Carol's Chickens

A month ago, I divided a turf into twelve seed trays for the chickens. This was to try to give the girls a supply of grass, a tray per day. The turfs were half price and were not in very good condition, I think they been rolled up for too long. They have kept growing for a month but were now looking really wet and boggy and much more sparse. I realized that as well as not being in the best condition, I hadn’t put any drainage in the trays and after a lot of rain they became water logged. I decided to start again with a new turf and do the job properly. The new turf is much greener and healthier looking. This time I put a layer of gravel in the bottom of the seed trays. I then put in a layer of sand which was left over from the chicken run and topped with a layer of lawn top soil. I cut the turfs and pressed them well down then watered them. This time I will leave them for a couple of weeks before giving them to the girls, to give them time to take root. I managed to fill thirteen trays and a small pot to get them started. I did throw the off cuts in to the chicken run for them but they keep flipping them over. When I emptied the old turfs out on to the veg plot, I could see how water logged they were and that hadn’t taken root. This gave the chickens lots of fun though, as they were full of worms which I tossed in to the run. The chickens had a great time hoovering them all up.

Thirteen trays of grass

One of the reasons that I really want to make this work is that we have no grass in our garden, which means there are no grass cuttings for the chickens. We have a cottage style garden with a veg plot in front of the chicken enclosure and a small thyme lawn by our patio. I chose to plant a thyme lawn as the lawn is too small to mow and I like the fact that it is low maintenance, only needing a light snip with shears if it gets too leggy. Also in early summer it has a mass of pink and purple flowers which the bees love. In autumn the foliage is slightly purple, it’s also ever green and doesn’t brown during dry weather.

Thyme lawn and patio

Thyme lawn and the chicken enclosure at the top of the garden behind the runner beans

I am much more hopeful that this time I will be able to keep the chickens in grass throughout the summer months.

I have decided not to use the feeders for treats, for a couple of days to see if we can stop Dotty pecking at Bluebell. Today I bought a living lettuce pot from the supermarket and planted it into a bigger pot, so that the chickens wouldn’t knock it over. I dug it in slightly to keep it firm and let them at it.

Bluebell and Dotty find the lettuce first

Treacle finds the lettuce

Pepper finds the lettuce, last as usual

I went back about an hour later to find the lettuce scattered.

The girls have been enjoying the lettuce

The scattered lettuce

Another hour later, I went back again and found the lettuce demolished.

The lettuce has gone and Dotty is pecking at the stem

Later that day my husband harvested our beetroot crop and scattered the tops for the girls.

Bluebell finds the beetroot tops first

They all check out the beetroot tops

They enjoyed scattering the beetroot tops

That was fun

They really enjoyed the lettuce and beetroot tops and although Dotty pecked at Bluebell a couple of times it wasn’t so bad as there was more space for them all to get a share.

Yesterday morning when I went into the chickens, Dotty looked really hunched and miserable. When I threw them a few dried meal worms, Dotty didn’t join in enthusiastically as usual. I was really worried about her, I had never seen her look like this before and wondered if she was ill. I decided to keep a close eye on her.

I went back later and filled the two feeders with lettuce. I then had to crouch between the two feeders to stop Dotty chasing Bluebell away. Dotty, Pepper and Treacle were at the right hand feeder and Bluebell at the left hand feeder but Dotty desperately wanted to get at Bluebell and chase her off. The only way Bluebell could have the lettuce was by me putting my arm out every time Dotty tried to get to her. I allowed Pepper and Treacle to use either feeder as they take no notice of Bluebell but kept stopping Dotty from getting past me. She was so determined and I could see her frustration, she tried again and again and would even try to sneak behind me. When they had had their fill of lettuce, I left them to it. They all sat together afterwards with no further problem. Dotty then returned to her usual perky self for the rest of the day and joined in with the bed time treats as usual.

It was yesterday that I had put in the second feeder to stop Dotty chasing Bluebell from the treats. Could it really be that Dotty was having a sulk because I had spoilt her game of chasing Bluebell from the feeder? It certainly looks that way. This morning she was back to her usual self.

I haven’t given the chickens any yoghurt for a few weeks now and wondered if they would remember that they liked it. No hesitation, as they soon as they saw the white pot, they were straight in. They flick it everywhere and Treacle had it on her head. They usually peck it off each other later and they kept pecking at the pot even when it was empty, making sure they didn’t miss a drop.

We still love yoghurt

Yummy

Alternate heads going up and down

Treacle has splashed yoghurt on her head

I think I can safely say they haven’t forgotten how much they like yoghurt.

Since I have been putting fruit and salad items in the square feeder, a pecking problem has developed. Dotty keeps Bluebell away from the feeder by pecking at her head. This is awful to see. Every time Bluebell gets near she is pecked and marches around loudly saying “boc boc” to show her displeasure. I have tried moving Dotty away but she returns to do it again. Dotty has never pecked Pepper as they have been together since they were babies and are really close, she also never pecks Treacle as she is a bigger bird and would peck her back. Bluebell never pecks back which is frustrating to see. I have been giving Bluebell some of the treats by hand so that she doesn’t miss out and after they have finished feeding they all sit close together in harmony, so this problem is only happening at the treats feeder. Light bulb moment! I will get a second feeder, Dotty can only be at one at a time and I know Bluebell is smart enough to work out using a different one to Dotty. I purchased a second feeder and put some lettuce, tomato and cucumber in each. The original feeder hangs on the right hand side of the gate, so we hung the new feeder on the left hand side of the gate. It worked and a game of alternate feeding began.

Treacle, Pepper and Dotty at the original feeder

Bluebell now has the new feeder to herself

Treacle joins Bluebell at the new feeder

Pepper now joins them

Dotty  has the original feeder to herself

Treacle and Dotty at the new feeder

Bluebell returns to the original feeder with Pepper

Dotty now has the new feeder to herself

It was quite amusing to watch the constant changing from one feeder to another and there was no pecking, so hopefully, problem solved. That is until the next problem crops up!

At last I have the elusive photo of all four girls on the big perch.

Four in a row

Not for long though, Pepper and Bluebell soon jump down and run to me. I quickly got  a photo of the remaining two.

Dotty and Treacle on the perch

Then there was one!

Treacle

I have seen the girls sitting on the big perch in combinations of one, two, three or all four, but getting a photo is really tricky. It’s not so good from outside, through the mesh, but how ever carefully I open the gate they jump down and run to me. I have to be patient and wait for them jump up while I am in with them, but they don’t want to perch while I am in with them, it’s something they do when left on their own. In the mean time, this picture will have to do to show that they do use the big perch.

Perching

They are very good at jumping up. I have seen one of them perched in the tree, two on this perch and the other one on top of the flower pot. It’s as if when it’s time to perch any where will do!

Yesterday the guys who built the chicken enclosure came to extend the dry area for us. The dry area covers half the patio area that houses the coup, storage and feeders. I soon found this area was too cramped during wet weather for both me and the chickens and for cleaning the coop. It will also be much easier to clean a dry patio than a half wet one. There is plenty of uncovered, outside space over the garden part of the enclosure. First of all I separated the garden area with the spare roll of weld mesh, so that the guys could work without worrying that the girls would make an escape. I returned the nasturtium pot to give them something to peck at, along with their feeder, water and the square bird feeder with melon and tomato in it.

The girls are confined to the garden part of the enclosure

The guys got to work and as they made some noise the girls all piled under the bush in alarm, practically on top of each other. As the noise continued they soon became used to it and happily sat in the garden, under the bush or would be at the feeder. They made a nice dust bath and seemed to quickly accept these new conditions.

The extended roof is going on

This will double the dry area

This took almost all day to complete. When it was finished I removed the weld mesh and let the chickens return to the entire space. I moved the coup further up the new dry space and moved my storage unit (potting cabinet) to the back wall. This gives a more pleasing look and opens up the space opposite the coop.

The finished roof from the outside

The finished roof from the inside

Looking the other way

At the end of the patio area is a raised box which used to be full of heathers, that I have moved to other parts of the garden. This makes an ideal place for the girls to scratch as it doesn’t get compacted. The rest of the area gets compacted by me walking on it to clean up but I always step over the box. The girls also like to perch on the wood on the other side of the box. When they have been scratching, I just sweep the soil back in.

The best spot for scratching

At first they could only manage small bugs and very small worms but over the last few days I have seen Bluebell wolf down some big worms. Bluebell and Treacle have also started to develop their grown up voices. They both now go “boc boc” with Treacle’s voice being louder and deeper. Only Dotty still has her baby voice, but I think she is about a month younger than the other girls.  I am really pleased with this improvement and think we are now finished and will finally stop spending money on these chickens!

Last night when Treacle sat on my lap, she suddenly jumped up on to my shoulder. I was worried she may not be able to get down again, but once the other girls had gone in to the coop, she launched herself to the ground.

I usually sit with the chickens just before they go to bed and this seems to be when they are most receptive to a bit of affection. They like to sit on my lap and will let me stroke them. Only Bluebell and Treacle will do this, Pepper and Dotty don’t like to be touched. In the morning when I go in, all four run to my hands and I can now stroke Bluebell and Treacle on the breast when they do this, but Pepper and Dotty will just move away

Treacle likes to be srtoked

Treacle gently nuzzles my arm

Treacle likes to snuggle

Treacle also likes to get on eye level

Bluebell joins Treacle

Bluebell and Treacle snuggle into me

Bluebell and Treacle get close

Bluebell snuggles in close

Bluebell and Treacle perch on my arms

I love having this interaction. Other news is that today I saw Treacle on the big perch for the first time. She was sat beside Pepper and Dotty while Bluebell sat beneath them. I hadn’t seen her on the perch before and presumed she didn’t use it. I would like to get a photo of them all on the perch together but it’s really difficult, because I want to take it from inside as the photos are not good through the mesh. The problem is that as soon as I go in through the gate, they all jump down and come to me. The only way I can get the snap is by spending time inside and waiting for them to jump up. It’s a game of patience. That’s why it took a while to get Bluebell on the perch but I am sure I will catch the elusive snap eventually.

I have a square bird suet container for the chickens. It hangs just inside their gate, quite low, so that I can put in things for them to peck at, while keeping it off the ground and out of the dirt. I could put in apple or lettuce, fruit, vegetable or even dandelions. I have put in melon and lettuce and none of the chickens found it, so I removed the items untouched. Today we had a break through. They have been pecking at melon and tomato over the last few days but they do pick it up, put it in the dirt then abandon it. Today I took the holder away and filled it with chunks of melon and halves of tomato. When I went in through the gate, they rushed to me to see what I had got. I showed it to them, then hung it on it’s hook inside the gate. Immediately Bluebell started pecking at it, followed as usual by Dotty and Treacle. Pepper hung back and I wonder why, when she is brave enough to display chest out to Treacle, she doesn’t put herself forward for treats. Once the other girl’s had their fill and moved away, she went over and had it to herself. Is this her strategy?

As usual Bluebell is the first to find something new

Treacle and Dotty quickly catch on

Pepper has her turn when the others have finished