As if it’s not hard enough getting the big girls and the little girls together without a battle, both sides are now engaging in their own battles. For a while there has been a bedtime battle going on with Pepper trying to keep Bluebell from joining her and Dotty on the coop roof and Pepper has left peck spots on Bluebells comb.
Now there is a battle going on between Amber and Honey. I looked out of the window this morning and the bantys were going at each other like mad. They had chests out, hackles raised and were flying at each other. I had forgotten that the big girls went through this when they growing up but because the bantys are more flighty, it looks like much more dramatic. They fly at each other about two or three feet from the ground and the battles are more prolonged.
By the time I got out to them Amber was pottering about while Honey was behind the bush. She did come out to see if I had treats so she was unharmed but soon returned to the bush. My husband saw them at it again later during the day.
This afternoon I took all the girls a treat of halved corn cobs. I usually put in two for the three big girls and one for the two little girls. Amber and Honey had always shared one with no problem until now. Now Amber wouldn’t let Honey near it and gave her some hard pecks if she came near. I ended up removing the corn cob and cutting it in half, then placing the two halves at opposite ends of their space. Even then Amber did what our big girls have done in the past, she would move from her bit of corn to Honey’s and Honey would move on to the other bit. They played musical corn cobs but at least honey had a chance to have some.
I am amazed that this tight little pair have suddenly started sparring like this. It’s already obvious that Amber, despite being the smaller of the two, is top girl out of these two. We have a very clear order of one down to five which is: Pepper, Dotty, Bluebell, Amber and Honey at the bottom. I wonder if this new battle will effect the big battle for better or for worse!
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Oh, I feel for you. Honey went broody this week so I put her in a dog crate in the garage to break her. Today, day 4, and she’s over it but when I put her back, she sparred w/ her babies (the three little ones). And I mean SPARRED. I think they thought they could jockey w/ her for her rank in the pecking order. But she’s got 7lbs of mass to her and the babies are 3lbs and a few ounces. Simply painful to watch. I did for about an hour this morning and there was no blood or feathers so I left them be. Hubby said he’d check up on them. But it’s so hard to understand why they can’t just get alone. I’m so tempted to pop a Valium into their water to get them to CHILL.
That’s almost word for word what my husband says, he is always asking why they can’t they just get along and today suggested they need some valium!
It must be really hard to see mother and babies sparring. At least the bantys are the same size as each other.
I was surprised at how hard the bantys were going at it when they have been so tight up until now and it’s enough to contend with the pecking between two flocks without extra aggravation between themselves.
I will have to let them sort it out, I can’t do any more separation. Hopefully it’s just hormones. This is never easy is it!
NO MORE wire possible 🙂
What can I say? except I think you have to throw them all in together and stand well back and light the touch paper .. If the bantys are as feisty as you say they will survive! One of them might even become top chick .
I decided that as they had already had a bit of stress this afternoon that I would leave it until this evening to put them together again. So an hour before bedtime I will try again. The problem is the big girls go into the bantys side and they hide and nothing progresses. Tonight I am going to try to occupy the big girls, entice the bantys out and shut the gate quickly, so that they have to mix on the big side. Wish me luck!
Fingers crossed ..and toes and beaks .
Thank you x