Since we have had the two bantys, Bluebell has been determined to prove she is no longer bottom girl. She has shown the most aggression to them and watches them all the time. She will run at the wire or stand with her beak to the wire giving them the look!
At bedtime the big girls like to roost on the coop roof even though I come along and spoil their fun by lifting them down and putting them to bed inside the coop. Pepper who is top girl would boc at Bluebells head to stop her joining them and Bluebell would usually slope off to the inside of the coop. Since the bantys arrival her confidence has grown. Recently instead of being put off by Pepper she moves round to the other side of Dotty and takes her place on the roof.
It’s a short lived victory because at bedtime I simply lift them all down and pop them in the coop. From time to time I look in through the nest box to check if they are in their usual positions. Pepper and Dotty are always on the bottom perch and when Treacle was with us she too would be on the perch. Bluebell has always slept on the floor. I was never sure if this was of her choosing or if the other girls wouldn’t let her perch in the same way as they wouldn’t let her on the roof with them but I had never yet seen her sleep anywhere but on the floor in front of them.
Last night I couldn’t resist a look in and to my surprise there was Bluebell on the perch next to the other two girls. Three girls in a row, such a sweet sight but the first time I have seen this. Has she a new confidence from having the banty girls below her!
I used to feel sorry for her being at the bottom and a bit left out. I did wonder if, with the bantys being such a close little pair, she would still be the odd one out. But I think her lot has improved. The bantys will no doubt be bottom of the pecking order but being bottom together, I doubt they will mind and Pepper followed by Dotty will remain at the top. The difference is Bluebell still in third place is now in the middle instead of the bottom and I am sure she is seeing that as promotion! It’s a fascinating thing, this pecking order!
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Things seem to be going as planned.I know when Poppy was with us , Little Rosie never tried to jump up on the branch with Poppy and Clover which is in their run . The day after Poppy had been PTS there was only Clover on the branch Rosie jumped straight up there with her.
She was never stopped from going on there before she just had never tried …She knew her place !
It is funny and complicated isn’t it! A shift in the pecking order changes things around.
I thought Bluebell wouldn’t peck at a mouse but I now realise it’s true what they say, bottom hen will be more aggressive so that she doesn’t go further down the pecking order.
I can see we are going to have the most problems with Bluebell. Today I sat in with them as I am trying to get the bantys used to me and Bluebell pecked one of the bantys face through the wire really hard and made the poor banty sqeal. The banty didn’t move away though and continued to hang out by the wire. They are feisty little things.