezed between Bluebell and Dotty.

I ran to get my camera but by the time I got back Dotty had laid her egg and left the nest box. I did manage to get just one photo of Bluebell and Amber.

Bluebell and Amber in the nest box together

The funny thing is that Bluebell tolerates Amber in the nest box with her yet once back outside she tried to stop them going in the coop. Once Honey and Amber went in the coop and Bluebell went in and chased them out.

Bluebell also tried to stop Honey going in the little coop at one point too. I am still having to tell Bluebell off and spray her when she grabs the bantys, but mostly it is getting better.

Honey was laying an egg every other day (five in total) but hasn’t laid for three days now. I wonder if it is due to the stress of being with the big girls, or more to the point, being with Bluebell!

Later in the afternoon the big girls had their snooze. Dotty has taken to snoozing with her  head under her wing. I wonder if this is to do with her having a bare neck!

Dotty the headless chicken

The bantys have also discovered that they can stand on the little coops roof and reach the leaves of the dogwood shrub.

Honey finds a way to reach some leaves

It didn’t take Bluebell long to copy this.

Bluebell can also reach some leaves

This may be another reason to remove this coop before they strip the shrub.

I am so pleased with the progress now. After a month of very little progress it seems to have happened all of a sudden and apart from the odd spat they are at last becoming one flock.

Yesterday mid morning I decided to give the girls some mash. I was worried that the little girls may not get enough pellets while competing with the big girls, although there are three dishes of pellets, so they should be able to. It’s just that I always worry.

I made it in the usual bigger dish for the big girls and ramekin for the little girls. Why did I think they were likely to stick with their own dishes?

Two dishes of mash

Bluebell has her own dish

At least while Bluebell has a dish to herself she isn’t hassling the little girls.

Mix and match

Next time I will just put two dishes of the same size, side by side. They love the mash so much that they don’t squabble too much and the bantys were able to get their share.

When they had finished, Dotty went straight into the nest box to lay her egg. The bantys pottered around but Bluebell and Pepper went into what was the bantys area and sat down.

Rest and digest

I find it quite amusing that Bluebell sits with her tail straight up, while Pepper has her tail down and looks quite flattened!

Resting together

The bantys didn’t seem to need a rest. I guess Dotty took her rest in the nest box and when I checked a while later she had laid her egg.

When I got back at lunch time Bluebell had also laid and Pepper was in the nest box and had soon laid her egg as well. Honey was in the little coop so hopefully is at last getting the hang of laying in the right place.

An hour later when I checked again, Honey was still in the coop. I went back a bit later and she was out but hadn’t laid an egg. I don’t think she has got into the swing of this yet.

Several times yesterday Amber went into the big nest box. She had made a well in the centre so it looks like she is ready to start laying soon. It’s funny that Honey has chosen their little coop to practice in (she’s only managed to actually lay one out of five eggs in there) and Amber has chosen the big girls nest box.

When I went back to do my pre bedtime clean up, I was most surprised to find the tiniest little egg in the run. I can only imagine that it is Ambers first egg as Honey has laid five normal banty sized eggs.

The tiny egg

Bluebells egg on the right and the tiny egg on the left

The tiny egg sat on a fifty pence piece

I haven’t got a normal banty egg to compare this one to as we have recently eaten them (and very nice they are too, mostly yolk and very little white), but I will save this and compare it with a normal banty egg when we next get one. I will also do an update on the inside of this egg once I have cracked it. It is cute, smaller than a quails egg. It looks like I will soon have all five girls laying and an abundance of eggs.

When I went back in at dusk to get the girls to bed I got another surprise as all five girls had settled on the coop roof. There was one banty on either side of the big girls. I decided to try my luck at putting them all in the same coop. I picked up the nearest banty and put her in. I then picked up the three big girls and put them in. I couldn’t pick up the second banty as she quickly flew off.

I now had a dilemma, do I leave one banty in the big girls coop and let one banty sleep alone in the little coop, do I remove one banty from the big girls coop and put her in the little girls coop with her mate or do I try to move the banty from the little coop to join her mate in the big coop. I decided that the last option may be a way of speeding up the integration process. This was sooner than I had planned on doing this!

I first lifted the roof of the little coop and tried to pick up the banty but she was too quick for me and flew out. I waited until she returned to the little coop and this time reached in through the door and grabbed her. I put her in the big coop but felt a bit bad about having to grab her. I looked in through the nest box, with the torch pointed at the ground, and they had all settled on one perch together.

Maybe it would be good for them to all sleep together. My only worry was, would they be okay together in the morning. I decided that as soon as I woke up I would go out and check on them.

This morning I went out to at quarter to five as I thought this was about the time that the automatic coop door would open. I think it had just opened as by the time I had got half way up the garden all five girls came running towards me. They seemed fine together so we have progressed again, more quickly than I was expecting. I wonder what they will do tonight!

I decided to put the girls together yesterday from six o’clock in the morning when I let the bantys out of their coop. Every time I looked out of the window or went up to them they seemed to be getting along fine.

I gave them their morning cabbage leaves and there was the occasional chasing but nothing too aggressive.

Amber, the smallest girl, tackles the biggest cabbage leaf

At one point when I went to check on them, Bluebell was in the nest box (she usually lays her egg first) and Amber popped out of the coop. I thought that a little risky but guessed Bluebell was unlikely to move from nest box while trying to lay her egg.

Mid morning just before I had to go out to do my deliveries I heard Bluebell shouting at the top of her voice. I went up to see what the problem was and Amber was in and out of the coop with Bluebell shouting as loud as she could. I checked the nest box and there was Bluebell’s egg. I removed it and calm resumed again. I think Bluebell was upset at Amber going in the coop while her egg was in there. This isn’t the first time Bluebell has behaved like this, she is very possessive about her eggs.

This was the first time that I have felt able to go out and leave all the girls together, it’s a real break through.

I got back at lunch time and everything seemed fine. I gave them some fruit to peck at.

Five girls mingle together, hurrah!

Amber eating apple while Honey keeps watch

The pellets in the bantys dish taste much nicer!

The bantys get the patio area and the fruit to themselves

The three stooges

Bluebells fluffy bloomers

There were so many shots I just missed, such as Bluebell coming out of the bantys coop where she had been having a nose and the bantys standing on their coop roof to eat the leaves of the dog wood plant. The big girls haven’t sussed this yet and jump up to reach what they can.

Another thing I noticed this afternoon was that when Bluebell went for Amber she now crouched in submission and Bluebell backed off. This is good news on three levels. It may mean less aggression from Bluebell, it may mean I will be able to pick Amber up soon and it may mean she will start to lay eggs soon. This may also be why she was investigating the big girls coop today.

I did my evening chores and decided to leave them until just after dusk to see where they choose to go to bed.

I went back out as it was just dark and the little girls were in their coop so I closed their door. The big girls were on the coop roof as usual so I lifted them down and put them in their coop.

I know there will be more progress to be made in getting them into one coop eventually but I am not worried about that right now. I am just elated that after a month we have progressed in the last two days from the odd hour together with me watching over them, to half a day, then a full day together! They have been together from coming out of the coop in the morning until returning to the coop at bedtime and that is truly progress!

Yesterday I got back from my deliveries at twelve o’clock and decided to put to the girls together again. This is the longest they have been together so far but I am still not comfortable enough to leave them together when I am out.

It’s working much better now that there is an escape route in the corner of the little girls area and they have soon worked out that they can run behind the bush then out through the escape hole and easily get away from Bluebell.

Bluebell unfortunately has not been as good as the day before. She chased them around a lot more yesterday and  sometimes managed to grab them by the feathers on their neck or back. I told her off and sprayed her with water and sometimes just a warning or holding out the spray stopped her but I can’t be there all the time.

The little girls are getting plenty of exercise and bounce back from her attentions. They are getting braver around Pepper and Dotty but know to stay out of Bluebells way. If it wasn’t so frustrating it would be funny because they do look comical the way they see her getting nearer and scoot away at top speed!

Another thing my husband pointed out was that sometimes when Bluebell went for Honey she would crouch in submission and Bluebell would then move away rather than grab at her. I realised that Bluebell probably grabs Amber because she doesn’t yet crouch so maybe when she starts to crouch this whole thing will get easier. Chickens pecking order (or dominance) is quite complex and just has to be played out before the flock can settle together.

The escape route

I had just dug over this little corner which is why they are all wanting to scratch here.

One of the really nice things was that when I went up the garden to visit the girls, I now had five girls run down to the fence to greet me, all on the same side. It was so nice to see the same enthusiasm from all five together as one flock (for a few moments anyway).

Later on in the day the big girls noticed the plastic egg that I have put in the bantys coop to encourage Honey to lay in there. She has laid five eggs so far and only managed to get one in the coop. They all had a good look at it and Bluebell had a peck at it.

We are intrigued by this plastic egg

We tap it but it seems quite hard!

Bookends

Meanwhile the bantys were doing their impression of bookends on the other side of the wire. Sometimes I call them ” Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum”, they are very alike and very together! Despite that there is no doubt that Amber, although the smaller of the two, is definitely top between these two. A couple of times they would be sharing a bit of apple or tomato when Amber would give Honey a quick peck.

The day before I put the girls back in their own areas when I went out to do my clean up chores after dinner. Last night I decided to delay my chores until just before bedtime to give them longer together. Again it was so nice that when I went in to clean up, all five flocked around my feet as one flock, disagreements forgotten for now. They are always more chilled at bedtime so I thought it would be good to give them this time together.

It was almost tempting to leave them together but I’m not ready yet to worry about the hour between five when the big girls come out and six when I go out to them (and at the moment let the little girls out), plus the little girls have got used their own coop and I am not quite ready for the next stage yet. I want to have longer with them together when I am around but am still wary of leaving together when I am not there. I know I must do this soon but feel I need a bit longer to be sure that the time is right.

I went back just before dusk and the little girls had returned to their area and the big girls were settled on the coop roof. As often happens if I go out before dusk the big girls jumped down and ran to greet me. I decided to have a last sweep of the patio area while I let them settle into position again.

This time Honey suddenly decided she wanted to join the big girls on the coop roof. Pepper wasn’t having this and pecked at her in the same way as she does to Bluebell at bedtime. I decided to intervene and picked Honey up. This was the first time I had been able to pick her up without a chase. She did squawk her protest but I stroked her and softly talked to her, then returned her to her area and closed the wire and shut the gate.

This has also been progress. I want to be able to handle the little girls eventually in case I need to check them over at any time. Since the early days of having to catch them at bedtime I have avoided trying to pick them up to let their confidence in me grow. Being able to pick Honey up is a big step forward and hopefully once Amber starts to squat I hope I will eventually be able to pick her up too. I feel this is really progressing at last!

It rained heavily all night and when I went out at six o’clock this morning, despite our best efforts, there were very few dry areas apart from the patio area, which has a solid roof. I decided to bite the bullet and put them all together. I put in six quarters of corn cob to give them something to peck at and left them to it. I have got to do this sometime.

I had no work this afternoon so decided to spend a lot of time with the girls trying to get them together. It had rained heavily all night and continued all day. The bantys had very few dry patches left in their side of the run. Although we have put in the sliding plastic panels, the continued heavy rain proved too much and it leaked in between the wooden batons and blew in through the side and the open end by the veg plot.

My husband has another plan to make the bantys area more water proof. He is thinking of using the left over felt from the shed roof to clad the underside of the wooden batons where most of the water is leaking in. Just another of the never ending improvements!

The little girls were taking shelter in the coop. Honey’s egg was just outside the coop so I am not sure if she didn’t make it in today, or if they pushed it out when they went in the coop.

I made both big and little girls a dish of mash so that if the little girls were kept away from the food at least I knew they had had a good feed.

I started by separating Bluebell on the little girls side and as usual Pepper, Dotty and the little girls were fine together. After quarter of an hour I decided to let Bluebell join them as she was getting very wet and bedraggled.

Bluebell looking really wet and bedraggled

Bluebell needed a good preen

I put an extra food dish on the big girls side for the little girls as I’ve never seen them go to the big girls feeder.

The little girls discover the extra food dish

All five girls mixed quite well. Bluebell seemed a bit subdued and therefore not so aggressive with the little girls. I don’t know if it was because she had got wet over their side, although I still had to coax her out of their area. Bluebell made a strange noise on and off all afternoon which was a cross between a growl and the noise Roy Orbison makes on the song “pretty woman”. I don’t know if this noise is something to do with her mellowing towards the bantys today.

I took a book and sat on my little chair so that I could keep watch over them. The big girls settled on the coop roof for an afternoon nap.

The big girls take a rest on the coop roof

They all snooze

I love the way Dotty has her head under her wing.

Meanwhile the little girls were sitting on one of the wooden blocks. First they preened then sat down for a while.

The little girls preen

After their snooze the big girls went for a dust bath in the only patch that had stayed properly dry.

The big girls enjoy a dust bath

The little girls were trying to scratch a hollow in damp soil when they decided to abandon that and join the big girls.

The little girls join in the dust bath

They gradually got closer together

Taking you under my wing

This was so nice to see, such a step forward. My husband came to see how we were getting on and as it was approaching dinner time, he suggested opening the gate and letting them have the whole area. As I expected they all went in the bantys side and the big girls either scared  the bantys to behind the bush or to the corner. I said they needed an escape from the corner so that they don’t get trapped and my husband lifted the chicken wire over their dead branch perch to allow them a second way out.

This worked really well and they soon got the hang of escaping from either end or getting back in through the corner. I checked back on them a few times and everything was going okay.

After dinner we went out to them again and the big girls were settled on the big perch in the run and the little girls on the coop roof so still in two camps but not hassling each other. I did my usual evening clean up chores then decided it was time to put them back on their own side and lower the wire again. They have been together for a whole afternoon with hardly any hassle so this has been a big step forward.