Chicken bald back

[Valkyrie]

Well took the plunge yesterday and let the newbies out with the others. For the most part there are 2 groups. Then Skye the pekin decided to take on the wheaten maran. Pippin was having none of that and returned the peck and flaps. Skye ran off behind buff Sussex Squirt who then came and put Pippin in her place. Tipsy the cuckoo decided to stay well out of it (sensible and not as cuckoo obviously). Then Squirt and orpie Merry had a set to and I spotted Squirt had a teeny bit of blood on her comb. I left OH in charge while dashing off for wound powder. When I came back it seemed that the orpie had won the first round and Squirt was dripping with blood - they had another set to. So there I was sitting with the ratbag on my lap trying to get wound powder on. Well it was like trying to land a trout. I got more on me than on her and she shook her head and I had blood all over me in little sprays too. So then I got out the purple antiseptic spray. I now have a purple left hand. My thumbnail looks like I should be in Carry on Don't Lose Your Head with purple instead of black. And then Squirt decided I should be in the lower pecking order. Well you can try but you won't win I say to her.

So later on there is another squaring up session with the orpie doing her best turkey ruffled neck pose. Squirt won and the orpie ran off. From then on they were back to wandering round the garden in the two groups.

 

This morning Pippin is wandering round with the olduns while the orpie has discovered the dirt bath in the greenhouse. She's been in there all morning. Pippin did try a half hearted attempt to take on Squirt (but that was ages after they'd been wandering round together) but Squirt just puffed up and Pippin ran off - only to return and wander round with Tipsy and Skye. So they are almost there. Just need to keep an eye on the orpie/Sussex squabbles as that hasn't happened yet. I think Pippin is below Skye and it's just the orpie that will probably end up number 2. Tipsy does her own thing so both marans at the bottom then!

[Luvachicken]

I could just picture all the goings on with all your lovely detail.

It's amazing how far the blood and purple spray go, especially when you have to go to work the next day with purple spots every where.

I hope they sort out their differences soon.

[Valkyrie]

It was pretty good - the orpie spent 2 hours in the dust bath - 2 HOURS!!!! But no fighting at all today. Am quite relieved. Also no loud whingeing - just squeaks of disgust that I've added 2 more birds and they all like the clubhouse (weeping cotoneaster). Then it rained and the orpie was too interested in the garden and I thought I might find a mud ball down the end with all the dirt over her! And after all that, she laid an egg for me. Quite a dark tinted one - a bit like OH sunbathing flesh colour rather than my Anglo Saxon pale pink (which I scoffed this evening). Thankfully I'm free of sprays and powders today!

[coco]

Purple spray gets everywhere. My white (ish) Sultan had cut her foot so I purple sprayed it. I now have a white and purple spotty chicken.

[Plum]

Heck you should have run to the dust bath with the orpie and stayed there!

 

You're doing well sorting them out so soon

[Claireabella]

I just loved reading your first post, I could just picture it all Sounds like it's going really well though. I'll be doing introductions with mine soon but I'm giving them some time to get used to seeing each other first. I'm a bit worried about introducing the new little ones to my hybrids; think I underestimated how big my hybrid girls are compared to bantams

 

Glad they're using that new dustbath in the greenhouse by the way

[Valkyrie]

Well Plumsie - it wouldn't be the first time I've ended up in the dustbath and my nether regions well and truly anti-loused and diatomed!

 

So far there have been no more fisticuffs. No more pecks either. This week we have been putting them in bed all in the cube. And for the first time I saw Tipsy chasing the newbies. So not at the bottom then! They are having tea in a group at last though before going the 2 separate ways.

 

First night in the cube the only complaint was that I opened the back. Girls settle down. No sounds of squabbling in the morning. Open door and Skye is out first followed by Squirt. Merry the orpie is at the top. It looks a long way down. I want to go down. Whinge whinge whine. In fact she whinged and whined for so long that newbie Pippin scrambled over the top of her to get down - lots more clucking whinges. Tipsy is getting a little frustrated stuck at the back and wants to get out too. I end up getting a pole and coaxing her down. Like orpies usually do it was accompanied by more whinges and wild flapping. But she wandered up the garden to join the other 2 closely followed by Tipsy. So where did Pippin get to? Back up into the cube - I can't get ouuuuuuut! Stupid bird - she saw 2 birds go by and out yet she panicked and ran back inside. Ended up getting the back off the cube and hoicking her out. She ran off to the others. Actually she is the only one to bok at the moment and it's a deep husky sound. Usually when she looks up and is on her own. The following day Tipsy was out first leaving the 2 newbies whingeing at the door of the cube yet again. I open the back up and boof the bottoms. Out (rather ungainly) and eventually the maran finds the door run. The orpie has long since come up the garden - well she knows where the food is. This morning a little coaxing as usual for the orpie but eventually she hops to the next step (I do have a ramp and if Apache who was a ton heavier and twice the height can manage it then so can the whippersnapper) and then down. This time Pippin is out with the other girls.

It's all going along quite nicely now. The newbies seem to be accepted of sorts and they have accepted that they are not in charge too. Quite a relief to know I can leave them all to it without being supervised and can go shopping without wondering about purple spray!

The newbies still go to bed in the eglu though, but it's only a matter of time. May have to close up the run door so that they can only go in the cube - and be on hand to help them up.