Separation begins

Over the last week we hadn’t seen Topaz pulling any feathers and the girl’s necks don’t appear to look any worse.

However we have seen Honey pulling feathers every day. I saw her pull a bunch of feathers from Peaches and Barley and she was eating them. Toffee was next to her and ate one too. By the time I caught up with them I only managed to pick one feather up. This decided me that it was time to separate Honey. I don’t want the other girls to pick up this habit.

My husband saw Honey pull feathers from Butterscotch’s breast a little later and that evening I saw Honey try to pull a tail feather from Butterscotch. She was actually hanging on to her tail until I separated them.

Yesterday I got the run set up ready for separation this morning. I have put a little coop/nest box in the separated side and a feeding station with water dish, pellet dish and a dish of grit and oyster shell.

This morning after their sunflower seeds I scooped up Honey and put her in the separated part. She wasn’t happy about it and I didn’t like doing it as I have never separated one girl on her own before.

I started the day with Honey being separated from the rest of the flock

A little later this morning my husband said that he had just seen Topaz pull some feathers from Butterscotch’s breast. That clinched it for me. They can both be separated together.

Topaz and Honey are now separated from the rest of the flock

I know there is a chance that they may pluck each other but it seems that Butterscotch is the main target for both of them. I think that is because she is still moulting a bit at a time, so long after the other girls have finished, her loose feathers and pin feathers are just too tempting.

At least this will give her a chance for her pin feathers to open and Topaz and Honey will be company for each other which makes me feel better about the separation.

Butterscotch is looking really shabby

Barley laid her egg first thing this morning followed a little later by Emerald. Butterscotch went in to lay her egg and a bit later Toffee wanted to lay. She got quite agitated because there is now one less big nest box and she doesn’t like the little ones.

Eventually she must have got desperate and decided she would have to share with Butterscotch.

Toffee goes into the nest box with Butterscotch

She laid her egg straight away and a few minutes later Butterscotch got her egg laid too.

Topaz doesn’t seem bothered by being on the other side but Honey misses being able to run to me. Every time I go to either gate into their part she is there. It makes it difficult for me to get in without her getting out.

When I went in to do the lunch time pick up and give the girls some apple my husband distracted her with a dandelion leaf while I slipped through the gate.

Later in the afternoon I washed all the dishes and filled the water bowls with fresh water. While doing this Honey slipped past me through the gate. I decided to finish what I was doing and then deal with getting her back in. In the end the fact that she wants to be with me made it simple. I opened the gate to come back out and she slipped back in. Once I was back in the main run I could almost see her wondering how that had happened!

I gave them the bedtime corn which is easy enough to throw through both sides of the run and the girls on both sides scratched happily afterwards as usual.

I checked on them at quarter past seven and the main flock were in the chicken shed while Topaz and Honey were still out.

Like last time the girls have left a gap where Topaz and Honey would usually be.

To my surprise at half past seven Topaz went in followed by Honey.

Topaz and Honey put themselves to bed

I crept in and closed the door. I couldn’t believe it had been that easy. What a long way we have come from the days when the girls wouldn’t put themselves to bed.

The first day has gone really well and I think both flocks are happy enough with their space. I think they will be quite happy like this for a while and and am I hopeful that this will work. It’s been a good first day.