[danfinn1]

Just got a new POL speckled hen. What a lovelly looking bird. I needed another as Beryl one of my blacktails is not looking good these days. We were away over the weeked and boarded the two birds out at the usual place and when I got them back, Hen was ok but poor Beryl was looking extremely sad and her comb has collapsed.

As Beryl has not been very active for the last few weeks, and finished laying I guessed she was on her way out so needed company for Hen(rietta), when the Beryl turns her toes up.

I had noticed that Hen was following me everywhere since Beryl hardly moves so, made the decision to get a new hen.

Well Hen was not too amused and went for Speccy almost straight away. There was no fighting back from Speccy so it was just bullying from Hen. I spent most this afternoon keeping them apart and telling Hen not to be so nasty. She was never like that with the others, most times they got annoyed with her.

This evening I put Hen into the run, then carried Beryl and placed her in the coop. Speccy was perched on the back of a chair in the conservatory, so I left her there till dark then, picked her up, bit of a struugle but carried her to the coop and put her in with the other two. 

I will get up early tomorrow and see if a truce is in place or war is still being waged.

Speccy is a very easy bird to handle and seems very friendly, although our place is only part-time free range, unlike where she came from

[New shoot]

It sounds like Hen is determined to be top of the pecking order this time round.  If Speccy is not challenging back it should calm down soon, but you are wise to keep an eye on things for a while 

[danfinn1]

Well you have to admit the entertainment value of hens is just great   Forget the TV comedy get hens

Tonight I had my three hens in the conservatory, Beryl still ill, so asleep, standing and/or sitting. Me trying to keep speccy safe from Henrietta.

Whilst typing this I have Hen on the back of my chair and Speccy on the back of the opposite chair with a table between us and my laptop on it.

Speccy needs to learn the rules . She jumped up on the table, so I removed her to the arm of the chair opposite. She was uncomfortable there and I could see her shuffling about, and then.... She jumped at me and tried to perch on my laptop screen 

I picked her up and placed her where she should have been, as was last evening. Got her to eat out of my hand today and introduced her to grapes, very suspicious at first but now quite keen. Hen was going crazy outside, she knows all about treats.

This of course is a temporary arragement as when Hen leaves her alone, I will be enticing them to their eglu and run, with the offer of a handfull of corn

Happy days, maybe Speccy will provide us with an egg or two soon, one a day is barely enough!

[danfinn1]

Big problem this morning Hen was shouting in the coop , I raced down and let them out, Speccy was hiding in the coop and poor old Beryl had been knocked sideways, her feet had got jammed between the perches in the eglu coop. I separated Hen and poor Speccy, who had lost a couple of feathers. I then had to extract Beryl from the poop tray and perches. I can't believe poor old Beryl is still on her feet

The only way forward is to keep Hen separated from Speccy.

When I first had my 3 Blacktails they had been caged together for three days and were like sisters, they all followed one another and were mostly well behaved, so I guess I had and easy time.

Beryl is still soldiering on and speccy was keeping her company today such a nice bird . Hen was doing her own thing and looking for oportunities to attack our new young bird.

Tonight Speccy is in the dog cage in our garage and the other two are in the coop. Peace reigns

Tomorrow I need to rebuild the old Eglu run, we have a new walk in one, modify it and that will keep Bossy under control

[New shoot]

Oh dear.  They can be horrible to each other and there is no predicting how an introduction will go.

If they are housed next to each other, but apart, it gives them chance to get to know each other without a full blown confrontation. 

Good luck with it all 

[danfinn1]

Interesting day today. I kept Beryl inside last night, next to the dog cage with Speccy in, so Hen was on her own for the first time over night. This morning I put Speccy in her run and left Hen in her big run, poor Beryl was pooing Brown and yellow. I guessed her ovaries had gone. I was thinking of bumping her off but my wife said no, then went to work. On my return at midday I found Beryl had died but the other two were ok. I buried, Beryl next to where Sandy was. Behaviour was pretty much the same as before, keeping them fenced off from each other all afternoon. What I did notice was Speccy was trying to get friendly with Hen but she was still aggressive.

THis evening Hen came in to the conservatory and perched on the back of my chair, a few minutes later Speccy,  came in had something to eat and drink then I saw her preparing to jump up next to her At this point I intervened and placed Speccy on the back of my chair with hen, my hand and arm separating the two. Then gently stroking and talking to Hen I think I got some acceptance. I did threaten to get another Speckledy. After that I moved Speccy to the opposite chair back and sat back in the middle. Hen then decended to the chair arm very close to me, so I reached over and put her on my lap for a very short while, talking and stroking her.

Then I guessed she was ready for bed so I carried her to the run, and within minutes she had gone to bed. I guess all that anger had worn her out, plus laying an egg this morning.

Speccy needs another hen to cuddle up to that is quite clear, so Hen has got to behave and settle down.

The benefit of all this work is I have got to handle and cuddle both my hens lots over the last few days and this is a very nice experience Hen is always friendly to me Beryl and Sandy were very distant and flighty, which was a disappointment. Speccy is very special so worth all the effort

[danfinn1]

Well things are settling down now Speccy laid her first egg, at ours that is, in her little run. Hen laid as usual so we are back up to 2 a day again. Of course the new bird's eggs are quite small, but that will mean 4 to an omlette instead of three.

Nasty behavior has reduced now to a bit of chasing and posturing from Hen, and she knows when I am angry with her and backs off,  so life is good again The ultimate punishment for Hen is being locked in the run, when she could be out in the garden, but she is a clever bird and I'm sure will get over her problems

I will contine to keep them apart now in their runs as the Hen and her sisters always squabbled over the nest box at laying time, this time the squabble could be much worse.

I will not get another bird now till Hen stops laying, which could be a few months on hopefully as she is a consistent and very fit chook

[New shoot]

If Speccy is laying, she's feeling more at home, so your current housing arrangements seem to be doing the trick   

When Hen does stop laying, Speccy will have one over on her, so she may be trying to make certain she establishes her dominance now.  Older hens do get quite jealous of youngsters entering the coop, but once everyone knows their place, it settles down 

[Kleftiwallah]

What has "Old Speckled Hen" got to do with the town of Abingdon?

Cheers,  Tony

[8doubles]

What has "Old Speckled Hen" got to do with the town of Abingdon?

Cheers,  Tony

I have read the bottle too !   

[Helenaj]

What has "Old Speckled Hen" got to do with the town of Abingdon?

Cheers,  Tony

I have read the bottle too !   

Hi both

This is what Wikepedia says:

"Old Speckled Hen took its name from an MG car which was used as a runaround for workers in the MG factory. Over years of service, the car became covered in flecks of paint, gaining it acclaim in the town and earned it the nickname "Owld Speckled 'Un", translated into Old Speckled Hen for the brown ale first brewed by Morland in 1979 when the brewery was asked by MG to create a commemorative beer for the factory's 50th anniversary"

There you go!

[Kleftiwallah]

Now then,  I heard it was because the bodies of the early M.G.s were fabric covered plywood and the red tautening dope dried blotchy, hence 'old speckled hen'.  I was stationed at R.A.F. Abingdon (rigger on Jag majors) and heard this from a Owld Gadgee in a pub in the town.

Cheers,  Tony.

[danfinn1]

Changing her name now from Speccy to Pecky. Putting a chicken wire skirt on her run the other day, to deter the fox,  I was on my knees on the lawn and she was having a go at my wire cutters Such an inquisitive and entertaining young bird and very productive now. Egg every morning Proper job too, very friendly and talkative, just like the description I read