4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Jennifer Jane]

Day 10 in the hen-house and the ex-batts are settling down well. They are still pecking each other and squabbling but not so much now, and they are growing fluffy bloomers which look a lot better than bare bums.

 

DH was digging opposite the run this evening and found some nice juicy worms so decided to give the girls a treat. They went mad for them. Matilda, the quiet one at the bottom of the pecking order managed to get the most, followed by Maud. Poor Mabel, top hen, only got one. When the worms stopped coming, Maud had a bit of a tantrum and threw herself against the netting of the WIR.

 

Is this normal behaviour in a hen? And why do they seem to prefer the most disgusting creepy-crawlies? I have tried to tempt them with tasty morsels recommended on the boards, such as sweetcorn, grapes, wild strawberries and blackberries, but they just turn their beaks up!

 

JJ

[JanTheDiver]

I haven't had a tantrum yet but I have had a lot of bad behaviour when the treats come out. Especially tonight when I gave them cooked pasta!

 

They all went completely mad for it and the bigger ones started attacking the smaller ones when they didn't have any and the little ones did. Poor little Carrot (our smallest one) dropped her bit and ran into the cube to get away

 

They all settled down in the next box to sleep again, friends once more (well sort of )