Yesterday we had to go out to do a delivery at four o’clock and got back just after five o’clock. Before we left I propped the coop door open with the doorstop to give the little girls more time to go in if they wanted to.
On our return I took my torch to check on the girls. Both the bantys were in the coop and settled in their usual spot on the edge of the nest box. The three big girls were huddled together on the coop roof. I lifted down Bluebell as she was nearest me, then Pepper. Dotty who was furthest away then shuffled across to get closer to me. This made lifting her down easy and it seemed as if she was ready to be put in. Why don’t they just go in on their own!
Over the last few days there have been loads of dominique feathers in the coup each morning and quite a few in the run. I think they are coming from Dotty. Pepper has been back to laying every other day for the last three weeks and apart from missing feathers on her bottom and a ragged tail, she is quite well feathered, so I think she has finished her moult. Dotty on the other hand hasn’t laid for ten days now and is looking really tatty. Every move she makes has more feathers fluttering from her and she looks really tatty under her wings.
This morning was cold and slightly frosty so I decided to give the girls some warm mash. It ensures they start the day with their pellets, they see it as a treat and it gave me a chance to take some photos of their feathers.
Tatty Dotty
I put in two dishes of mash so that they could all get a share and they were perfectly behaved, with the big girls at one dish and the little girls at the other. It looked as if I had told them which dish was for who but we all know they never take any notice of what they are told!
You can see that Pepper on the left, is just a bit ragged, whereas Dotty on the right is really tatty under her wings.
The bantys with a dish of mash
I think the bantys heads are looking much better as they are losing the white patches. I have got used to seeing them without tails now.
In the afternoon we gave the girls a bag of leaves that my husband had swept up after Mondays strong winds. They had lots of fun with them and spent all afternoon scattering them and picking out any bugs.
Scratching in the leaves
The girls are all head down in the leaves
When I went back later in the afternoon the leaves were well and truly scattered.
The leaves are scattered
Pepper is in the foreground and Dotty behind her. Again you can see how tatty she is under her wings but at least she has feathers on her head now and they are also coming back in on her neck at last.
While I was doing my end of day chores leading up to bedtime a local gardener arrived to prune some branches from next doors huge tree which was overhanging our garden and blocking light. The girls didn’t like the sound of the chainsaw so I stayed in with them to calm them. It was getting towards dusk and Honey decided to take herself into the coop to bed.
The big girls went on to the coop roof and Amber tried to join them. She would get a peck from either Bluebell or Pepper and only Dotty took no notice of her. Eventually she gave up and went into the coop. The door had started closing so I propped it open with my doorstop.
I lifted down Dotty then Bluebell. Pepper jumped down and made her own way in and I closed the door. Is this progress! We will see what tomorrow evening brings.
Click here to see the history of my flock.