Carol's Chickens

We recently moved the chickens perch, it is a branch which ran at an angle from the ground to the vertical wooden strut on the run. This meant that very little of it was horizontal and the angle was a bit steep for all four chickens to be able to stay on. We decided to put it across, horizontally between the vertical wooden struts. This means I have to limbo underneath it when cleaning up but I thought it would be worth it to give the chickens a better perch. Now we wondered how long it would take them to find it. Within a few days Pepper found it followed by Bluebell and Dotty. Treacle seems to have no interest in the perch, I’m not sure if that’s because she is a bigger bird. Pepper and Dotty like to jump up into the tree which neither Bluebell or Treacle have tried. So far I have only managed to photograph Bluebell on the perch as when I get near Pepper and Dotty jump off.

Bluebell has found the new perch

Bluebell on the perch

I also decided to try giving the girls melon again, last time they looked at it as if it might bite them and at the end of the day it was still untouched. This time, once again Bluebell found it first (she is the smartest of the four), but was quickly followed by Dotty and Treacle and lastly Pepper (she seems to be the dimmest of the four). They have got the hang of the melon now.

Bluebell finds the melon

Dotty and Treacle find the melon

The other trick we are learning is stroking. The evening before last, when Bluebell came and sat on my lap, I tried stroking her underside. She seemed to like it. When Treacle sat on my lap, I tried the same thing but she jumped down. Treacle hasn’t been coming to sit on my lap as long as bluebell, so I know we need to take it slowly. The next morning when I went to the chooks and they all ran to my hands as usual to see if I had anything good for them, I stroked bluebells sides while she was close to me and she didn’t seem to mind at all. I felt really pleased. That evening Treacle twice sat on my lap and I stroked her underside again. This time she didn’t mind at all and stayed put enjoying it. I really felt this was a break through. Thank you Flock Mistress for your advice on this. I now realize that if you go to stroke them on their back they will always move away, but when you stroke them from underneath they don’t seem to feel threatened and seem to enjoy it. I am not sure if Pepper and Dotty will ever come and sit on me and allow me to stroke them as they are much more skittish. I am so glad now that I have a mixed flock because although I really love Pepper and Dotty, I also love the the way Bluebell and Treacle interact with me.

The pot of mint I put in for the chickens has lasted a week, so not too bad. It’s time to change it for the next pot and cut down the stalks so that it can regrow.

In a week, the mint has been thoroughly stripped

The parsley is making a comeback but I will leave it a while to get established. The nasturtiums are also regrowing nicely and I will put the pot back in soon.

The parsley is coming back

The nasturtiums are recovering

I used the twelfth and final tray of grass yesterday and today put the first one back in as it had grown back. This is working well to give them one fresh tray of grass each day in a continuous cycle. I am quite pleased at being able to give them some fresh greenery to peck at each day. I have tried giving them some lettuce but they don’t seem interested if it’s not growing. I am sure as they grow up they will eventually accept loose greens. I am also growing a couple of pots of lettuce for them, which I will put in when they have got to a decent size. I am growing a row of lettuce in the veg plot for us and these were a couple of spares.

Bluebell and Pepper climb aboard

I am not sure how long this pot of mint will last.

Yesterday I decided to see if the chooks like tomato. I put in two halves and at first they would almost take a peck, then recoil as if it might bite them. I broke off a few small bits and dropped them near the half’s and they soon ate those. They then plucked up the courage to peck at it and decided they did like it.

What is this? will it bite me?

We like tomato

Last night at bedtime both Bluebell and Treacle repeatedly sat on my lap, as is the evening routine at the moment. At one point though, Bluebell got behind me and jumped on my back. I leaned forward so that she wouldn’t slip off and Treacle jumped on my lap at the same time. I felt sandwiched between two chickens! I could feel Bluebell nuzzling my hair before she leapt down. Treacle stands a while looking at me on eye level then sits down. One thing that surprises me is how warm their legs and feet are, I think I expected them to be cold. Next time I will try stroking them. I have felt reluctant to do anything to put them off but I feel they are now ready for me to try being more interactive.

Last night as I sat with the girls, Bluebell was quick to jump on my lap as usual. She has done this every evening since the first time, just over a week ago. She got down again then back on and Treacle circled me, looking up at my lap. Treacle then  jumped on my lap and immediately Bluebell got on with her. Bluebell then got down first followed by Treacle, but then Treacle jumped back on and hunkered down, making herself comfortable. Not to be out done Bluebell squeezed back on but this time Treacle nudged her off and stayed put for quite some time. They seem to be vying for my affections. Since Treacle has been sitting with me she follows me around and runs to greet me first. She is a bigger bird then the other three but is really docile and friendly. The shape of Treacle’s  head and beak often remind me of an eagle. This is Treacle on the right.

Treacle sometimes looks an eagle

After the girls have a feed they all preen together, then settle down for a snooze together.

We all snooze together

I love the way they are such a tight little unit and do everything together.

My chickens love yogurt. Live, pro biotic, plain yogurt is good for chickens digestive systems. It must be given sparingly though. I have read that two teaspoons per bird, twice a week is the right amount. I buy a small pot mid week, divide it in to two and give it to them for two mornings. Some people mix it with their pellets but my chickens like it just as it is. They eat it from a small dish in the same way that they drink, tipping their heads up to swallow. They splash it over themselves but then peck it from each other to clean up. One thing I have read though is, don’t give it to a hen with sour crop, as it could sit in the crop going sour and adding to the problem.

We love yogurt

Last night when I sat with the chickens at bedtime, Bluebell as usual sat on my lap. She then jumped down and Treacle kept circling me and looking at me. Suddenly she jumped up on my lap for the first time. Bluebell immediately ran over and jumped on too. Soon Bluebell jumped off again but Treacle stayed put and hunkered down making herself comfortable. She sat there for about ten minutes, sometimes closing her eyes and she seemed really content.

I am so pleased that Bluebell and Treacle are so interactive with me after only two weeks. I have had Pepper and Dotty for six weeks but the dominiques are more closely related to game birds and are naturally more skittish and nervous. I am not sure if they will change as they get older or maybe they will always be a bit more shy. I love them just as much and have a special fondness for them as they have been with me from a younger age, but am now glad that I have a mixed flock and have two girls who are more interactive.

We decided to treat them with maggots again today as I have read that, with the problem we had with Peppers crop, it is a good thing to do to keep it clear. It was the first time for  the new girls, but they soon got the hang of it. Treacle in particular hoovered them up really quickly.

We love maggots

They seem really happy together and I am so enjoying spending time with them.

The new girl’s joined the dominiques two weeks ago and have now settled in really well. I haven’t seen any pecking over the last week and they now all four stick together. The new girl’s used to stay a bit separate but now they all come to me together, they all preen, scratch, perch, feed and snooze together.

We like to sit close together

Every evening I sit with them for a while before bed time and Bluebell has sat on my lap every evening since the first time she did it. Last night Pepper looked as if she might like to join her and kept gently pecking at my knee. Treacle also looked like she would jump up but couldn’t quite make up her mind. She comes right up and stares at me.

I also heard treacle “boc boc” yesterday for the first time. The perch in their enclosure had fallen down and my husband was nailing it to the vertical wooden post to make it secure. I heard a loud “boc boc” of displeasure at this banging in their space and when I turned to look, I saw that it was Treacle. It seems she can make this sound but has chosen not to until now. I haven’t heard her do it since but I am sure she will in time.

The turfs that I had cut up into seeds tray are now working well. I put one tray in the run each day and the chickens peck out all of the green within a very short time. It then looks very brown but within a few days, it starts to green up again. As there are twelve trays, I hope that when the last brown comes out of the run the first rejuvenated  green one will be ready to go back in.

The grass in the trays on the right are now regrowing

The trays on the right were really brown a few days ago, but are now regrowing nicely.

I had the idea of doing the same thing with the pots inside their enclosure. They had a pot of herbs which has been in with them for five weeks now and has been reduced to just stalks and a pot of nasturtiums, which has also been pecked to bits.

Only the stalks remain in the herb pot

The nasturtiums have been obliterated

I decided to replace the herbs with a fresh pot of parsley and I have two pots of mint that have been on our patio for many years. I thought I would put one pot in the enclosure and when it has been stripped I will exchange it for the second pot. As mint grows back quickly, I hope this will give them a constant supply and it uses something I already had.

A pot of mint replaces the nasturtiums

Another pot of mint to switch with the first when it needs to regrow

I replaced the herb pot with a pot of parsley and the girls found it straight away.

Treacle finds the parsley

Now they have all found the parsley

I was quite pleased with myself until I returned an hour later and found this.

The parsley has all gone already

Back to the drawing board on the herbs. I have removed the pot to regrow, at least the mint is established and a bit tougher so hopefully will last a little longer.

Next year instead of sweet peas on the outside of their enclosure, I will grow a row of nasturtiums, so that they will grow through for the chickens to peck at.

Other news is, Bluebell at bedtime last night, sat on my lap for about ten minutes instead of  constantly getting on and off. She only jumped down when I tried to stroke her. She sits there looking up at me and I talk softly to her. It is funny how she is the only one so far, that likes to do this.

Last night just before the chickens bed time, I went and sat with them again on my little wooden chair. This time my husband came to watch and took a few photos. She jumped on to my lap five times last night. None of the others showed any interest.

Bluebell jumps on to my lap

Bluebell on my lap

Bluebell

Bluebell jumping down again

It is such a sweet feeling that she wants to come to my lap. I hope in time the others will become more interactive too.

Last night I sat on my little wooden chair watching the chickens going through their bed time routine. Bluebell kept coming right up to me and suddenly she jumped on my lap. I had my arms resting on my lap and she perched on my arm. I talked gently to her and didn’t try to hold or stroke her as I didn’t want to put her off. She stayed for a few minutes, then jumped down. To my surprise she circled round me then jumped up again from the other side. I told her how clever she was and after a few minutes she jumped down again. She repeated this four times. Pepper was watching and looked as if she might do the same but then changed her mind. I will be interested to see what happens this evening. I was really pleased as Bluebell and Treacle have only been with us a week, where as Pepper and Dotty have been with us five weeks.

It seems that Bluebell is at the bottom of the pecking order as Pepper and Dotty peck her away to keep her in her place. Treacle being the largest doesn’t seem to feel the need to peck anyone. Despite this Bluebell seems to be the smartest. She is always the first to find anything new and is the most willing to get close to me and now to sit on my lap.

Pepper has asserted herself as top hen, yet seems to be the dimmest. She is always last to the treats and rarely gets much, although I don’t worry about this because after her crop problem she shouldn’t have many treats. It’s as if she is regulating herself at the moment. Pepper is also the one least likely to want to be touched or picked up (understandable as last time she was turned upside down and had her crop emptied!).

Pepper doesn’t peck Treacle as she is bigger but does run at with her chest puffed out and her ruff up, just to show her who is boss. It is interesting watching them settle their pecking order. When it comes to feeding, preening, perching or snoozing, they are all together though. This is nice to see and they seem to have formed a happy group.