Carol's Chickens

This afternoon I decided to try the girls together again. I suddenly had a brainwave and decided to use the chicken toy as a distraction. I put some sunflower hearts in it and put it on the patio area. While the three big girls were busy with the toy, I opened the bantys gate and let them out. They came out as the big girls rolled the toy into the garden area.

The bantys were intrigued by the toy and really wanted to join in. They would get close to the toy then one of the big girls would peck them away and they would run back into their side of the run. They crept out and ran back a few times. It went so much better with a distraction and the toy held the attention of the big girls for longer as they have to work to get the sunflower hearts out rather than just hoovering up some corn.

Once the toy was empty I decided to shut the bantys back in their side, put some more sunflower hearts in and let the bantys have a go. I have to say that I think these little girls are brighter than the big girls.

One example of this is that when they are in the big girls area and they get pecked at, no matter how far away from the gate they are, they quickly run back through the gate to safety. Yesterday during integration time, Dotty was in the little girls space while they were behind the bush. Dotty was enjoying scratching in their space and Pepper was on the other side of the wire. Pepper desperately wanted to join Dotty but couldn’t work out where the open gate was. She would keep going back and forth along the wire opposite Dotty when the open gate was only about a foot further up. It wasn’t until Dotty moved nearer to the gate that she suddenly found it again. Not the brightest of sparks, our top girl!

When we first gave the big girls the chicken toy, Bluebell our bottom girl, but our brightest, quickly worked out that pecking at it and rolling it released the sunflower hearts. Dotty cottoned on a little later. Pepper our top girl, but I sometimes think also our dimmest girl, took weeks to cotton on to it.

I put the chicken toy into the bantys side and joined them with my camera. They went straight to it and started pecking at it or moving it with their feet and got to the sunflower hearts straight away.

The bantys immediately come to investigate the toy

Checking it out

Having a peck at it

Soon getting at the sunflower hearts

Job done, how easy is this!

Throughout this entire process Bluebell and Pepper were pressed against the wire, desperate to get at the toy. Dotty was busy on the patio with a cabbage leaf and oblivious to the goings on!

This also showed who was top of the pecking order between the bantys and it was no surprise to me that it was Amber. The toy got stuck between the feed pot and the slab that the water stands on. Amber would use her foot to roll it out and every time Honey tried to join in, Amber pecked her away. This is the first time I have seen any pecking between these two and Amber repeatedly pecked Honey away from the sunflower hearts.

Once the toy was empty again I put a few more sunflower hearts in it (I only put a few in each time) and returned it to the other side of the wire and opened the gate again. This time Honey managed to get past the big girls while they were distracted and made it up to the patio area. At least the little girls are getting further into the entire area and with less pecks. Once the toy was empty again and the big girls tried to get a few pecks at the bantys, I decided that that was enough for now. They had had half an hour together without too much hassle so I felt it was a bit of progress.

My husband suggested perhaps little and often is the way to go and I think he is right, so I will continue like this. That was the least stressful so far and a distraction definitely helped.

I am a very light sleeper and look at the clock quite often in the morning between dozing. I have been getting up between half past five and quarter to six to let the bantys out at six o’clock or a bit before six, each morning. This morning I looked at the clock at five o’clock and again at half past five before dozing off again.

The sound of chickens shouting woke me with a start and I realised it was six o’clock. I leapt out of bed and ran straight out to the girls to see what was wrong. There was no sign of anything wrong but although I was talking to the girls, Bluebell just wouldn’t stop shouting at the top of her voice.

I opened the bantys coop and they tumbled out and instantly Bluebell stopped shouting as if a switch had been flicked. All was calm and silent. Could it really have been because I was a little late letting them out! Surely that couldn’t be it, could it? There was no sign of anything amiss and all remained quiet once the little girls were out with Bluebell watching them like a hawk as usual. Who knows what goes on in that little chicken brain!

Yesterday I bought the bantys their own feed dish to replace the ramekin dish they have been using. It fits quite nicely on top of their upturned pot.

New feed dish

The bantys are getting used to me now and will let me get closer to them.

I also dug over both sides of the run. I thought maybe if the big girls side is completely dug over they won’t immediately head into the other side when I open the gate. It probably won’t work but I have to try everything I can think of.

Both sides of the run are dug over

Bluebell and Dotty both have the exactly the same tail up posture while watching the bantys. Pepper as top hen, is definitely the least bothered by them.

Last night we decided to put the girls together for an hour before bedtime. The bantys came out of their gate and Bluebell immediately took a peck at them. Amber ran into the coop and Honey ran behind the bush. The big girls then saw the area inside the bantys gate that I had dug over and they all filed in for a good scratch. Amber came out of the coop and joined Honey behind the bush.

This was all a bit of a waste of time as the big girls were enjoying the new patch to scratch in and it was so close to the bantys that they stayed put behind the bush. Because this patch hadn’t been dug over for a while it was damp and probably had bugs in and was just irresistible to the big girls.

I had to entice the big girls out of the bantys area with some corn. I then shut the gate so that the they would come out from behind the bush. By now it was nearly bedtime so we decided to give up.

The big girls started a massive preening session and the bantys joined in with the preening on their side. Soon afterwards they all settled down for bed.

We decided to try again after lunch today and it wan’t any more successful. The problem is that the bantys come out and quickly get pecked by Bluebell which understandably scares them. They then retreat to behind the bush and are very reluctant to come out again. I decided to pick Bluebell up and hold her for five minutes. My husband tried to encourage the bantys out with corn but they were very reluctant and the big girls would keep going into their space, forcing them to retreat to the bush.

The bantys venture out

The bantys look so small in the whole run. I only managed this one photo because the next minute they were pecked at and it was too stressful to take any more photos.

Once the big girls came out again we shut the gate and I put Bluebell down. We decided they had had enough for now as it’s stressful for the bantys. The difficulty with having two spaces is that there isn’t a shared space for them to mingle in. My husband did suggest that when the bantys come out we shut the gate so that they have to mix on one side. I just worry that the little girls won’t have any where to run to that feels safe to them.

The good thing though, is that as both sets have a good space and coop of their own it doesn’t matter if it takes a very long time. My husband pointed out that even if they stayed separate, we would still have five happy chickens in a nice environment. Ideally though, I do want them to mix eventually but I am not worried if it takes a long time, so I am not going to stress about it. They are all healthy and happy and that is the most important thing.

The bantys are getting used to me now and run towards me rather than away from me. They have sussed out that the treats are kept in the storage cabinet and run to the corner nearest the cabinet when I open the cabinet door. When I poop pick their area they don’t get stressed any more. They move out of my way but they don’t complain like they used too.

I have also stopped giving mash for the last few days to encourage the bantys to eat the pellets. I wasn’t sure if they were actually eating them or just flicking them out but today when I was watching them I saw them eat a good amount of pellets.

Today I dug over the big girls corner and a found a few worms for them. Then I dug over the bantys corner inside their gate. They weren’t bothered by me digging in their area and I threw them a worm which they both battled with. I think it was a bit big for them and they had a long tussle with it while the big girls were going crazy on their side of the wire.

I passed a few worms through to the big girls. At one point Pepper was running around as if demented with a worm in her beak while Dotty and Bluebell chased her.

When I had finished the bantys went straight to the freshly dug earth and had a good scratch about.

The bantys scratch in the corner that I have dug for them while Bluebell and Pepper patrol the border

The bantys enjoying a scratch around

All we need now is to get them all together.

Yesterday it rained all afternoon and I was able to see how well the panels were working at keeping the run dry. Most of the run is staying dry. The areas under the plastic are dry, but water drips between the wooden batons. The water was dripping on the ramp of the bantys coop and also onto the back of the coop. I don’t want the ramp to get wet because it would mean that when I close the ramp by lifting it up, I would be closing the damp on to the inside.

I decide to move the coop to the driest part of their run. I moved the log into the big girls side of the run to make more room and put the coop next to the big bush with the ramp facing towards the wire. This makes the bantys run seem bigger as they now have a bigger area by the gate which I can dig over for them to scratch in.

The coop in it’s new position

The coop from inside the bantys run

I am quite pleased with the coops new position as I think it will now stay dry. I did wonder if it would upset the bantys moving their home but when I went back a little later there were pine shavings on the ramp. This shows that they have explored it already.

We decided to try the girls together for half an hour before bedtime. I opened the bantys gate and sprinkled a little corn. The bantys came straight out but Bluebell instantly went for them. She landed a few pecks and the bantys ran back into their part of the run. They didn’t venture out again so it was all a bit short lived. At one point Pepper went into their side and gave one of the bantys a good, hard stare, then came out again.

The big girls decided it was time to take their places on the coop roof and this turned out to be more of a battle. I noticed yesterday that Bluebell had some spots on her comb which look like peck marks. I assumed it was probably from Pepper pecking at her when she tries to get on the coop roof at bedtime and I was right.

Every time Bluebell tried to settle on the roof, Pepper would peck her head or comb. It was quite hard to see how determined Pepper is not to let her join them and Bluebell is now determined that she will join them. Where as she used to give up and go inside the coop, instead she kept on trying to sit with them and Pepper kept on pecking at her. It made me feel a sense of understanding as to why she is so determined that the bantys are going to stay below her in the pecking order. These three girls have been together for a year, since they were babies, and yet Bluebell is still on the outside at bedtime. It’s a shame they don’t just go into the coop like they used to.

Just as Bluebell finally managed to take her place, the coop door started to shut and I lifted them down and put them in. I feel sorry for Bluebell having to go through all that just for a few minutes of success before I move them all.

By now Amber had gone into the coop but Honey spent a bit of time going in and out. She appears to go in then pop out to check if I am still there. After about five minutes of this she finally went in and I shut the door.

I think tonight I will try letting the bantys out a little earlier. I think this is going to take quite a long time to get them integrated but it doesn’t matter how long it takes, the bantys are quite happy with their run and coop.

Last night we decided to take the plunge and give the two sets of girls some time together before bedtime. We timed it to give them half an hour together then quarter of an hour to calm down on their own sides before going to bed.

I opened the gate and sprinkled some corn around to encourage the bantys out and keep everyone occupied. I sat on the wooden block with the water spray in one hand and the camera in the other.

At first they were all more interested in the corn but once the bantys came out Bluebell went for them pretty aggressively and I sprayed her with water. Amber, the smallest of the bantys, retreated to the coop on their side. At least she feels safe in her own coop. I was surprised that Honey was the bravest and came back out into the big girls side.

The behaviour of the three big girls was different according to their place in the pecking order. Bluebell, bottom girl, just wanted to attack, getting in pecks where she could. Dotty who is middle girl was next to make her move and did it all with display. She stood up tall and raised her neck feathers (if only she knew how ridiculous she looked with half her neck feathers missing!) and tried to intimidate by show. Pepper who is top girl just walked straight up to Honey and froze like a statue giving her a long stare. Once the stare was broken she gave a quick peck.

A little corn to entice the bantys out

Getting closer with the distraction of the corn

Honey bravely walks past Bluebell and Dotty

Bluebell is soon in pursuit

Pepper gives Honey a long stare

Honey voiced her alarm and Amber came out of the coop to check on her.  I found it all very hard to watch and intervened with the spray but my husband said that I should leave them to it a bit as it’s natural and they need to do this. I am too soft though and find it really hard to see the aggression. I decided this was enough for tonight and as the bantys returned to their side I shut the gate.

The big girls settled next to bantys on the other side of the wire and commenced to have a massive preening session. The bantys joined in with a bit of preening on their side. I am not sure if the preening was showmanship or because I had sprayed them with water, or perhaps a bit of both.

Pepper preening and one of the bantys preening in the background

Pepper preens while Bluebell keeps a close eye on the bantys

All the big girls preen

Bluebell can’t take her eyes off the bantys

Bluebell continued to watch the bantys every move even when Pepper and Dotty were settling on the coop roof ready for bed. I think if it was just the bantys and the dominiques, they would very soon be ready to integrate without too much trouble but it’s Bluebell who is going to be the problem. Bottom girl is determined to hold her position and so my most docile girl has turned into the most aggressive. I think this is going to take some time but we will keep on with this in the evenings for now.

Once the coop door started to close I lifted the big girls in and by then the bantys had gone into their coop so I closed the door. We have now got the first session behind us and will see what tomorrow brings. I guess it wasn’t too bad really!

Today my husband fitted the last supporting batons for the roof panels. The bantys corner perch should now stay dry which is good because this has become their favourite place to sit at the end of the day. Most of their area should now keep dry.

The last roof panel is in place

I have been been sitting in the run for a while each day to get the bantys used to me. They don’t run away when I ever I approach now and sometimes even come towards me as I walk up the garden towards the run.

I am also trying to get them used to the camera and they will let me get a bit closer to them.

Honey and Amber

Honey is on the right and Amber is sitting on the left. The easiest way to tell them apart is that Honey has a spot with a bit of cream on it (like the eye on a peacock feather) on her back just before her tail. It shows in the photo above. She is also slightly bigger and has a slightly longer tail. I know that if she loses her feathers the peacock spot may not come back and it will be even more difficult to tell them apart. Amber is more feisty than Honey and I think she is the leader of the two. I hope that as I get to know them better it will become easier to tell which one is which.

Since we have had the two bantys, Bluebell has been determined to prove she is no longer bottom girl. She has shown the most aggression to them and watches them all the time. She will run at the wire or stand with her beak to the wire giving them the look!

At bedtime the big girls like to roost on the coop roof even though I come along and spoil their fun by lifting them down and putting them to bed inside the coop. Pepper who is top girl would boc at Bluebells head to stop her joining them and Bluebell would usually slope off to the inside of the coop. Since the bantys arrival her confidence has grown. Recently instead of being put off by Pepper she moves round to the other side of Dotty and takes her place on the roof.

It’s a short lived victory because at bedtime I simply lift them all down and pop them in the coop. From time to time I look in through the nest box to check if they are in their usual positions. Pepper and Dotty are always on the bottom perch and when Treacle was with us she too would be on the perch. Bluebell has always slept on the floor. I was never sure if this was of her choosing or if the other girls wouldn’t let her perch in the same way as they wouldn’t let her on the roof with them but I had never yet seen her sleep anywhere but on the floor in front of them.

Last night I couldn’t resist a look in and to my surprise there was Bluebell on the perch next to the other two girls. Three girls in a row, such a sweet sight but the first time I have seen this. Has she a new confidence from having the banty girls below her!

I used to feel sorry for her being at the bottom and a bit left out. I did wonder if, with the bantys being such a close little pair, she would still be the odd one out. But I think her lot has improved. The bantys will no doubt be bottom of the pecking order but being bottom together, I doubt they will mind and Pepper followed by Dotty will remain at the top. The difference is Bluebell still in third place is now in the middle instead of the bottom and I am sure she is seeing that as promotion! It’s a fascinating thing, this pecking order!

Yesterday we almost finished fitting the roof panels. We had to do it after work and ended up running out of time and running out of screws so had to leave off the wooden batons for the last panel. Most of the run is now able to be covered though and we can finish off the last bit at the weekend.

Both panels fitted to the roof and in the open position

If we leave the panels at the veg plot end of the run when they are in the open position, they will give the bantys a bit of a dry area even if it suddenly rains while we are out. It also has the advantage of keeping the coop under cover.

We got this done just in time as when I went out this morning it was raining and I pulled the panels into the closed position.

The panels are almost finished and in the closed position

The remaining open square at the top is the unfinished bit. All it needs is the support batons to be added. We do have a permanent dry area over the patio but just wanted to stop the garden area becoming a muddy quagmire during wet weather. We are also leaving the plastic cover over the triangular area to the left of the panels. I dig this over regularly for the girls and they use it for dust bathing.

Last night the bantys went in to their coop as usual once the big girls had gone to bed so I feel happy with our routine now. Now that they have a nice, safe area with some dry cover and their own coop, I feel that there is no hurry to integrate and intend to take our time with it.

During the bedtime routine the bantys like to be in the corner nearest the big girls and they were all scratching together with just the wire between them.

All scratching together

The bantys also like having their own little perch in the corner.

Amber and Honey perching together

I am glad when the hebe died my husband suggested leaving the dead trunk in, it makes a perfect perch for the bantys.

All the girls seem fine with the wire between them but Bluebell, our bottom girl, is the one I can see being the most problematic. Bluebell watches the bantys all the time and sometimes runs at them, she also gives a quick peck through the wire occasionally. The other girls don’t take much notice of them but Bluebell doesn’t want to remain bottom girl.

Another advantage of this set up, is that if Bluebell does bully the bantys when they are integrated, we could put her in the separate part of the run for a while. I feel a lot happier now that we have several options and we can take everything slowly. I also hope that now I don’t need to handle the bantys they will gradually get used to me.

Yesterday we continued to make improvements. I put the bantys food dishes on an upturned pot to raise them off of the ground in the hope that they won’t get so many bits scratched into them. The big girls feeder is on the patio area so this has never been a problem with their food. The two dishes have pellets and pellet mash in them.

Feeding station

We also put the panels on one strip of the roof to help keep the run dry during wet weather. My husband came up with this idea. He has put three perspex panels between wooden batons. When it’s dry we can push the three panels on top of each other, either at the patio end or the veg plot end. This will leave the middle space open for sun and air flow. When its wet we will slide the panels out to fill the entire strip with the panels overlapping a bit to keep the rain out.

New roof panels

This shows the panels on top of each other ( in the open position) at the veg plot end. We now need to do the same thing with the strip to the right of this which is over the bantys area. We have all the pieces ready but are doing this in stages so as not to stress the bantys too much. The next panel is trickier because we need to assemble them from inside the bantys area and they get stressed when we go in there. If it is too stressful for them we have considered doing it by torch light once they have gone to bed.

We need to get this done fairly soon because wet weather is forecast later on in the week and the bantys don’t have a dry area at the moment.

The other major improvement is the bedtime routine. The bantys went to bed in their coop again last night. Just like the night before they looked like they wanted to join the big girls as the big girls settled on the coop roof. Thank goodness my big girls are so easy to handle. I just lift them down and put them in as the door is closing and they don’t make any fuss about this at all.

Once the big girls are in it seems to trigger the bantys and they went into their own coop. It is then really easy to just close the door.

I went out at half past five this morning and let the bantys out. I think the big coop is now opening at about five o’clock. It’s a good job I am good at getting up early!