When shopping at Tesco I always check out the yellow stickers on the marked down items. The basil plants were reduced. They were starting to go limp but only because they needed water so I bought one for the girls.
I watered it and kept it indoors over night for protection. Today I planted it into a pot that already had compost but no plant as it had held one of last summer’s annuals. The bigger pot will stop the girls knocking it over or pulling it from it’s small pot and when the basil is finished the girls can have the compost from this pot to scratch through.
A basil plant for the girls
I know it will only last minutes once it’s in the run but it’s part of my plan for keeping them distracted and giving them a little fun.
The whole cabbage I put in the run two days ago has been reduced to a tiny lump. It has kept the girls pecking at it for a couple of days.
These photos will be the last ones of all eight girls together, for a while at least.
The girls surround the basil
Butterscotch isn’t interested in the basil
I love the way Barley’s floppy comb stands up as she swings her head.
Ten minutes later
I empty the flower pot with a little help from Speckles
The girls spread the compost
It’s soon smoothed out
This afternoon we visited Jackie to fit the gate my husband had made, for her separated part of the run, ready for Topaz and Honey.
Jackie and I fitted some netting above her fence to make the garden more enclosed. I am taking Topaz and Honey to her tomorrow.
We plan for her to keep Topaz unless she has any problems with her and to have Honey for a holiday. Honey will not be let out of her separate part of the run. She will stay long enough to give her a break from my girls, take her down a peg or two and hopefully help her forget about the feather pulling. She will also be company for Topaz until she is settled.
We hope that Jackie will gradually be able to integrate Topaz with her girls. Topaz won’t be able to reach to pluck the big girls necks and nor would they let her whereas my little girls offer themselves to her.
I am now feeling more positive that this plan will work out for both of us. As long as Topaz behaves herself I think Jackie will enjoy having a little girl. I think there will be a lot of posts to come on Topaz and Honey’s progress. Watch this space!
Click here to see the history of my flock.
How exciting . I am really looking forward to the challenge.
I am not going to let honey out of the run at all as it is a holiday but Topaz I think will be fine after a while I have as you know taken waifs and strays before AKA Blossom but never bantams so this should be interesting .
I think you will enjoy having Topaz with your flock. It will be interesting to see if your girls knock her down or if she ends up bossing them and remains top girl. As you say it will be interesting. I know that they will be in good hands.
Have been offline for a few days, and have just read the last 3 posts together. Hard decisions, Carol, but you’ve no doubt done the right thing, as far as Topaz is concerned at least. Jackie is brilliant for being prepared to help and is becoming an expert in this type of integration. Topaz has always been such a strong personality that she’s likely to be fie, but it’ll be really interesting to see her not at the top of a pecking order (at east I am assuming that!) I hope that the break is successful in breakig Honey’s habit; I really don;t know what makes them do this, as they have lovely lives, with plenty of enrichment. Longtail was not only pecking feathers from fluffy bottoms, but was eating feathers cast in the run. One of my silkies is in mini-moult, having recenly been broody, and I’m pleased to say that none of the feathers has been eaten – fortunately, it’s been dry for a few days, so the garden vac has found another use.
Best of luck, to you, Jackie and the girls.
Thank you for your encouragement. Butterscotch is still moulting as I have seen feathers fluttering from her and I think this may be enticing too although this hasn’t happened when any of the other girls were moulting. Maybe it’s because Butterscotch is moulting bit by bit long after the rest have finished. Who knows what goes on in those little feathered heads!
It’s also odd that it was these two that were part of the flock last time but surely they can’t remember that far back. I really hope a break will sort Honey out.
Could it be because they are ‘the old flock’ and they know they are going down the chain . I had forgoten they were the original girls .
It did cross my mind that it is odd it’s these girls from before and not the “new” girls from after that time. I don’t know how that can be, but feel it must have something to do with it.