Integration day

Yesterday morning I introduced the little girls to yogurt. The rest of the flock had three little dishes on the patio area and I put one little dish on the little girl’s food station.

Caramel is first to try the yogurt

Caramel is always first out of these two to try any new food item

Caramel likes the yogurt but Pebbles isn’t sure

I had to go out for the rest of the morning and when I returned at lunch time the little girl’s yogurt dish was empty. I opened up the run and moved all the dishes to the patio area ready to move integration on to the next stage.

It didn’t take long for the little girls to find the new feeding station and also the other girl’s yogurt dishes. It seems that Pebbles does like yogurt too.

Later in the day both little girls share some yogurt

I was quite happy that the little girls knew where the feeding station was and they held their own with Peaches on the patio. The problem was that they didn’t know where to go at bedtime. I closed their usual section of the run and I picked them up and put them in the chicken shed to show them where to go. I even put them on the low perch but they just jumped straight down and went back out.

They usually go to bed at half past six and the other girls go in at seven o’clock. At half past six the little girls were at the gate of their section. They couldn’t work out where to go. My husband suggested that I put them in the chicken shed and close the pop hole to let them settle in there before the other girls went in.

I put them on the low perch and closed the door and the pop hole. I heard them jump straight down. I checked back a little later and they had settled in the corner behind the door. They looked so sweet.

The little girls in the chicken shed at bedtime

A little later I went back and the other girls were waiting outside the pop hole. I lifted it up and let them go in. They all perched up and I let the pop hole door down and left it disconnected. The little girls in their corner were safe from any attention from the other girls and I could go out at first light and let them all out together.

Maybe the next night the little girls will know where to go but if not I could do this for a few nights.

I went out at half past six this morning. I propped open the automatic door as I was a little early and it didn’t open when I reconnected it.

The girls came out with the little girls coming out last. Speckles had a go at the little girls. I gave them some corn and they all had some including the little girls. The little girls then made their way down the run to the log where they like to sit.

I was worried that the little girls hadn’t gone to the food and water dishes so I decided to make a couple of dishes of mash. I put one on the patio and by now the little girls were sitting on the wooden block so I put the other dish of mash on the block with them and guarded them to keep the other girls away.

They tucked into the mash, another new experience for them. Once they had had their fill I took this photo then when they left the block I put the dish back on the patio.

Mash in the morning for the little girls

I put their little coop next to the other one on the patio so that it will become a second nest box once more. I feel happy that we have moved on to the next stage now.

I will see if they go in on their own tonight but if not I will put them in each night until they get the hang of it. One good thing is that these little girls had been used to being handled and so are easy to pick up.

When I left them all was calm. I think they are all going to be fine together.