Three little maids update

I was hoping to avoid this pecking lark when I got three chicks but here were are   Anyone found repeatedly pecking goes in a box for an hour or two.  She's only a baby and can't take it from two of them!

Coop needs more ventilation now.  Its all go.

The chicken version of the naughty step. 

Almost afraid to write this as people may think I'm a BAD person...

After disrupting my happy family by exchanging my boy for a new girl (8 weeks younger) I was amazed at how gorgeous she was.  So tame - happy to be picked up and rest happily on my lap etc.  It was a revelation as my lavender was so timid from the start and the least likely to take food from my hand.

So I churned it over - as we are already in a state of disruption and pecking (little new girl following older girls around who chase her away) I decided to exchange my timid lavender for a younger one.  The breeder was fine about it.  So now I have two younger girls who are friends and one older one who wonders where her friends have gone and will bully the younger two until she accepts them.  I'll bring her in now and then to give them a break.

I dug and sifted a dust bath zone which they loved - they forgot to peck each other.

Hoping this will settle in a few days and I think if this is long term (don't they live for seven years)? it might as well be just right.    Oh the guilt

I know I know - I feel truly awful!!!  I did think - OK two big hens two little.... but this is a long term decision. Exchanging Lavvy was selfish and unnecessary. But they will all be a same size pretty soon and it should come right. 

I think where I was naive was in thinking that getting chicks young and handling them a little each day would make them tame.  I now believe nothing can make them tame - it's in their nature from the start.

I could not go through this again so this is it now. They have long and happy lives ahead of them.

its amazing just how chooks squabble - just like naughty sibblings

they need time to settle and sort out the pecking order - to much human intervention can make a bad situation worse

I have one little welsh summer who is so bullied but it is because she is so timid - she is constantly chased away from the food and last to be allowed in and out of the box but I never intervene as blood is not drawn , it's just how chooks treat each other

all I do in her case is make sure she gets food when all the others have finished eating and lift her on the perch when everyone is settled in their favourite spot for the night - there is no reason to separate her - believe it or not she is a vey happy chook considering

This may help


http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=19476.0