I'm happy to report that we finally have peace in the land. Saturday I discovered Bunny spending most of the day down in the dirt mixing in with the rest of the chickens instead of living above them on her perch.
It has been a full 3 weeks since we brought her home. The wound on her neck has healed and some of the feathers are starting to grow back. Most of them probably won't return until she goes through a molt this fall. I brought out cantaloupe for them and she was allowed to eat right along with them. Later I noticed that she was full of sand and dirt which meant she was taking a dust bath right along with the rest of them in their late afternoon spa session.
There is still a little squawking going on but it's mostly her. She seems to get nervous when the others get to close and she's the one making noise and running around trying to get away while the rest of them seem to look at her with that "what's up with you" look. Henrietta seems to like to bump her out of the nesting boxes and they squabble over one of the boxes even tho the other boxes are unoccupied. She still is not sleeping with them at night but I'm sure that will happen soon.
I am on my third year with chickens. I only have three at the moment but that is plenty of weekly eggs for us. I like your chicken tractor idea but with such a great space in your garden, what about free roaming. Mine follow me all over the garden when I am out and about. They have pretty much learned to stay away from the road as well. I have a dirt run like yours and they love it but a couple of times a week, they get let out to eat whatever they can find in the rest of the garden.
ReplyDeleteWe have considered free roaming but since we are in the middle of town I would feel more comfortable if the backyard was fully fenced in. We are planning a fence along one side and are considering going around the whole yard but that means we will have to take out a pine tree. It all starts to eat up the budget. The tractor idea is even on temporary hold mainly due to not having the time lately. Someday I'm sure it will all come together.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that they're getting along now. I'm not looking forward to adding chickens when/if we lose one.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed reading your 'adventure' with chickens, I know how obsessed one can get over their antics and inter-relationships (sorry to see you lost Buffy by the way - she was a beautiful bird).
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your sharing, it's teaching me some things you can't learn in general chicken book, like the Easter-Egger behavior. I was thinking of getting some come spring because I just love those colored eggs, but you know feed is so expensive here and I have an older flock already that hardly lay so I think adding a 'finicky' breed that needs warmer weather would make me unhappy even if the rare colored eggs are so awesome.
Good luck to you!