I think we have finally turned the corner with the feather pulling. I didn’t find any feathers in the run again today and haven’t seen any feather pulling, hurrah! It’s also another sunny day which I am sure makes the girls feel happier as well as me.
Pepper and Bluebell both wanted to lay their egg at the same time today and after a bit of shouting about it they decided to share the nest box.
Sharing the nest box
While this was going on Dotty had the cabbage at the top of the ladder all to herself.
Dotty pecking at the cabbage
Dotty usually waits underneath the ladder to pick up the fallen bits and this is the first time I have seen her at the top of the ladder getting her own cabbage.
Dotty on top of the ladder
I took this wider shot to show that I have moved the log and dead plant to keep the girls interested.
Dotty inspects the log
The girls seemed to have lost interest in the dead plant so my husband suggested that I lay it on it’s side. Suddenly it became interesting again and the girls spent ages pecking at the soil around the roots.
All three girls pecking at the dead plant
I realise now that the run was probably too tidy and I need to keep putting new stuff in for the girls. I will try to keep coming up with new playthings for them.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Mine just love the leaves from the trees which blow on to the front garden ,raked up and put in a sack and i just empty the whole sack in …There are all sorts of bugs they like in there .Keeps them amused for ages . (I have 3 sacks in my garage saved for a special occasion .)
We found what leaves we could from the garden this afternoon and put in but we don’t have many. Next year I will save some. I also tried Ace’s idea of a bowl of soil and they liked that. They were standing in it and pecking at it. I am going to keep trying as many different things as I can to keep them entertained.
great news carol im so glad the girls are exploring your new ideas ,soon be growing new feathers too! 🙂
i throw the old bedding out onto the run floor too carol and rake it into a pile in a different part of the run every night when the girls aree in bed and they seem to think its a new pile and dig like the clappers through it ,add an old paving stone or large stone and they wipe their beals on it and when scratching it keeps their claws down mine usually stand on it too ,i have got an old bread tray from the supermarket to add tomorrow so ill let you know how that goes 🙂
Thank you for all your ideas, the girls are enjoying them. It would be good to see them feathered again.
I too throw out the bedding and even just the sweeping of the patio each evening and they do love to scratch through it. I found your idea of even just a bowl of garden soil kept them interested for a while. Much to my surprise they have loved the dead plant we gave them, who would have thought that would interest them for so long! They do use the patio area for scraping their beaks, especially after they have had a treat of yogurt! I think you are so right, anything different is fun for them, they loved the corn on the cob and I have now found not to take it out too soon because they love to peck at it long after it looks finished! I welcome all new ideas as it’s good to keep them entertained and happy.