LunaKiw1 Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 (edited) After sadly having our only first and only two chooks Ginger and Pepper PTS last Friday because of peritonitis the Eglu, 2m run and very new Omlet WIR looked rather forlorn. So on Sunday we drove 2 hours up to Cotswold Chickens and bought three new girls. Bluebell (a Bluebelle, obviously), Marigold (a Goldline) and Daisy (a Speckled Grey). Bluebell and Daisy came from the same barn but Marigold came from a different one. Stupidly, we didn’t appreciate that this effectively meant she was a newbie to the other two. So for the first couple of days she was rather bullied - especially by Bluebell, who is already emerging as top chook although no blood was drawn. We resolved that by placing the Grub and Glug widely apart in the WIR and placing bowls of food and water on the opposite side, plus scattering corn on the ground so that their jealous guarding of food from Marigold has stopped and all three girls seem to play nicely together now. At least in the daytime! We are having some problems at bedtime. For the first few nights as dusk approached they all got very wound up and Bluebell seemed to really have a go at Marigold. There was a lot of racing around and running up and down the run towards the Eglu but not going inside. It was clear Bluebell wanted to turn in but the other two didn’t appreciate this. Using a torch to entice them into the Eglu failed, so for a couple of nights my OH had to get on his hands and knees and gently shoo them inside whereupon I closed the door. After a bit of a scuffle all would go quiet. Bluebell is actually clearly impersonating a sheepdog and trying to herd the other two up the run to bed. She gets angry when they don’t take the hint and the to-ing and fro-ing gets frantic plus really loud clucking. It’s getting a bit better as OH now has to just open the WIR door and they all then take that as the signal to go into the Eglu. Bluebell knows it is her right to go in first as top chook whilst Marigold knows she must be last so the remaining problem is Daisy, who is beautiful but not too bright and she just stands blocking up the doorway. We’re going out for a meal tomorrow night and I’m worried that, without ‘daddy telling them to go to bed ‘ they’ll get really wound up, noisy and not settle. Any advice? Does anyone else have a ‘sheepdog’ hen? Another concern is they don’t seem keen on Layers Pellets, presumably they were on something different. They like corn though and we’re scattering some on top of those in the Grub as well as plain so at least they are eating something. Should we persist or get them some Growers Pellets? This morning is their first free-range time in the garden so I am writing this sitting outside and watching them explore – it’s so lovely to see chooks in the garden again! Edited July 31, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 How lovely to hear that you have some new chooks. This sounds like normal behaviour to me, to be honest - as long as the run is secure, I would leave them to it and let them put themselves to bed. Bluebell is clearly establishing her place as top chicken, and she'll soon have the others in order; especially when they start laying, you'll find they will settle down. It won't hurt them to be outside the coop at night, as long as the run is secure, and I should think that there won't be much clucking/racing around once it gets dark. You don't say what age they are, but if they are sold as POL then they should be fine on layers pellets. There is no known case of a chicken starving itself to death, if layers pellets are all that's available, they will eat them! Don't forget that if they are not laying yet, then they won't eat as much as your old girls did. Usually when they start scoffing like mad, eggs are on the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 Thank you Olly for a lovely reassuring reply. I'm sure you're right that they're just sorting themselves out and it's just me having 'new mum' syndrome I guess! Bluebell crouched today and let me stroke her so I suspect she is approaching laying her first egg whilst the others two are not so mature. Daisy is a really pretty but not very bright chook though, whilst Marigold is bright as a button. They loved free ranging for the first time today and all trundled round together (well, mostly) exploring and eating 'tat green stuff' for the first time presumably so I think they are gradually bonding.At least as we're away tomorrow evening I simply won't be able to see/hear any scuffles and so maybe as you suggest all will be well re bedtimes from then on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 Olly - on Friday night after reading your post we left them to it and sure enough they sorted themselves out independently by 9.15! We went out for our meal last night and when we got back at 10 they had again gone to bed. After just one week we seem to be acquiring 3 happily co-existing girls! Thanks for the support and advice, Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Delighted to hear it! It's always worrying when you think the behaviour is going to go on for ever, but they just take a while to settle in. I'm really pleased that your Eglu is now full again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 with the pellets you'll find that they were fed mash so they just need to get used to the pellets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
