Carol's Chickens

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

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

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

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

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

The girls are together

Topaz is a great scratcher

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

Sparkle settled for a snooze out of the way

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

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

Later the girls mixed on the bigger side of the run

The new girls investigate the patio area

Sparkle has discovered the big branch perch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First mash for the new girls

Sparkle is the first to try the mash

Topaz soon catches on

They decide they like mash

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sparkle

Topaz

Sparkle

Topaz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bluebell explores her new surroundings

She seems quite happy

Jackie’s Bluebell checks her out

They seem quite interested in each other

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A smaller square of grass

Compare the difference in size of Honey and Amber

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A new perch for the new girls

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

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

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

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

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

Bluebell

The big girls awaiting their pre bedtime corn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bluebell’s comb is bleeding

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

Topaz has a bleeding comb

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

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

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

The new crisp box nest box

Bluebell in the crisp box

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

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

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

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

Honey has a go at Topaz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I went out at half past six this morning to let the new girls out of the little coop.

I opened up the little coop

Sparkle and Topaz came down the ramp

They went straight to the food

They started inspecting their new surroundings

The two sets of girls didn’t take much notice of each other

It will be interesting to see if the new girls put themselves to bed tonight. I really hope so as I don’t want to have to catch them.

It will also be interesting to see when they start laying. The farmer said he thought Sparkle may have started laying but couldn’t be sure as she was in amongst all the other birds.

Today we went to the farm in Amersham that has silver and gold bantam wyndottes. The farmer was lovely and so was his farm. He showed me a gold and silver bantam from last year that he was willing to sell to me.

A bantam silver and gold laced wyndotte

I fell in love with them instantly. They are so beautiful. He then showed us round his farm. He has been breeding silver laced wyandottes for twenty years to show standard but this is only his third year of breeding gold laced wyndottes which is why he was a little reluctant to part with the gold. I felt quite honoured that he was willing to let me have a gold one.

He had lots of pens with babies at different ages and let me hold one of the babies. They were so cute.

A mother gold laced wyndotte with her chicks

He says he encourages the handling of his birds from the start and children handle them too. He says they have never come to any harm and his birds go to shows so they need to be used to being handled. He said the mother would peck my hand when I returned her chick but although she did it was a gentle warning peck and felt like a whisper. I have never held such a tiny chick before.

Each pen had chicks getting a little older. The farm also has cows and ducks.

Some pretty ducks

The ducks were huge and very pretty but I can’t now remember what they are.

Silver laced wyndottes

There were many more silver than gold as he said that being in his third year he is really only just getting the gold started. They were very inquisitive.

We talked about integration and I told him of my plans. He was happy with the way I intend to do it and said slowly is always best.

He said my two birds were in one of the smaller pens that he uses to train his birds ready for shows. He said he keeps his best and most perfectly marked birds for shows and sells the slightly less perfect to people like me which is why he was at first reluctant to let the gold one go. I said it doesn’t matter to me how perfect their markings, I would love them anyway.

They were twenty five pounds each (my other birds have always been twenty pounds each) but he said this is because they are top quality and I wasn’t bothered at all as I was so thrilled to find some and thought this very fair.

The farm was very clean and tidy and the farmer very proud and enthusiastic which I really liked. He explained that he has electric fences all around the perimeter to keep out the foxes and is always building more pens and making improvements.

He also showed us his broody hens sitting on clutches of eggs. It was a very interesting visit.

He said the gold one was louder than the silver one which proved to be true when they protested at being put in the dog crate but they soon settled down once we were on the move and sat quietly together through out the half hour journey home.

In the dog crate while I get the run ready

I put some food and water in the dog crate for the new girls while I got the run ready for them. I first put the spare little coop that I had recently bought for this purpose in the side of the run that will be separated and put some pine shavings in it. It will eventually become a third nest box once the girls are integrated.

The girls were very interested in this new addition.

The new coop attracted lots of interest.

Bluebell had a good look and Honey was inside trying it out

I then closed the chicken wire down at the patio area and heaped soil against it. Then I closed the gate which after being open for a year needed the soil digging out a bit to allow it to close. The run was now ready for the new girls.

I lifted the dog crate into the separated side of the run and pushed it up against the little coop so that it makes a small temporary run just for this afternoon. I added the food and water bowl and an upturned flower pot base to make a step up to the ramp.

This makes a small run attached to the coop just for this afternoon.

The idea of this is that when it gets dark the girls will go into the coop and from today onwards I hope it will mean that they will know that is where they must go at dusk each day. I intend to shut them in the little coop tonight then let them out in the morning and remove the dog crate giving them this separated part of the run. I hope this will mean that they will know the little coop is where they will go to sleep each night.

I intend to leave them on their side, where all the girls can see and hear each other but not get at each other, for a week so that they get accustomed to each other before I start integrating.

I will then start mixing them before bedtime gradually extending their time while I watch with the water spray at hand to stop any pecking. That is my plan.

The good thing is these girls have been used to being handled and are not bothered by me at all. They have been as good as gold so far and seem quite happy in the dog crate.

The girls go and check out the new girls

The new girls carry on feeding and don’t seem to be at all bothered by the other girls

When I checked on the girls again I gave them some grapes and gave the new girls their first grapes.

They soon got the hang of their first grapes.

I have also been thinking of names and wanted to stay with my theme of descriptive names. I very quickly decided on Topaz for the gold one but found the silver one more tricky. I tried out Snowflake, Diamond, Spangle, but settled in the end on Sparkle.

So here we are with our new girls Topaz and Sparkle.

At dusk I went in and got the old girls to bed and had hoped the new girls would have gone into the little coop. I think they were confused and they didn’t even look into the little coop. I tried to steer them in but they weren’t interested.

I had so little room to move that I decided it would be best to move the dog crate away from the little coop. I then reached through the side opening and picked up Sparkle and put her in the little coop. Next I picked up Topaz and put her in. I closed the coop and took the dog crate away.

I set up a feeding and water station for the morning then closed the dividing gate. The  old girls will come out at first light and I will let the new girls out when I go out between half past six and seven in the morning.

It will be interesting to see how they are on their first day in their new space. A new chapter begins.

Yesterday afternoon we bought a turf for the girls. They have just started selling turf at our local D.I.Y. store and we bought one to cut up into squares and treat the girls to some grass. We put a strip into the run and the girls were very wary at first.

Dotty was the first to investigate the grass

They all cautiously take a look

They soon decide this is good

Definitely good!

This won’t last long

We like grass

After half an hour I decided to take it out as the girls hadn’t moved from it since I put it in and I was afraid they would overfill their crops with grass.

I will put it back in this morning and let them have it for a few hours a day. They certainly love the grass.

A quick update on my search for bantams. I decided on a different approach and put “poultry farms in Amesham” into google search. This gave me eighteen farms with addresses and telephone numbers. Over the last few days I worked through the list ringing them all.

Most didn’t have any bantams, some didn’t have poultry at all, some didn’t exist any more, some simply didn’t answer and only the first one on the list gave me some hope. The farmer has a few silver and gold laced wyndotte bantams and although reluctant to let the gold ones go he agreed that we could go see them this afternoon and he may be able to sell me one of each.

It’s the gold ones that I really like, their feathers are gold edged in black and really striking. The silver ones are actually white with white feathers edged in black.

I also phoned the farm that I got my little girls from last year and she gave me two numbers to call. From one I got no reply but the other lady chatted to me for a while. She has a few blue laced Wyndotte bantams from last year but explained that I was looking for them too early. She said most breeders will be starting to hatch now and the bantams will be ready to sell in June, July or August. This is encouraging as it means that if I can’t get some now I can wait a while and try later in the year.

She also said that when integrating them into my flock it may be better to take bantams that are not too young to give them less chance of being bullied. I feel much better prepared for integration this time but I think she is right and if today the farmer has last years wyndottes and would be happy to sell them to me I will seriously consider taking them.

Once again watch this space!