# Matilda and Martha



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

They are almost 2 months old now, Buffy is doing an excellent job raising them. I have slowly started the integration process. While observing how protective Buffy has become with the babies with the other hens if they get to Close, I decided to try to reintroduce her first without the nabies. She is more relaxed without them, and the other day she got into one test with my Henrietta, and otherwise did really good as the other hens accepted her no issues. When I tried all 3 she was way too protective of the babies and she went after one of my rsl and when the rsl pecked her back one of my ee's decided to join in and they both ganged up on buffy.....
So I'm slowly putting her with the hens first to get them all back together and also bringing the babies and her as well with the rest of the flock. They free range pretty good together as long as buffy doesn't get too protective. I am hoping by Nov 1st all 3 are with the other 12 hens .


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)




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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Something to keep in mind, right now she's protecting them, which is normal. If you wait until she's done raising them then they are on their own and liable to get picked on by the others. 

What I'm saying is that by delaying things like this you could very well be setting yourself up for a whole nother problem.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I'm integrating them both ways, as buffy got beat up badly , when I do it both ways the other hens are more relaxed. So far it's going g good everyone gets along free ranging together. It's working out good and slow which is what I want, all 3 will be back with the flock in a month or two with less stress.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Why can't I post


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Wth.. ok buffy and hilda keep battling. Buffy is good with the other hens but her silkie sister


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Mingling with the flock . We do this every night, it's getting better each time.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

The babies are now as big as buffy.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You know the question I'm going to ask. Are they in the coop yet? 

Well, there's two questions. Is that a rabbit I see?


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

They go in and out of the big coop. I had to rehomr buffy sister (the silver silkie) as she and buffy were fighting really bad, blood being drawn and all out attacking. Which caused through other hens to join in. Now that the silver silkie us gone all the hens are more relaxed and there is less tension. Yep that's a rabbit. , the 2 rabbits are still here, neighbors new shed is due to arrive this week and hopefully the rabbits go home by end of august


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

And tonight they went into the adult coop all 3 of them and crammed into a nesting box..so tonight is the first night sleeping in the big coop


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Finally. Now let's see how long it takes for them to finally go to roost at night without her.

I've had them stay with Mom until they were old enough to be laying age.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

They are squished so I hope they roost and don't have too much of a problem with the other hens. 4 sleep in the coop on one roost and the 7 others sleep out in the coveted pen on the 3 roosts , so hopefully the babies don't have too much of an issue..


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She has been going in and out the past few days, today she went in the coop itself twice with thfm, I guess sh ed was checking it out and knows what she is doing hopefully. .. I'm a nervous wreck


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

She knows what she's doing so let her do it.

I've had them crawl up under the wing even though they were as big as Mom so it might be a while yet before the two go out on their own.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I'll let her do what she needs to now, the babues are the same size as her now so I feel a bit better. I just checked on them and they are all doing good


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

6am and they are fine. Matilda got one peck by Henrietta but it wasn't bad,they are all ok


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

854 am and they are still good with the other hens. Whew.. I did have to clean the nest box from all their baby poop but that's ok.
Everyone got corn cob pieces all spread out to keep everyone busy and they have the cornfield too


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

And since her sister is gone all the other hens are more relaxed.. her sister is living now with other bantam size hens and silkies too. The woman I brought her too is in 4H and they have ducks geese and chickens, rabbits and alpacas. She said she might show Hilda as she is silver and all the silkies at the 4h are either black or white


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You need to learn to trust them to know what to do and how to behave. It's sucking too much enjoyment out of having them. Chickens have been raising their peeps for a long time without us getting in the middle of it.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Oh I'm ok. It's my first time raising babies this way. Now that I'm a pro I won't sweat it the next time


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You don't think I believe that, do you?


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Lol. No its true, I know what they do etc now so I won't be nervous... once I get the hang of something I'm all set


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Tonight they went in the big coop again, I have the nursery coop all closed up so they can't get in that one.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Going good, they are mingling all together, buffy was accepted back fast. Babies are accepted as well


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Tried to tell you that, didn't I? It's very rare that the flock will hurt chicks. The only time I saw that was when another hen's chicks got too close to hers. Even then, I was there, put her in a pen of her own right inside the coop.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I had to be careful as my rsl are nasty , and when the babies were tiny they would have been hurt . Plus removing buffy sister has calmed everyone down immensely, she was very neurotic and her behavior fed the other hens to be super pecky, I've noticed a huge difference since she left, mire relaxed hens ,not as pecky... much nicer.. 
She is doing great in her new home. She is with other show silkies and bantam size hens and was accepted right away.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Buffy laid an egg this morning. She left the babies to go in the coop and they were mingling with the other hens very well. I guess buffy is done raising g them now since she laid an egg?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

She's probably been pretty much done. But if any other bird has bad intentions where the peeps are concerned chances are they'll pay for it when she lights in to them.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

She is still watching them yes, but letting them explore, they run back to her too when they get scared.tonight the babies roosted instead of going in the nest box, my husband put buffy with them lol


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I took down the nursery coop and run today. Gonna pack it up till I need it again


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Buffy is in her own nest box and the babies are in their own. Sometimes they sleep on the roost with the others and sometimes in a nesting box


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

So lovely that they can all live together!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

It took a few months but they are all getting along


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

That's great!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Martha, buffy and matilda growing up.. 




































The babies are growing up, 4 months old, and still stick near Buffy.. a little pushy, but still good little pullets. Buffy did an amazing job hatching and raising them.


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

Dang, those are fine looking chickens!

I really like the black in the middle bottom photo.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Thanks! The bottom pic that is martha, I was lucky to get a close up of her feather colors lol... she is in the other pics too. I got her mom and mom laid a few eggs so we hatched them, got 2 chicks hatch. I might show them in the poultry show next year.
Her mom is finally getting decent feathers, she was all ratty looking when I got her and is now finally growing some nice feathers.


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

It always makes me feel good when the feathers grow in healthy since that means I have been doing a good job with feeding them.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Are they ameraucanas? Forgive me if I'm slow.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

It's ok seminolewind, yes they are ameracaunas, I bought 2 hens at the spring poultry show and when they laid a bunch of eggs we took 10 of them and 2 hatched under my broody silkie. Their mother was pretty much used as a breeding machine and is probably 4 or 5 years old. I knew she was old and figured she could use a hood home, sucker that I am lol. Since they were with the breeders rooster we decided to try to raise some chicks. Little martha almost didn't make it luckily my husband helped her hatch and took the egg away from a nasty broody I had. We put her with the good broody a day after she hatched and buffy cared for her too. They are from nice stock from what I was told about the breeder, he shows his chickens all over. 
These two babies I might show but not sure yet I have to find out what tests they need to enter the show in the spring


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I had one black Ameraucana for 6 years. She was an "extra" egg from someone who sent me eggs. She was the sweetest hen. But didn't like to be touched. The lady with the eggs still has her sister, Gypsy. I was very attached to her. I always snuck her goodies. Named her Valerie after the Monkee's song.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Awe she is beautiful!!!!


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