The girls are back home again

It turned out to be a very short break for Topaz and Honey. It seemed to have started so well with them both putting themselves to bed last night which came as a bit of a pleasant surprise to me.

By eight o’clock this morning they were back home again. Jackie called me in desperation and near to tears saying that her three girls had been screaming their heads off since first light. Nothing she could do would stop them. Being the Easter break and with her neighbours being in very close proximity she was really worried about the racket.

My two girls were as good as gold in their enclosure while Jackie’s girls were non stop shouting and treats and attention would not distract them. She said she was sorry but she just couldn’t do this.

It was good of her to give it a go but this just wasn’t going to work so I went straight up to Jackie’s and collected my two girls.

Topaz had taken a peck to her comb, probably from last night’s stand off with Chelsea. She had a bit of pine shaving stuck to the dried blood. I sponged the shaving off with tepid water and her comb started to bleed again. I dusted her comb with some anti bacterial powder from my chicken medical supplies and returned her to the run. She went back in happily as if she had never been away.

I then returned Honey to the run and straight away Honey and Barley went at each other with their ruffs raised. This happened a couple of times until Honey had established her status once more. It made us think that putting her back after a week’s break may not have been as simple as we had thought it would be.

Topaz’s comb immediately looked better. Luckily combs heal really quickly.

Topaz looks none the worse for her experience

There is just a slight dark spot on her comb by her left eye. It is now barely noticeable.

I started to think about a plan B. I could close the area I use for integrations and put Topaz in there on her own for a week. I now know that she would probably put herself to bed in the little coop/nest box and if she perched up instead I could lift her down at dusk.

Once the clocks go forward tomorrow night I wouldn’t have to get up so early to let her out so it would be a good time to do it. If it stopped her pulling feathers once she rejoined the flock I could then separate Honey and see if this would work for her too.

When I popped back to see how they were getting on Honey and Topaz were sat with their flock mates in a patch of sun. I didn’t have the heart to do anything more about this today.

The girls are together in the sun

They had all been sitting together until I went closer with the camera. Topaz stood up as she is now wary of me after picking her up yesterday and this morning and dabbing her comb too.

Butterscotch takes a dust bath on her own

Butterscotch prefers a solitary dust bath. She is moulting once more and looks rather scruffy.

Emerald was in the nest box and had just laid her egg and Toffee was just going into the nest box.

The flock are all happy together and today is forecast to be the one sunny day before a week of rain so I am not going to do anything more today. I will let the flock enjoy the sunshine and see how things go for a few days before deciding what, if anything, to do next.