Anti-peck spray and new plants in the run

Last night we sprayed the girls with the anti-peck spray and it went a lot easier then I thought it would. We put on disposable gloves and shook the spray as instructed.

I picked up Bluebell first as she just needed her neck spraying. I held her while my husband protected her face with one hand and sprayed her neck with the other. I then picked up Dotty and we repeated the procedure on her neck, then I held her out while my husband sprayed her bottom. Next I picked up Pepper and also held her out while my husband sprayed her bottom. Job done and the girls didn’t seem too upset by it.

The smell and taste is supposed to put them off pecking at the feathers. The instructions say to repeat in five days and pecking should cease in a week at most.

Bluebell has pecked at Dotty and Pepper’s bottom giving Pepper a bare bottom on one side. Pepper has pecked at Bluebell and Dotty’s neck giving Dotty a bare neck. Dotty who used to be bit of a bully when she was little hasn’t pecked at any of the girls but has come off worse by getting pecked at both ends. Bluebell alone has a lovely fluffy, untouched bottom and Pepper alone has a lovely fluffy untouched neck. It is sad to see their scruffy bare parts but hopefully this will stop it going any further.

Yesterday we went to the garden centre to see if we could find some big plants for the girls run to make it more interesting for them. Now that the large hebe has died (it was old and had been looking quite sad for a long time) there is only one big shrub and the apple tree left in their run. They have stripped everything else.

We soon realised that the few big plants we could find were far too expensive, especially if they are likely to get stripped by the girls. We decided instead of buying something new we would try to find something we already have. We settled on two shrubs that were in pots in our front garden. I had bought them off a clearance table a few years ago for one pound each so if they get stripped they haven’t cost us much. Also if they get stripped we can just move the pots back out of the run to recover.

Two new plants in the run

The hebe that died is in front of this pot and I have left the bottom branches for the girls to perch on.

Dotty and Bluebell investigating one of the new plants

Then they investigate the other new plant

Pepper was busy in the nest box laying her egg while this was going on.

I am hoping the ladder and the plants will add some interest for the girls. We have snow again today so it’s dark in the run and the snow is blowing in. This weather is forecast to last about a week which is a bit depressing. We are are so looking forward to better weather and I know the girls would appreciate it too.

I went back in to the girls to see if Pepper had discovered the plants after she had laid her egg.

All on the coop roof, Dotty in the foreground

As yet Pepper hasn’t shown any interest but I am sure she soon will.  The girls were more interested in getting on the coop roof and jumping from there to my shoulder. They jump on me if they can, every time I go in. I like this interaction with them though.