Dotty continues to bully Bluebell away from the treats. The only time this doesn’t happen is when I give them yogurt. I do split it into two small bowls, but I can put out six half apples and Dotty will move from one to the next, pecking Bluebell away. I can only think that they like the yogurt so much that Dotty just gets on with eating it rather than wasting time pecking at Bluebell. Yogurt is their favourite treat, they jump up at me when they see the little white bowls and I fear for my fingers as I set them down. When the bowls are empty they still jump at them as I take them away. I only give them the recommended teaspoon per hen twice a week of plain, live, pro biotic yogurt. It is good for their digestion but must be limited to a small amount. I buy a small pot and divide it into four small bowls to be given over two days. I am sure if I gave them a huge bowl of it they would eat the lot! As it is plain I can only think it must be the texture that they like. They peck at the bowls long after they are empty so as not to miss a drop.
They seem to stick to two hens per bowl of yogurt with no arguments
When they have lettuce and tomato in the two square feeders Dotty will move across to the one Bluebell is on and peck her away. I squirt Dotty with the water spray, sometimes twice before she will stop doing this. Sometimes I only have to pick up the spray and she will stop. Sometimes Dotty moves Bluebell away by just intimidating her, by going close to her and giving her a look. Bluebell will then come and stand by me, look up at me and say “boc” then peck the spout of the water bottle. It is as if she is asking me to use the spray and sort it out for her. I also tell Bluebell to go to the other feeder while pointing at it and she does. It’s as if we can talk to each other in our own way or at least have some understanding of gestures and tones. The other three chickens hate the spray and won’t go near it but Bluebell seems to knows it helps her.
Dotty is the only one that does this bullying. The other thing I have noticed is that Dotty is the only one not to interact with me. I am not sure if it’s a reaction to me telling her off and spraying her (perhaps because of this she doesn’t like me?) or if it’s all part of her nature, or if it’s because she is a month younger than the others. The other three will allow me to stroke their undersides when they are close to me but Dotty smartly side steps away. The other three follow me around when I am cleaning up and gently peck at my clothes or sometimes my knees as if to feel me or to say hello. It is so nice when they come to me and either they peck at me (not serious pecks obviously) or I stroke them. Dotty has never done this. Dotty only comes to me if she thinks their are treats to be had and she is always first to the treats. This makes Dotty less appealing but I keep hoping she will grow out of it. My husband says it makes it hard for him to like her which I can understand. She doesn’t draw blood though or pull feathers. I think it’s just harder to like a hen that bullies and also doesn’t interact at all, but I feel that I have to try to stop her bullying Bluebell by using the spray. I know she probably does it while I am not there but it is so hard to watch. I can only hope she gets better as she gets older.
Click here to see the history of my flock.