This morning I went out to the chickens at quarter past seven and found the coop door shut again. I went back indoors for my camera to photograph their coming out. I could hear them bumping about behind the door and at twenty past seven it started to open. This time Pepper was out first flattening herself down to squeeze through as soon as possible with Dotty popping out right behind her. Treacle was next to squeeze out this time with Bluebell last. Unfortunately the photos don’t show this very well because with the low light level the flash delays the photo and by the time it goes off they are already through. They are so quick and are all out in seconds, before the door is even half way up. This rush to get out is quite amusing to watch and now that they are getting used to me being there they come and say hello to me first, which is quite sweet. They are probably just checking if I have anything for them but it’s lovely all the same.
Pepper scrabbled out first followed closely by Dotty
Treacle pushed her way out next while the door was less than half way up
Today Bluebell was last to step through
The coop door fully open for comparison
You can see by this photo how impatient they are to get out, they can’t wait for the door to lift right up.
This morning was the latest that the door has opened and I am going to have to adjust the time I go out to them. I have always gone out at seven apart from going out at five occasionally in the summer to check what time the door opened. In the summer it was opening at five in the morning and closing at eight in the evening. It is now opening after seven in the morning and closing before seven in the evening. I feel quite sorry for the chickens having their days so shortened by the lack of light but I guess that’s what chickens have always been used too. I can’t help thinking summer is a much nicer time for them but I suppose that goes for us too. Soon the clocks will go back an hour. That will effect my routine too, but of course it will make no difference to the chickens.
I don’t get as much time to sit with them before bedtime as I did in the summer because I used to go out to them after our seven o’clock evening meal and now go out to them before our evening meal and have to shorten my time to get dinner cooked. I don’t sit on my little chair so that they can come on my lap because their feet are so dirty in winter. I do crouch down among them though and Treacle sometimes jumps on to my arm or on to my shoulder. Bluebell always circles me looking for a way up but is not able to jump to my shoulder as easily as Treacle. Pepper always looks on with interest.
The problem with Dotty bullying Bluebell is getting worse. It used to be just around the treats but now for no reason at all she will go up to Bluebell and peck her on the head or the back. Although I spray her with water when I see her doing this it doesn’t seem to deter her. Bluebell is becoming quite nervy around her and when I leave she comes to the furthest corner and looks at me as if to say she doesn’t want me to leave her. Dotty has also taken to flying up at me when I am at the storage cabinet. They all know this is where the treats are kept and come to stand by me but Dotty now flies up if I open the cabinet or if I am holding something she thinks may be treats. Dotty is becoming a pest and I don’t know what to do next. I am wondering if I should try separating her from them during the day. I had hoped she would grow out of this and that I wouldn’t have take further action but it’s becoming more of a problem. Dotty is also the one that has no interaction with me or my husband. I used to think that maybe she didn’t like me because I spray her when she pecks Bluebell but my husband pointed out that she doesn’t appear to like anyone. We have had her for four months and from a month younger than the other three and yet she is not attatched to me like they are. My husband says he thinks she is just not a nice character. At the moment I feel that if someone could give her a good home I would let her go. I hate myself for thinking this but am so fed up with her behaviour and feel she spoils the harmony of the flock. I will carry on for now and think about it a while longer.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Oh, I TOTALLY feel your pain. If she’s not pulling out feathers, drawing blood, preventing her from feeding or getting to the waterer, then it’s probably just normal pecking order. And there’s little you can do about it. You can give away the bully, but someone else will assume the position of the alpha hen and your Bluebell will always be at the bottom until you introduce more hens. Having added chickens three times now, I get this. It’s SOOOO difficult to watch. You could put a pinless peeper on her which would knock her down a peg. But it’s a tough situation and we all have to deal w/ this.
I always thought Pepper was top hen, she does the chest bumping, ruff raised thing which Dotty has never done. Pepper likes to get them all in the coop at bedtime and always has a last look out to check all is okay. Dotty only bullies Bluebell, she wouldn’t peck Treacle as she would peck her back and I have never seen Dotty and Pepper peck each other. Pepper and Treacle will peck Bluebell occasionally if she is in their way and Treacle has pecked Dotty occasionally when she has got in her way but also has never pecked Pepper. Dotty doesn’t interact with us like the others either. I think I will just see how it goes for now, but it is frustrating.