Well done for getting all that sorted out, I’m glad it’s paying off in terms of the chickens health and comfort. If the injuries are healing now, that would seem to confirm the diagnosis of unsuitable perches. They will thank you for improving these! As you say, probably no need for a vet visit, if ...

And Dominic Cummings comes out tops again, fancy that.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... -in-durham

I would advise contacting Trading Standards about your issue, Icemaiden. I used to have the sort of plastic drinkers you have to fill and invert, but got fed up with getting wet feet, arms and legs when they fell apart when inverted, especially in winter. So now I use galvanised ones with a central ...

South Cubbington Wood, in the way of HS2.
Before
And after.

Yuk! Do-it-yourself get-Covid kit! It was bad enough when I did my test with a nice new clean one!

Hi Trappapapa, why not just put up a perch about 1 to 1.5 metres high, and see what they do? Then they have a choice. Minimal outlay, and if they don’t like it, they won’t use it, and you can take it down again. I think it’s good to give them some shelter though, so the perch is dry and protected fr...

Wow. That’s all amazing. Rags to riches, for your exceptionally lucky hens! A lot of research and all bases covered, I think. You’ll be glad you did everything to such a high standard from the start, and have such lasting and useful accommodation and equipment. Will you have to go far, to pick them ...

That sounds good. The roof looks lovely. I agree, there will be a lot of water collected - it’s better out than in the run! You’ll need to arrange an overflow for the water butt, as however big it is, you probably won’t use it all on the garden in a wet winter. Mine just diverts water away from the ...

This bird is amazing. I loved the bit where it said ‘The male bar-tailed godwit, whose standard weight is between 190gm and 400gm, can double in size before a long flight but is able to shrink its internal organs to lighten the load.’ An example to us all. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/202...

Not exactly a regret, but I think that, if I were starting again from scratch, and with a properly secure run, I wouldn’t bother with a coop. I’d just put up a choice of perches under a covered, sheltered area, and provide nest boxes instead. This would take up less space, be much cheaper to buy or ...