I have decided not to use the feeders for treats, for a couple of days to see if we can stop Dotty pecking at Bluebell. Today I bought a living lettuce pot from the supermarket and planted it into a bigger pot, so that the chickens wouldn’t knock it over. I dug it in slightly to keep it firm and let them at it.
Bluebell and Dotty find the lettuce first
Treacle finds the lettuce
Pepper finds the lettuce, last as usual
I went back about an hour later to find the lettuce scattered.
The girls have been enjoying the lettuce
The scattered lettuce
Another hour later, I went back again and found the lettuce demolished.
The lettuce has gone and Dotty is pecking at the stem
Later that day my husband harvested our beetroot crop and scattered the tops for the girls.
Bluebell finds the beetroot tops first
They all check out the beetroot tops
They enjoyed scattering the beetroot tops
That was fun
They really enjoyed the lettuce and beetroot tops and although Dotty pecked at Bluebell a couple of times it wasn’t so bad as there was more space for them all to get a share.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Do you have a spray bottle with water? You can sit for a few minutes and spritz Dotty if she pecks once you put out a treat. Didn’t take my girls more than once or twice to get the message. Now I just have to pick up the water bottle and they scatter.
I will get one and try that and let you know how I get on. It’s a shame because there is no other pecking, just this constant problem with Dotty wanting to peck Bluebell away from the treats and Bluebell sounds so upset but never pecks back.