Avid-Myrtle Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Hi All Well!! we have the girls nearly 2 weeks now, and the personalities are starting to show. We let them out on Friday for a quick look round before dark and then on Saturday I let them out all day….the 1st thing they did was go in the greenhouse and have a very long dust bath and then just wondered around – we did not watch ant telly this weekend during the day the hens are more exciting Also before the day was out the 2 were in the kitchen But Penny is really bossy and has pecked the 2 dogs who are terrified of her and really if any one stops moving she comes up behind you and pecks you. Tonight I came home from work and she was in the garden and she ran at me…..I have had large dogs all my life and I felt nervous , I know she is just nosy and bossy but she really made my friends nervous at the weekend, one who really want chickens until then!!! I think it may be my fault for their 1st week when they were behind bars I tried to feed them from my hand but she was the only one who would come close, so maybe she just see people as food machines… Is there any way we can gentle stop her from chasing people and dogs? I do not want her to be kept in the run all day, the other 2 are still really nervous and I am trying to feed them by hand but they will not come close enough. We are half joking about putting up a sign saying Beware of Chickens – the Dogs are fine Also from the picture below do you think Penny comb is big enough for eggs to start...the others do not have any yet so she is my hope of eggs for a while BTW – the forum is great and I have learnt some much form you all THANK YOU Here is one of them having dust bath - WE DO LOVE THEM REALLY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Hello! Penny's comb does look more 'mature'. Have she started squatting yet? When she does is usually about a week before the first My girls would peck at first but when they started laying they really calmed down. Hope they settle! C x ps if you go to your photo bucket account and click on image then edit/resize you can make the pics smaller so they aren't 'super size-widescreen' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovemychooks Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Awww, what beautiful girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I was scared of mine at first ... they used to peck all the time, but I noticed a while ago that they don't do it as much. The cat is terrified of them, but that's no bad thing Likewise with your dogs, it's probably good if they have a healthy respect for chickens! I think once they start laying they calm down a bit, they will still peck if they think I have food in my hand, and they do go for shiny things so take off or cover up rings, watches etc. but they are not nearly as bad. I think yours will get tamer as they come into lay - think of them as teenagers now, they will be mature ladies then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avid-Myrtle Posted October 2, 2007 Author Share Posted October 2, 2007 thanks all, Olly your answer made sense to me, as I was only telling someone today not to give up on thier dog as it was just behaving like a teenager they are lovely and we love to watch them, I have been waiting nearly 2 years for them and I am so pleased my husband has really got into them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Only one of my girls tries to peck me - and she gets a swift nudge with the side of a croc for her trouble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMO Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Beautiful girls!! They'll soon get to know fingers ain't for pecking! Welcome to the forum AMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 Welcome from me too You could start using a bright coloured bowl to feed them from - then they will associate the bowl with food instead of your fingers I use a shiny stainless steel one which they will follow all round the garden even if it's empty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 My girls go wild when they see me with their red plastic dog food bowl which I use for treats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 My bowls are blue, & they can see them a mile off God help anyone eating from a blue bowl in my garden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debratugwell Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 Are yours Black Rocks? We have a BR called Boots and she is definitely the ring leader of the three. She can be quite "pecky" and we just have to watch her sometimes as my 4 year old has no fear of anything but I worry she may get her face/eyes pecked at. However, so far so good. Anyway, I have noticed that quite often it depends on what footwear we have on. I tend to put on some lilac clog type things/brown boots which are fine but if I go out in wellies or open toed shoes, she definitely tries to have a go or at least intimidates me by walking sideways in front of my feet as if she will be pecking me any minute. The other two don't bother and the older they get, the less they seem to bother so probably just a settling down thing. With regard to combs, I expected that they would all need to be large and bright red before they laid, but they were in fact quite small and pale pink at about 20-22 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
