Carol's Chickens

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!

Last night I spent a bit of time sweeping and cleaning up as usual and sitting with the big girls and just generally letting the bantys get used to the evening routine. I also dug over the corner of the run which the girls love as they get the odd worm and fresh soil to scratch in. I then dug a small patch for the bantys and they went straight to it for a scratch  around.

I went back in just as it was getting dark and the big girls went up on to the coop roof. The bantys were in the corner of the run nearest the big girls and looked as if they wanted to join them. I lifted the big girls down and put them in as the door was shutting, this seems to have become the current routine at the moment.

At that moment my husband had come up to check proceedings and Honey ran over to their coop and went in. Amber ran over and went in too, then popped back out a couple times and then went back in and settled. I crept in and closed the door. Job done! At last! Not yet nine o’clock and all the girls in bed with out me having to handle the bantys.

I felt elated. If they will go in themselves each night from now on, it won’t matter how long integration takes and the bantys can get used to me without stress or handling. Hurrah!

This morning I went out at six and let the bantys out of their coop. As usual Amber came straight out but Honey took a few minutes to come out. All was calm as they didn’t have to run the gauntlet of the big girls.

Today we decided that we would leave finishing the dry roofed area until tomorrow to give the bantys a stress free day. I spent a bit of time sitting in the big girls side of the run to get the bantys more used to me being in there. They seemed far less bothered by me today which is progress.

The bantys are a very tight little twosome.

The bantys sit together in a dust hollow

Bluebell and Dotty check on them

Pepper checks on them

The big girls check on them all the time, especially Bluebell. Bluebell did give one of them a peck through the wire but the banty didn’t seem bothered and didn’t move back from the wire. It amazes me that they sit against the wire even though the big girls will peck them given half a chance. Bluebell who was bottom girl is by far the worse one. She doesn’t want to be bottom girl any longer and looks as if she would love to get into the bantys side of the run.

I gave all the girls a treat of live yogurt today. I topped it with a little chopped tomato as this encourages the bantys to try something that is new to them (they love tomato). They ate a little of the yogurt. They don’t devour every last bit of the treats like the big girls do.

later this afternoon Amber wanted to practice laying an egg again. She makes a sort of churring sound and starts looking anxiously for somewhere to go. I was really pleased that she went into the coop. She spent a little time in there, came out then returned for a little while. Later in the afternoon my husband saw both Amber and Honey go into the coop for a while.

This is a really good sign because it means they now know the coop is there. I think last night they had no clue about the coop because they hadn’t yet been in it. I hope that now they have slept in it and investigated it during the day they may go into it tonight. I really do hope so. I am feeling much more positive about everything today.

The two bantys are quite difficult to tell apart. Honey had some white flecks on her collar but they have disappeared now, however Honey does have a white spot on her back near her tail and she is slightly bigger than Amber. Amber is the more feisty one of the two and is the first to come out in the mornings and was the most difficult to get in at night. Amber must be slightly more mature as she has been practising her egg laying. I wonder how long it will be before she actually lays. She practises every other day at the moment so is obviously not quite ready yet.

The bantys seem much more settled today and haven’t looked stressed or gone behind the bush at all today. I think it was definitely a good move getting them their own coop for now.

I went looking for a small coop today for the bantys as picking them up in the evening is too stressful for them and running the gauntlet of the big girls in the mornings can’t be good for them either.

I found a small animal house that I think will be ideal. It has a small wooden nest box inside and is weather proof. It did cost fifty pounds which was more then I wanted to pay but I felt we needed to do something quickly to make the bantys life better. I just really hope they will use it.

The bantys new coop

The new coop in the bantys area

I gave both lots of girls some fish in olive oil as a treat this afternoon.

Dotty seems to have pigeon toes

The big girls had finished their dish before the bantys even started theirs. The bantys weren’t impressed. They are much fussier than the big girls and don’t get excited by food in the same way, although they do like corn.

The bantys are always very close together

They are never far apart and when they sit they are usually virtually on top of each other.

My husband started work on fitting some perspex over the outside run that we will be able to slide out during wet weather. It was drizzling a little this morning and I was worried that the bantys don’t yet have a dry area. As a temporary measure I put an umbrella over the bush but need something more substantial. We will continue working on it tomorrow as we don’t want to stress them by doing too much at once. They really don’t like us being in the run and especially don’t like us being in their area.

I am hoping that once they are using their coop and I don’t have to pick them up, they will gradually start getting used to me. Tonight will be the testing time, to see if they will go in their own coop.

Well it didn’t go easily or  according to plan. At dusk the big girls were on top of the coop and the door was closing so I scooped them up one by one and popped them in. I hoped the bantys on the other side of the wire would see how easy they go in but of course it doesn’t work like that. The bantys were showing no sign of going in their coop so I left them until dark.

I went back and they were in the corner of their run so I tried to pick one up but she flew into the bush. I picked her up from the bush and put her in her coop. The second one is always the problem and it took a while to catch her. I felt awful because I know this is stressful for her.

I hope after a night in their coop maybe they will recognise it tomorrow and go in. If not I may have to leave them out as I think it’s too stressful to catch them each night. I don’t want to make a bad habit of them staying out but I don’t know what else to do. Maybe if one of them goes in to try to lay her egg she will get familiar with it (she seems to get the urge every other day). I am at my wits end with this. It was more difficult catching them tonight in their own area because they can get behind the bush.

I don’t want bedtime to be stressful and don’t really know where to go from here. The big girls are so easy in comparison. I can only hope we turn a corner soon.

If you didn’t see it with your own eyes you wouldn’t believe it! I thought we needed to come up with a more permanent and weather proof nest box for the bantys than a cardboard box. I bought a plastic pet carrier, it didn’t cost much plus I had a money off voucher and it would be handy if we ever needed a vet visit so win win!

When Amber decided she needed a nest box this afternoon she got very agitated like she did a few days ago. She marched up and down the fence making a vocal protest and looking for a way out. She ignored the pet carrier. I thought the air holes were perhaps letting in too much light so I covered it with a cloth. She didn’t like the cloth and looked even more stressed.

I looked for an alternative and put in a small wooden log box with pine shavings in it. I sprinkled corn around it and a little in it to draw her to it. She ate the corn and put her head in the box to take the corn from inside then continued with her stressed march around and kept looking up to see if she could get out anywhere.

I gave in and retrieved the cardboard box from the dustbin. I taped it back together and returned to to the same spot as before. Amber went straight in and settled herself happily. I wouldn’t mind so much but like before she came out half an hour later without laying an egg and happily carried on with her day.

All that stress to get into the correct box which she must have imprinted on already and yet she didn’t even need to lay yet. She would have been willing to risk the big girls to get out to where she knows the bedtime nest box is or she would except her cardboard box and yet no other box was going to do.

My husband says he will replicate the cardboard box in wood but I wonder if that will please her. They are such funny little things. She has only been here a few days and yet already has such strong attachments!

Just before dusk we went in and opened the gate to the bantys area. Again they tried to get on the coop roof with the big girls but were getting a few pecks. I lifted the big girls down and put them in leaving the separated off nest box open. One of the bantys went straight in. The other went in and I went to close it but she flew out again. I closed itanyway as I was afraid the other one would come out and we would two to catch.

I decided to retreat for a bit and see if she would settle somewhere. When I went back she was on the coop roof. I tried to pick her up but she flew off. I opened the nest box to see if she would join her mate but she again went to the coop roof and the other one was getting agitated. I shut the nest box again as I couldn’t risk having two to catch. I had to catch her and put her in.

This isn’t ideal as it is stressful each evening for both them and me. Tomorrow we will try a different approach. We will put the big girls in then leave the nest box open and retreat until after dark to see if they will go in on their own. I am not sure if it will work but this bedtime routine is not good either. If we could establish a habit of them putting themselves to bed it would make things easier on them and us.

This morning I went out at six o’clock to let the bantys out of the nest box and soon realised the flaw in my plan. I had forgotten that the lid of the nest box is attached to the coop so I couldn’t take the nest box off to let the bantys out in their area. I tried shielding the opening with my body but they are so small and so quick that they flew out.

They are clever little girls though and they went straight to the open gate and into their area. One of the big girls tried to give a quick peck at one them as she ran past and I squirted her with the water spray. The bantys were soon in their area and I closed the gate behind them. They didn’t seem too bothered and didn’t go behind the bush but just pottered about in their run.

I think perhaps I will just let them out like this each morning as I think they are less bothered by running the gauntlet with the other girls than they are by me picking them up and I now know they will very quickly go to their run.

I am really pleased with our separated run now as it means it doesn’t matter how long the integrating takes and also if ever we need to separate a hen for any other reason it will be really useful.

The feather pulling is still going on with the big girls and although all three do it, Pepper is the worse culprit. When the girls are fully integrated I may separate Pepper either alone or with the bantys to see if I can break her of this habit.

I have been fine tuning the feeding station for the bantys. I have put the water on a paving slab to try to stop it getting so many bits in it and I have switched the bantys food dish for smaller ramkin dishes. I have given them three, one with pellets, one with mash topped with some chopped tomato and one with grit. I think smaller dishes are more suitable for them and also I will be able to get a better idea of how much they are eating.

New feeding station

By the time I went back with my camera the bantys had eaten all of the chopped tomato and wandered off.

Another added bonus with the new girls is that it’s been quieter rather than noisier. This is because when Bluebell and Dotty go in to lay their eggs together every morning, Pepper doesn’t like being out on her own and used to shout the whole time they were in there. Now we have the new girls she doesn’t feel alone and no longer shouts. The bantys make a sound like a baby duck and are really quiet, so no problem there.

We have been lucky with this aspect of it as Bluebell only shouted on the first morning but there has been no shouting since so I don’t have to worry about noise disturbing the neighbours.

The other thing I have done is to change the cardboard box for a plastic pet carry box as the bantys nest box. I think that now we have five girls a second nest box will be useful plus if we ever need a trip to the vet the box can be used as a pet carrier again. I have put pine shavings in it and put it under the bush in the shade.

New nest box

It now remains to be seen how long it will take them to discover it and will they actually use it! I can but hope.

I forgot to update on the banty using the cardboard nest box the day before yesterday. She sat in the box for about an hour then gave up without an egg. From this I conclude that she is just about to start laying and not quite sure if she is ready yet. My big girls all went into the nest box for a few days before they actually laid an egg. Yesterday was probably too stressful as we were putting up the divider and gate. Neither has shown any interest today either.

The little mash dish was empty by lunch time so I am pleased to know that they are eating, I just couldn’t tell with a bigger dish. I refilled it for them and I think the pellets had gone down too. I also gave them some spinach leaves and a bit of apple.

So far so good! We will let the bantys out before dusk again tonight but about ten minutes earlier and see how that goes.

This morning I went out at quarter to six and lifted the bantys out of the nest box and into their area. They definitely don’t like being picked up but once in their area they were fine.

Later on in the day all the girls were enjoying a dust bath.

Afternoon dust bath in the sun

The bantys were also having a dust bath in the sun on their side of the wire but as soon as  I go near them they retreat to the bush so I wasn’t able to get a photo. They think of me as the person who keeps grabbing them and don’t want to come near me. It is going to take a while to gain their confidence.

This afternoon my husband worked on improving the separation area. We have made it more permanent now and he has made a gate so that I can easily get in and out. We are thinking it might be useful to be able to keep an area separated for when needed and the door can be left open for when it’s not needed.

We had to remove the umbrella and the ladder for now but we can always put it back in later if we want to.

The separated area

The bantys are in the patch of sun behind the bush.

The new gate

My husband has also devised a way of covering this area during wet weather. He is going to put some batons on the roof beams then use some corrugated perspex strips to slide down these batons. This means we can put them on when needed and remove them during dry weather. This is a job for tomorrow.

My friend Jackie came to inspect the new girls this afternoon and she thought they were lovely and reassured me that everything is normal and will be fine given time.

By the late afternoon the bantys seemed more confidant.

We are all interested in each ohter

Getting braver

We went out at quarter to nine, just before dusk and let the bantys out of their area, shutting the gate so that they couldn’t go back in. One of them went into the coop but when the other one didn’t, she came back out. The big girls went up on to the coop roof as usual and the bantys then joined them. We were pleasantly surprised that there was no real aggression with just Dotty (our middle girl) giving a quick peck now and again.

I attached the divider to the nest box and then lifted our girls down and put them in the coop just as the door was shutting.

I then slowly and gently picked up one of the bantys from the coop roof and put her in the nest box. This was only ever going to work for one of them and the other flew off. With two of us out there we managed to catch her within about ten minutes and put her in the nest box.

I am really pleased by how well that went. Now we have a gate on the bantys area, I can just take the nest box off in the morning, put it in their area and let them out, instead of picking them up again.

I feel that we are really making good progress now and am feeling much more confidant about the whole process. I think we may put them together a little earlier tomorrow and see how that works. It’s been a good day today and it’s only day two after all.

I haven’t seen the new girls eat any pellets yet and wondered if this isn’t what they were used to. They had been eating the corn cob and spinach and later on a bit of apple and melon. I decided to make two dishes of mash, one for each side of the wire.

A dish of mash on each side of the wire

One of the new girls eating the mash

Bluebell and Dotty are keeping an eye on the new girls

By the afternoon I could tell one of the new girls wanted to lay her egg because up until now she had been quite happy in her area but was suddenly agitated, pacing the boundary and clucking. I realised she wouldn’t go in the cardboard nest box I had made for her because it was inside the cage and she was in no hurry to go back in there! I took the cage out and put a tray of pine shavings in the bottom of the crisp box. This worked and in she went.

New girl in the temporary nest box

Bluebell and the new girl take a good look at each other

I don’t want to keep them calling them the new girls so need to sort out who is which. One of them has some white flecks on her collar so this is Honey and the other is much more feisty so she is going to be Amber. Somehow Amber seems a more feisty name to me or Honey a more gentle name.

My husband made a divider to separate off the nest box when our girls were little and we were trying to train them out of the habit of sleeping in there. He suggested that I reinstate this at night and put the banty girls in the nest box to sleep. This would mean they would be safe from the other girls and would also mean the coop door could open automatically for the big girls and I could go out at six instead of half five. Also it would make it easier for me to pick the bantys up to move them to their area.

The main problem now is to how to get them in to the nest box. I was originally going to let all the girls out at dusk to go in to the coop but my husband is now going to be out for the evening and I am worried about letting the girls out together again while here on my own.

I am going to play it by ear a bit and see if I can catch them and put them in. The other problem is my girls like to go on the coop roof at dusk and I lift them down and put them in which adds to the difficulty. This isn’t going to be easy!

Well that wasn’t easy but everyone is now in bed. At quarter to nine I decided to put the big girls in even though they would like to stay out a bit longer as it was still a bit light. I then let the bantys out into the main part of the run and closed off their area. I cleaned their area while giving them a bit of time to roam. I think if the coop door was open they would have gone in but as it was closed they didn’t know where to go.

I caught one of them fairly easily and put her in the nest box. Then it got tricky as the other one didn’t want to be caught. I felt awful because if I have to chase her around trying to catch her I will make her scared of me but I didn’t want her to sleep out alone. I left her for  bit to see if she would choose somewhere to roost. When I went back she was on the coop roof. I lift the big girls down from there so easily but when I tried to lift her down she flew off. I left her again thinking that as it got dark it would be easier to catch her.

When I went back in she was on top of the wire of the newly sectioned off part of the run. I tried to pick her up and she jumped into the bush where I managed to grab her. I put her into the nest box. It was now quarter past nine so had taken half an hour. I feel guilty for scaring her but didn’t know what else to do.

When my husband is home with me we will try letting them find their own way in at dusk but today I had to the best I could on my own. I am not sure I handled this right but even so I am glad that they are both now safely in the nest box.

This has been quite a traumatic day. I really hope it gets easier. Tomorrow my husband is going to make a more permanent separate area with a door to it. This way we can separate this area when we need to and fold the door back when we don’t need it.

I hope I haven’t traumatised these new girls too much. I hate to think that I am letting them down by putting them through this. I will try to manage the situation better tomorrow.

I went out at half past five this morning to let the girls out. The old girls came straight out but the new girls stayed put. After a few minutes I reached through the nest box to encourage them out.

Coming out

One of the new girls came out and went into the garden area. To my horror the three old girls instantly attacked her. They all went for her neck and I spayed them with water to separate them. The new girl hid behind the bush.

In the mean time the second new girl came out. The three of them did the same to her but she is a feisty little thing and stood up for herself, pecking at them in return before joining the other one behind the bush.

The new girls find a safe place to hide.

I was horrified at how aggressive our girls were, all three going for the new girls necks. I had thought that Bluebell wouldn’t peck another girl as she is so docile but I think she saw her chance to move up from being bottom girl. This was much worse than I expected and I realise now that I was being naive in thinking that they could all be together straight away. I knew now that they would have to be separated.

I watched them for half an hour and Dotty and Bluebell went to check out the new girls but oddly enough our top girl, Pepper wasn’t showing an interest but was busying herself with a corn cob. Bluebell was strutting around and shouting at the top of her voice.

Dotty and Bluebell check out the new girls

I knew I couldn’t let the new girls stay behind the bush for much longer but was unsure what to do next. I decided the easiest thing to do was to put the old girls back in the coop. They are used to me picking them up so it wasn’t a problem to pop them back in the coop and close the door.

I then enticed the new girls out with some corn. I let them have a little time to explore and they were happily scratching about and pecking at the corn cob. I could see that they would be happy in this space if they were allowed some peace. It seemed a shame to have spoil their fun but I couldn’t leave the other girls shut in the coop.

I decided the best thing to do next would be to put the new girls back in the cage for their own safety so that we could set about rigging up a separate area for them. Catching them was the tricky bit. Luckily for me while I was trying to catch them one flew into the cage. I shut the door and she vocally let me know that she wasn’t happy.

They are very flighty and a few times the remaining new girl flew over my head but I managed to corner her, scoop her up and put her in the cage. By now an hour had passed and my husband was still in bed. I didn’t want to get him up if I felt I could manage the situation myself.

I let the old girls out of the coop. I then put food and water in the cage and attached it to the coop again. The new girls retreated to the safety of the coop.

It was now time to enlist my husbands help as I knew the old girls would be wanting to go into the nest box to lay their eggs soon.

Luckily we had plenty of chicken wire in the shed so we removed the umbrella and the ladder for now and rolled the chicken wire across in front of the bush. I felt the new girls needed the security of the bush. We stapled the wire to the wooden posts and put some canes through at intervals for support. We put the cage inside with the upturned cardboard box in it to provide a makeshift nest box. We added the food and water, the corn cob and some spinach leaves. We then rolled the wire over the top to keep the new girls in and the old girls out. This is bit make shift but hopefully it’s only temporary so we will try to just make do at the moment.

The separated area for the new girls

The new girls in their own area

Once we had completed this things soon settled down. Bluebell and Dotty went into the nest box together and laid their eggs side by side as usual. Pepper went in and laid her egg shortly afterwards. The new girls settled in their area and pecked at the corn cob and leaves.

We have decided that we will make sure one of us is at home at all times to keep an eye the girls (going out in turns) and we will check on them frequently.

When I went up later I was pleased to see the three old girls sat one side of the wire and the two new girls sat on the other side of the wire. I could get lulled by this like last night but after this morning I am going to be much more wary. No one is shouting though and as long as there is wire between them they all seem happy. I would have liked a photo but after chasing the new girls and catching them this morning, they are now wary of me and moved away as soon as I went towards them with my camera.

Sort of together

This was the best shot I could get for now.

I will let them out together just before dark so that they can all go to bed together. I will also continue to go out to them at first light. I am not sure how I will get the new girls back into their area in the morning but will cross that bridge when I get to it.

We were going to collect the new girls on Thursday but I just couldn’t wait any longer and as the week is looking fairly quiet we decided to go and collect them at four o’clock today.

They sat quietly in the cage on the way home and I then put the cage against the coop door giving them a small run with food and water plus access to the coop. They went straight into the coop and stayed there. I put a halved apple and tomato in with them.

When we bought our original girls home we did this and they too went straight in the coop so I’m not worried. I know they feel more secure in there and it gets them used to where the safe place for sleeping is.

I am staying with descriptive names and am calling them Honey and Amber. I will sort out who is which tomorrow when I can see them together outside.

Honey and Amber

The set up

This gives them a small run if they want to venture out but I think they will stay in the coop until bedtime like our other girls did on the first afternoon.

I went back to check on them at intervals and they were still sat in the same spot.

Staying in the coop

The run

I have put a cardboard box in the run for the bantams to hide behind if they need to get out of the way. The girls are taking no notice of the newcomers yet.

When I next went out to check on them, I knew the new girls had been out in the cage because there was some poop outside, the tomato had gone and there were just a few small bits of apple outside plus some pellets in the water. This is a good sign that they are eating and drinking.

When I went back out again about an hour before dark the new girls were out in the cage and the old girls were lined up watching them. I was pleased as all was calm, no shouting just curious looking. By the time I got my camera only Dotty was still nearby and the other two had gone back to the garden area.

Venturing out of the coop

Why not stand in the food bowl before going back in!

Dotty inspects the new girls

I’m making this up as I go along, half an hour before dark the new girls have settled on the coop floor and look to be dozing so I have decided to shut the coop door manually and remove the cage. This leaves the old girls to carry out their usual bedtime routine and as they want to roost on the coop roof at the moment I am going to let them assume the position. I will then lift them down and pop them in the coop and wait to see what happens.

At dusk we went up and popped the old girls into the coop. There was the usual little bit of gentle chatter but nothing out of the ordinary. I had taken a torch with me, and lifted the nest box to take a peek in at them. I shine the torch on the ground outside so that it gives me a little light to see in but doesn’t disturb the girls. I was pleased to see the girls in their usual positions, with Pepper and Dotty on the bottom perch, Bluebell on the floor in front of them and the new girls on the floor between Bluebell and the back wall of the coop. They are in their usual spots but with the new girls beside Bluebell. All is peaceful so at this stage I am really pleased with how it’s going.

I am going to go out at half past five in the morning to let them out and watch over them for a bit to see how they get on. I was slightly nervous about tonight but it couldn’t have gone better and I am a bit nervous about tomorrow but really hoping it continues to go this well. We will see what happens in the morning but at the moment I am feeling really happy.