Rusty gets a pecked comb

Cinnamon spends a lot of time going up against the wire with the main flock, raising her tiny ruff and trying to land pecks through the wire. This afternoon Rusty had blood, just above her beak, once more. Cinnamon had a, pin prick, spot of blood, on her comb. Rusty had fared the worse yet it has more of an effect on Cinnamon.

Cinnamon is a really nervous girl. At first I thought Dandelion was the most nervous of me but she has started getting used to me now whereas Cinnamon is still very wary. The day I put some tarpaulin, under the new girl’s roof in the corner by the hatch, Cinnamon looked hunched and miserable and I thought there was something wrong with her. She put herself to bed early. I worried.

The next morning she came out and got stuck into some mash and was right back to her usual self. I think putting up the tarpaulin had stressed her. This afternoon when I saw that Rusty had taken a peck, Cinnamon was once more hunched and miserable. I put a dish of mash in to try to tempt her. Once again when she got stuck into the mash she returned to normal.

It seems that she is really easily upset and it’s almost as if she forgets to eat. Once she eats again she returns to normal. You would think a girl that is easily upset would avoid conflict but of course a chicken’s logic doesn’t work that way.

I tried to photograph Rusty’s pecked comb but needed her, facing straight forward, to show it. That took a few shots but as they are so cute I left them in.

Rusty and Freckles

Rusty has taken a peck

The black spot at the base of her beak is dried blood.

A sorry state

Dried blood and now added to that some dirt on her beak too. Rusty, what do you look like! She seems unfazed by it though.

Some mash will help

The new girls at bedtime

Cinnamon looks fine by bedtime. The girls put themselves to bed again so that is one thing less to worry about.

I have always added two girls at a time, this being my first experience of adding three, and the dynamic is completely different. As time has gone along it has become apparent that we have a twosome and an odd one, that being Dandelion and Cinnamon pairing up and Apricot being the lone one. When Cinnamon has her, down moments, Dandelion sits with her. These two go to bed and chase Apricot out. She has to wait for dusk and for them to become docile before she is allowed in. Dandelion and Cinnamon venture into the new part of the run together and Apricot trails way behind.

Apricot however is really friendly with me. She also seems to want to hang out with the original flock. She runs along the wire with rusty and they have stood beak to beak through the wire in a friendly manner. She is also the only one of the three that gets up on the little coop roof. I think she is ready to learn to perch.

My husband suggested that she is ready to join the flock and that maybe we should integrate her and leave the other two together for longer to grow in confidence and be integrated a little later. He feels she may attach herself to Rusty and Freckles. At first I wasn’t sure about this idea but today I am thinking that it may be worth a try. As my husband says there is no rule that they have to all mix at the same time. We both feel she is much more ready that the other two.

I will switch the two lots to the opposite sides of the run later in the week and then I will think about trying Apricot with the main flock. It may be easier to get her settled then add two girls to the flock. If it doesn’t work out she can always go back. It is food for thought, a slightly different approach.