The girls have their first whole day together

I decided to put the girls together yesterday from six o’clock in the morning when I let the bantys out of their coop. Every time I looked out of the window or went up to them they seemed to be getting along fine.

I gave them their morning cabbage leaves and there was the occasional chasing but nothing too aggressive.

Amber, the smallest girl, tackles the biggest cabbage leaf

At one point when I went to check on them, Bluebell was in the nest box (she usually lays her egg first) and Amber popped out of the coop. I thought that a little risky but guessed Bluebell was unlikely to move from nest box while trying to lay her egg.

Mid morning just before I had to go out to do my deliveries I heard Bluebell shouting at the top of her voice. I went up to see what the problem was and Amber was in and out of the coop with Bluebell shouting as loud as she could. I checked the nest box and there was Bluebell’s egg. I removed it and calm resumed again. I think Bluebell was upset at Amber going in the coop while her egg was in there. This isn’t the first time Bluebell has behaved like this, she is very possessive about her eggs.

This was the first time that I have felt able to go out and leave all the girls together, it’s a real break through.

I got back at lunch time and everything seemed fine. I gave them some fruit to peck at.

Five girls mingle together, hurrah!

Amber eating apple while Honey keeps watch

The pellets in the bantys dish taste much nicer!

The bantys get the patio area and the fruit to themselves

The three stooges

Bluebells fluffy bloomers

There were so many shots I just missed, such as Bluebell coming out of the bantys coop where she had been having a nose and the bantys standing on their coop roof to eat the leaves of the dog wood plant. The big girls haven’t sussed this yet and jump up to reach what they can.

Another thing I noticed this afternoon was that when Bluebell went for Amber she now crouched in submission and Bluebell backed off. This is good news on three levels. It may mean less aggression from Bluebell, it may mean I will be able to pick Amber up soon and it may mean she will start to lay eggs soon. This may also be why she was investigating the big girls coop today.

I did my evening chores and decided to leave them until just after dusk to see where they choose to go to bed.

I went back out as it was just dark and the little girls were in their coop so I closed their door. The big girls were on the coop roof as usual so I lifted them down and put them in their coop.

I know there will be more progress to be made in getting them into one coop eventually but I am not worried about that right now. I am just elated that after a month we have progressed in the last two days from the odd hour together with me watching over them, to half a day, then a full day together! They have been together from coming out of the coop in the morning until returning to the coop at bedtime and that is truly progress!