Making some progress

We have been putting the girls together several times a day for about half an hour at a time and there has been a little less aggression but it’s still a long way off me feeling that I could leave them together without me being there.

Bluebell is still the most aggressive and I have to watch her all the time. Dotty goes for one of the bantys now and then and Pepper seems fine with them, mixing with them and taking no notice then occasionally she will suddenly go for them.

Yesterday I gave them half an hour together from half past five to six o’clock and it was the best yet with them mixing together a lot more.

Sometimes when Dotty approaches Honey, Honey will squat in submission. While Amber was on the log all the big girls were preening and Amber joined in. Afterwards she sat down on the log which shows that she is getting more comfortable around the big girls.

At one point the big girls went up on to the big perch and to my surprise the bantys joined them. There seem to be no problem while they were on the perch. A little later just Bluebell was on the perch and Amber joined her. I really wasn’t sure that was a good idea but there was no pecking.

All together

Getting closer

Honey squats in submission

Close up of Amber on the log and Honey in the foreground

Amber and the big girls preening

Amber is comfortable enough to sit down on the log

The big girls perch

All five girls perch together

Amber, are you sure this is a good idea?

At this point I wanted to get our dinner ready but wanted to get the girls together a bit more later so I let the big girls into the bantys area and closed the gate. They love scratching in that area and I thought it would give the little girls time to explore the bigger area.

I ended up leaving the girls in each others areas for an hour and a half checking on them from time to time to see what they were doing. The big girls seemed happy in the smaller area and the bantys were exploring the patio area as well as the garden bit.

I went back out to them at half past seven and the big girls had dug huge holes in the bantys area. They had eaten all the bantys pellets and filled the water with dirt and wood chip. I smoothed out the holes, cleaned and refilled the food dish and water then let the big girls back into their own side again.

The bantys made their way down to the gate so I let them back in so that all the girls could have half an hour in their own sides before bedtime. I went back out as the coop door was closing and lifted the big girls down and put them in.

The bantys were still pottering about but I have now found that once the big girls are in if I then go and crouch by the bantys coop they will go in and I can shut their door. This makes bedtime quicker and easier.

I feel that we made good progress and just need to keep putting them together under supervision. I will also continue switching their areas until they all get used to it. At the weekend we will also put up some high perches for the bantys.