bokbokbok Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 It is funny how, in a week, our lives have totally transformed to include these 6 funny things at the end of the garden! I have been observing them closely and have found that the RIR Hetty not only has a sneeze! but has become a bit of a Grumpy Old Woman. There are personalities within the group and the small Wyandotte can have a sharp tongue in her head but Hetty goes to bed early, is always the first to go to bed and goes straight to the roosting bars. After her, when the others enter the shed they tend to stay on the floor or head to the nesting boxes. Every night I have been going in and moving them from there to the roosting bars. I decided there weren't enough roosting bars for them (despite reading loads of stories about how cozy some chooks can get) so installed four more bars for them this evening in a slightly different place to allow them to spread out. Sydney is *my* girl - she is always first to try things out, always more curious than others and she is the only one who will put up with Hetty giving off to her. When I start to put the others up on to the bars Sydney goes straight to Hetty and sits beside her, ducking under the others to get there and *battens down the hatches* and just sits there, riding out the pecks from Hetty - who gets bored with her quite quickly. Apart from Sydney - no one else seems to want to roost with Hetty and I have started to doubt my wisdom. I thought I was *teaching* them to go to the roosting bars because that is what they were supposed to do but if they are happier away from Hetty and comfier on the floor - is it my place to try to persuade them otherwise? I am thinking about making Hetty stay outside with me until everyone else has gone to bed to see if they sort it out that way. I have already had to put a second food dish out for them because she guards the other one! I don't really have a question in all of this - just wanting to share general observations and hoping someone will have something to add to it all . .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 BE prepared to loose all perspective of what non chicken people call life. They are all absorbing and totally facinating. enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 You sound very calm and in control about it all, I'm sure it will sort itself out in the end. If you do a search on here for the word 'bully' you will see LOADS of good ideas and tips of things to try. I love the names of your chooks by the way - especially Cake!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokbokbok Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 Thanks for the reassurance both of you Moomin, I passed on your thought to my daughter who named Cake. She was chuffed someone else was on the same wavelength as her - although - when you look at the names of the guinea pigs you will see that her thoughts are never too far away from her stomach! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
