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That's a difficult thing to do Josh. How difficult will depend on their available space because they may well be attacked as intruders and won't be able to escape. Normally you would put them within sight of the oldies, but in a separate coop and run. After several weeks you might attempt to mix...

The short answer Baby Ruth is they can't swim so will drown quickly. The reason is their feathering, which doesn't contain enough oil for submersion because they can't produce enough. So it's like you trying to swim in Winter clothes. I did hear a very sad story once of a chicken used as a...

It used to be as simple as that Jelly, but it takes a lot of experience with such a weak light source to know what you are seeing. You are right on both points, it must not be too bright or very hot. There are some simple candling torches for sale, but avoid bright LED's, because the eyes of the...

Certainly doesn't encourage hens to lay more in my experience and I think you are right Asimov- to some extent it does put them off. One effect I have noticed is a tendency for hens to go broody more often, presumably because they now know their eggs are fertile? Unless you want to breed and you...

I've had the same problem recently and was unable to resolve it. After me being injured several times, he fortunately died of natural causes one morning. He was the only one (of a dozen or so) that we have had an aggression problem with and if we are in that situation again it will be despatched...

Unfortunately I don't know of any easy way to remove the concrete, which is why I don't use the stuff any more. Our posts are now knocked into a shallow hole and then packed all round with heavy clay soil. Not very accurate and they do move a bit over time, but can be adjusted if necessary.

That's a very tricky one Icemaiden. Is it possible to cut the post just up from ground level, dig out the stump and fit a metal post foot. Once set remove the rest of the post and fit a new one? Alternative is to build a new run entirely and move them with the coop before dismantling the old...

Hello Audrey and welcome to the forum. We had a Design student called Daniel Hibbert signed in back in 2011. He came round to our UK place for coop design information and his final year project turned out very well. In fact the coops i was designing to bring to France were pretty much identical...

Welcome to the forum Hellochuck. First thought glancing at the photos was a tick, but it may be nothing more than a build up of mud/ poo? Her feet look to be in generally poor condition with perhaps something lodged underneath between the pad and one toe. We have that painful condition (they...

At that age they will all be coming to end-of-lay JoshB, but it is unusual that they would all finish abruptly at the same time. Possible reasons as follows. They feel insecure for some reason- perhaps a predator nearby? At that age they will only lay in conditions they see fit to rear chicks...

It's the wet feed which goes mouldy very quickly and poisons them. The swollen abdomens are caused by a gas buildup in their digestive system. Where did you get the idea of feeding fermented pellets- that sounds deadly? The golden rule is 'never give them wet or damp feed'. Having said that we...

Hello and welcome. Sorry to hear you have lost one, but sudden deaths are not unusual. We have always buried ours in the garden, both in the UK and here because they are a slow release fertiliser for the ground. Hole about 18" deep is sufficient, backfilled and compressed with a slight mound...

Hello Trevor and welcome. We used to keep Orpingtons and Leghorn bantams and also bred Wyandottes, but took the decision not to have more when we realised that the Avian Flu regulations here would result in them all being slaughtered if there is an outbreak within 1 kilometre. There are several...

Mentioning "bringing them around in a van" reminds me of a trip we made to Cheshire to buy Leghorn Bantams. The breeder/farmer told us a friend had phoned him the previous week to say that he'd seen a van parked on the lane with the back doors open and an empty cage in the back. He finished the...

If you were posting about chickens I would immediately say coccidiosis. Are they pooing blood (black and sticky)?

I'd just get her warmed up and give her water. If you have a thermometer you can check her under wing temperature which should be 37C, basically the same as our underarm. Warming her is simple, just put her under your coat and keep her close to you. Food isn't important immediately, but when she...

Yes, as above which are the instructions given with the feeder. But to get the chickens to adapt to the feeder more quickly it needs 'tuning', so you can improve things considerably by making it less 'clanky' and greasing the pivot points plus balancing the treadle pad by adding self- adhesive...

Hi Icemaiden. Why they wouldn't let beginners shoot outside puzzles me? Common sense would say "make the sport as attractive as possible to newcomers". Congratulations on your win. Always very busy here. On the face of it this place was in good condition, but neglect, ignorance and downright...

I think someone on the forum is/was an archer. I'm looking for something to do for recreation during the Autumn/ Winter closed season for clay target shooting. They have a closed target season here for safety reasons during the hunting season. So I thought archery was worth another try having...

And there was a time when you killed all your hens and replaced them, because you were not getting enough eggs Marigold. Ours are allowed to live a full natural life as a 'thank you' for the eggs they provided.