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Well, where do I start? Beenie, Babs and Bella have now been with me for 3 months and are doing very well.
They all started off together in the chicken coop with extended run, and every day got out to pootle around the patio. I would hide mealworms and other tasty bites for them to find, they loved this as much as they loved digging up my pot plants.
They all seemed to be happy together for the first month until Beenie ( best condition and top hen) started pecking and bleeding Babs and Bella. It really was quite severe, she would corner them and peck them and pull out their feathers, there was a lot of blood.
I had to get her out of there fast. I bought a solid built rabbit hutch 6 foot by 2 foot with a run 6x2 underneath the hutch with a ramp to get up and down. I still let her out with the others but kept an eye on her.
A couple of weeks later Bella, (worst condition, scrawny, not many feathers) started badly pecking Babs (medium condition, minds her own business) again, a lot of blood. She just wouldn't leave her alone. So we had to buy another 6x2 rabbit hutch with run.
I don't know why all this started. They had a balanced diet with good quality layers mash, mealworms, cabbage, strawberries, sweetcorn etc etc. They got out quite a lot rummaging on the patio, and it was plenty big enough coop/run.
Now after 3 months they seem to be happy in their own houses. They are in close proximity of each other and can see each other all the time. They also get to free range in the whole garden together but only when we are there with them, which is anything from 1 hour to 3 hours a day. It's not the first time I've been in the garden in the rain and they're happily scratching about under a bush! They still have a peck at each other. now and again but we're always there to stop it going too far.
The other good thing is the dogs are fine with them. The chicks were a wee bit wary at the start and the dogs were a bit too interested in them, but after a few wee nips here and there, the dogs keep a respectful distance.
We are delighted with our chicks a it's so nice to see them putting on weight and getting new feathers. It's a real joy to see them having a dust bath, sunbathing, running flat out across the garden, wings flapping, just being free and having fun.
If I had more space I would love to take on more but for the moment I'll stick to this three.
They all started off together in the chicken coop with extended run, and every day got out to pootle around the patio. I would hide mealworms and other tasty bites for them to find, they loved this as much as they loved digging up my pot plants.
They all seemed to be happy together for the first month until Beenie ( best condition and top hen) started pecking and bleeding Babs and Bella. It really was quite severe, she would corner them and peck them and pull out their feathers, there was a lot of blood.I had to get her out of there fast. I bought a solid built rabbit hutch 6 foot by 2 foot with a run 6x2 underneath the hutch with a ramp to get up and down. I still let her out with the others but kept an eye on her.
A couple of weeks later Bella, (worst condition, scrawny, not many feathers) started badly pecking Babs (medium condition, minds her own business) again, a lot of blood. She just wouldn't leave her alone. So we had to buy another 6x2 rabbit hutch with run.
I don't know why all this started. They had a balanced diet with good quality layers mash, mealworms, cabbage, strawberries, sweetcorn etc etc. They got out quite a lot rummaging on the patio, and it was plenty big enough coop/run.
Now after 3 months they seem to be happy in their own houses. They are in close proximity of each other and can see each other all the time. They also get to free range in the whole garden together but only when we are there with them, which is anything from 1 hour to 3 hours a day. It's not the first time I've been in the garden in the rain and they're happily scratching about under a bush! They still have a peck at each other. now and again but we're always there to stop it going too far.
The other good thing is the dogs are fine with them. The chicks were a wee bit wary at the start and the dogs were a bit too interested in them, but after a few wee nips here and there, the dogs keep a respectful distance.
We are delighted with our chicks a it's so nice to see them putting on weight and getting new feathers. It's a real joy to see them having a dust bath, sunbathing, running flat out across the garden, wings flapping, just being free and having fun.
If I had more space I would love to take on more but for the moment I'll stick to this three.
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