Carol's Chickens

We have a catering business and have suddenly got really busy (it’s often very up and down, all or nothing) and we also have a house guest for a couple of weeks. This has meant I haven’t had as much time to spend with the chickens or writing a post. The weather is also awful at the moment, cold and wet. This doesn’t make for taking any good photos, but I do want to give an update on both the roosting and pecking situation.

Three days ago, we found three of them roosting on the roof of the coop. We are checking them each night now and for the two following nights they had all gone in before the automatic door shut. I hoped once again that it had just been a blip. Yesterday we catered for a wedding and didn’t get back home until ten o’clock. It was very dark and very cold. We went up to check and there was Treacle on the roof of the coop. I lifted her down and put her in and she only gave a half hearted “boc” in protest. Treacle is the biggest of the four hens and I am now wondering if the perch isn’t far enough away from the side of the coop to give her room for her tail. They have all been going in to the coop to sleep with no problem until just recently and the only thing that has changed is that Treacle has grown. If This continues to happen we will have to try to modify the perches.

The pecking is still a problem when I give treats. Dotty will peck Bluebell away from the treats. If I give her a squirt from the water bottle she won’t peck again while I am there, but will intimidate her by walking right up to her and glaring at her, which scares Bluebell away. I sometimes only have to pick up the water bottle for Dotty to move away, so she knows what will happen. Treacle and Pepper often run away too as they hate the water bottle even though I don’t use it on them. Bluebell has no fear of it at all and will peck at it, she knows it is not meant for her and that it protects her. Bluebell is the only one of the four of them that has never pecked anyone and that’s obviously why she is at the bottom of the pecking order despite being the smartest.

Dotty only does this to Bluebell. Dotty and Pepper were together from a month old and have never pecked each other even when they both want the same treat. Dotty wouldn’t dare to peck Treacle as she is much bigger and would peck her back, so that leaves poor Bluebell. Pepper and Treacle are both quite docile and only peck Bluebell occasionally, if she is in their way but Dotty will chase her away from the treats. Even when I space out four halves of apple, Dotty will move Bluebell on from one piece to another. It’s as if she is determined not to let her have any and yet later they will all sit quite happily really close together. I am not sure if I will ever stop her doing this but for now will continue to use the spray.

We keep saying that we should be able to trust the chickens to get themselves to bed before the automatic door shuts, but somehow can’t help ourselves from going out to check. Its a good job we did check last night because this is what we found.

We want to sleep here

I just can’t understand why after going in night after night they should suddenly decide they want to sleep on the roof of the coup. Only Pepper was inside with the door shut. Dotty, Bluebell and Treacle were on the roof. This is the first time all three have done this. We held open the door and lifted them down one at a time and pushed them in. It got cold quite quickly last night, so I just don’t understand this behaviour. It looks like we will have to continue to check on them each night for a while yet.

For the last two nights the grill blocking off the nest box has been off. To my amazement the girls have still slept on the perch and not reverted back to the nest box, hurrah! Maybe the habit of sleeping on the perches is established now.

Today I thought I would try the girls with a quarter of melon. As soon as I put it down they were on to it.

They like melon

They are enjoying this

I went back about half an hour later and it was almost gone.

Not much melon left

Bluebells comb is looking quite mature

I took this one of Bluebell to show how her comb is maturing compared to the other three girls. It’s hard to imagine a day when we will be getting eggs. I have enjoyed bonding with the girls and getting to know their characters and it will be really exciting to get eggs as well.

While I was crouched taking these photos, Treacle came and jumped on my arm/lap. I was quite pleased because lately I haven’t been able to sit with them at bedtime and so haven’t had her on my lap. It was nice for me that she still wants to come to my lap. When I went in briefly, before dinner she came to my lap again, then my shoulder. I wonder if she has missed our evening cuddle. She was quite happy to be stroked which is always lovely but I had to go as dinner needed finishing.

Bluebells comb and wattles are growing and she is beginning to look quite mature. I am wondering if she may be ready to lay eggs soon.  I had put a grill in front of the nest box to deter them sleeping in there, which is what they were doing from the start. I have decided to remove it today and see if they revert to sleeping in the nest box or if they will continue to sleep on the perches. I was trying to break the habit of sleeping in the nest box before egg laying begins, but don’t want them to be shut out of the nest box if they do want to lay. They have been roosting on the perches for three months now, so I hope it has become a habit. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if they revert back to the nest box though. I will know in the morning by where the poop is. If they do revert back to the nest box I will try blocking it off at night and opening it up in the morning, but it would be good if I could leave it off all the time.

Pepper, Dotty and Treacle’s combs are still quite under developed, so I think it will be another month or two before they are ready for egg laying. I was told by the farmer that Treacle’s breed is a late developer and Dotty is a month younger than the other three so I am expecting Bluebell to be first then Pepper, then Treacle and Dotty about a month later.

Bluebells comb and wattles are developing

It wasn’t easy to get a photo as they wouldn’t stay still for me, but you can see Bluebells comb here and Dotty’s complete lack of comb.

As far as the bedtime routine goes, they have not roosted on the roof of the coop since the first two times. We seem to have stopped that habit and continue to check each evening to make sure they are all in, but so far so good. I wanted to sort out the bedtime routine before unblocking the nest box, taking it one step at a time!

Last night we went out to check on the girls at half past seven and they were all in the coop except for Treacle, but she was just going in. Treacle soon settled and I went out at intervals and found the door closed at ten to eight and the girls all in. The day before was much warmer and dark a little earlier. Last night was lighter but much colder, I don’t know if the temperature effects the chickens as well as the light but am hoping that they will now settle back to a normal bedtime routine and that roosting on the roof of the coop was just a blip.

Yesterday morning I went out to the chickens at half past six ( I usually go out at seven), to try to see when the coop door opens. It was quite light and the chickens were in the garden part of the enclosure, so it must have been open for a bit. This morning I went out at six and it was quite dark and the door still shut. I then went out again at quarter past six, the door was open and the chickens were just outside the door. They then went straight to the feeder so I conclude that it had just opened. The chickens are now going to bed an hour earlier and getting up an hour later than during the summer. The days are very quickly getting shorter.

As it is summers end, I decided to put the pot of parsley back in for the girls to have another go at. I wasn’t expecting it to last long!

We like Parsley

Treacle is distracted taking leaves from the bush

Good one of Pepper

An hour later

Pepper and Dotty don’t want to miss a bit

I couldn’t resist Peppers fluffy butt

It was as I expected, it didn’t last long but was much enjoyed. I liked the way Pepper and Dotty stood in the pot to make sure they didn’t miss any.

Last night I spent time with the girls earlier, again. The only problem for me with this, is they were just winding down and becoming receptive to sitting on my lap, when it was time to go in to get dinner ready. Bluebell sat on my lap once and Pepper looked like she wanted to as well, but I feel as their bedtime gets earlier, we can continue with this and at the moment I feel sorting out the bedtime routine is more important.

After dinner, we went out to check on them. It was half past seven and the coop door was open, but Treacle and Bluebell were settled on the coop roof again! Pepper and Dotty were inside. I just can’t understand why these two have suddenly decided that they want to roost on top of the coop. They had been going in the coop to bed, like clockwork for the last three months. At quarter to eight the door started to shut, so I got my husband to hold it open while I first lifted down Bluebell and put her in, then lifted down Treacle, put her in and closed the door. We will keep going out to do this each evening until we break this habit. Although the enclosure is predator proof, I really want the chickens to sleep inside the coop. I am determined to try to nip this new habit in the bud. We will see what tonight brings!

Yesterday we altered the sensor on the timer of the automatic door closer, just a tiny bit, in the hope that it will give the chickens a longer gap, between them going to bed and the door closing. I also decided to go out and spend time with them earlier (before our evening meal instead of after), this is because I think that when I am with them at bed time, it distracts them and I think they will settle in more quickly if I am not there.

This does mean that they are not so receptive to sitting on my lap as they only do this when they are winding down for bed, but as the nights continue to draw in, the timing will change again. My husband suggested that I try giving some dried meal worms from my lap to encourage Pepper and Dotty to jump up. I thought this cheating as I want them to come without enticement, but as it was too early for them anyway, I decided just this once to give it a go. Treacle and Bluebell were involved scratching in the garden but Pepper and Dotty were hanging around by me, so I dropped a few meal worms on to my lap. Pepper reached up and took one but Dotty briefly jumped on to my lap and took a few.  It’s not quite the same but anything that gets them used to being handled by me is a good thing.

I spent time with them between half past six and seven, then went in to eat. We went out at half seven to check on them and were all in and very quiet, so were settled already. The door was still open and I went out at ten minute intervals to check on it. At eight it had shut, so I think half an hour is a good enough gap. I also think they settled more quickly because I wasn’t there to distract them. I will keep up the new routine and see how it works out. I may also go out early one morning and just check on what time it is opening.

Last night I decided that as Dotty had got shut out of the coop the night before, I would go back half an hour after the chickens went to bed, to make sure they were still all in.

Again it’s a good job I did. This time the door was closed and Treacle and Bluebell were settled on the roof of the coop. I tried calling them down but they were having none of it, they were nicely settled. Treacle was nearest me, so I lifted her down and tucked her under my arm so that I could open the door with the other hand. I pushed her in and shut the door. She wanted to come out again but no chance. I then did the same with Bluebell. At least it was easy to pick them up from the roof. This means we will have to tweak the sensor on the door, which is a bit of a nuisance because I will have to go out at ten minute intervals to see when it closes and it may take a little while to get it just right.

On a more positive note, Pepper looked like she really wanted to jump on to my lap last night. She had seemed to lose interest since that first time and I thought maybe that was a one off, but last night she kept circling me and rocking as if to jump, then changed her mind and went in to the coop. I think with the nights drawing in, the chickens and I are trying to adjust to a different routine, but I think when the timing is right Pepper will come to my lap again.

Despite a bit of pecking over the treats, afterwards the chickens settle really close together to preen and snooze. All disputes are soon forgotten and they just can’t get close enough. Pepper and Dotty are especially close as they have been together since less than a month old. Even when trying to get at the same treats, I have never once seen them peck at each other and find it hard to imagine that they ever would. They are completely tolerant of each other and are always together.

Dotty on the left and Pepper on the right

I love the way after a feed they all preen and snooze together.

They snooze

So close

Dotty is a month younger than the other girls and the only one who still has her baby twitter. Yesterday for the first time I heard her go “boc, boc boc”. She is finally getting her grown up voice.

Last night when I sat with the girls as they were ready to go to bed, my next door neighbour started mowing the lawn with his electric mower. It was pretty loud and really unsettled the girls. I think if it wasn’t bed time they wouldn’t have taken much notice but they kept going in, then coming out again when the noise was loudest.

At one point they all went in and I decided to retreat so as not to distract them further, and then half an hour later I decided to check on them to make sure they were all in okay. I am so glad I did, there was Dotty still wandering around the garden area of the enclosure after the coop door had shut.

I crouched by the coop and held the door open while calling her name and she casually came over to me and stepped in. I shut the door and retreated. She must have popped out again just before the door shut but she wasn’t panicked. I was quite pleased that she responded to being called though, she didn’t rush as if worried at all but did come when called which was a relief.

This is the first time this has happened but I will be checking on them each evening to see if the door closer needs adjusting or if this was just a one off. Dotty is quite a little character!

It’s really difficult getting these girls separate enough to take portrait photos, but I did my best.

Bluebell

Treacle

Pepper

Dotty

That’s my girls!