Search results

I have a young copper black marans that came into lay 3 months ago, laid about 20 eggs, then stopped laying 2 months ago. This seemed surprising and I have been worried what caused it. She is now looking unwell with her tail dropped and has lost weight. I will take her to the vet tonight...

My young marans girl came into lay 2 months ago, laid about eight eggs in daily succession, then has not laid since. Do I need to worry about this? It seems unusual.

I am sure this is a very silly question, but if I was to gradually integrate my bantams in with a large fowl cockerel (who has 6 largefowl wives), would he go for the bantams?

I have a brood of 3 black marans 9-10 weeks old. One is now half the size of the others. He/she had a phase of c 3 weeks of being quite vocal, cheeping all day, but always had a full crop at night and was bright so I didn't worry too much. He/she still looks well, but is only half the size...

I am thinking of putting my birds on some land which is full of anthills. I thought they would really enjoy the ants eggs and ants and it would help to clear the land. Now I read that in Africa ants pose a threat to chickens and can kill them. Does anyone know if British ants are dangerous?

I find it puzzling where all the grit I give my birds disappears to. Surely it can't dissolve?

I was out yesterday. When the 3-week old chicks came out this morning one could not stand on one leg and its foot is bent under. I've no idea what happened, but can only think it must have somehow trapped its foot under the edge of the coop when I was out. I've taken it to the vet and she...

Does anyone know how happy birds would be on a steeply sloping hillside (SE facing) at 700 ft? I could plant shelter, but it doesn't seem too windy.

Another chick has been born with a bloody-looking bum. Sorry to worry, but I'm wondering what this is? Has it been born with a prolapse? It seems as restless as the first one (which has finally settled and gone to sleep).

I haven't used an incubator before. My first chick to hatch did so very quickly, then seems extremely active before it has dried out. It is also cheeping. Is this all normal? I'm slightly worried about it disrupting the other eggs hatching.

I have a group of 5 young birds 14 weeks old that have lost their appetite. They look well, but I'm concerned about this. I am now worming them and have apple cider vinegar in the water. I don't know why they are not more interested in their food, and are going to bed with little in their crop.

So sorry to hear this. Are you able to separate the four big hens that have been aggressive from the two pekins? This seems very important. Have they been with the larger birds for long? If you have no way of immediately separating the aggressive birds, I suggest putting the injured bird in...

My 12 week old Marans cockerel is with 4 12-week old pullets. Now he is dominating (pecking) the pullets more than I would like and they seem quite nervous of him. He has been crowing and with a red comb since he was 6 weeks old. I would normally separate the sexes at this age, but he is the...

I have two magnificent, huge blue French Marans that have grown up together, separately from all my other birds in the front garden. They are both extremely gentle and are closely bonded. Now one of them is broody, and I have put her on 3 eggs from a thin broody that was getting tired and it...

I have a Pekin Bantam who has been sitting on 4 eggs for nearly 2 weeks. I get her off the eggs twice a day to eat wheat and drink, but she eats only a little, and is getting thinner and thinner and is losing body muscle. She raised some chicks in Feb/March/April and has been back with the...

I've had three cream legbars so far, one lovely-natured bird I hatched myself, and two that I bought in as POL pullets, which have been my only more 'bullying' birds. I was horrified today to find one murdering a Pekin that has recently returned to the flock after raising some chicks. I had...

Once of my bantam chicks, now exactly three weeks old, has gone very droopy with fluffed feathers. She doesn't have diarrhea. The others all look fine. The chicks have been kept clean in a dry environment, but the water did spill one day. I have made an appointment with the vet tomorrow...

One of my chicks (now over 2 weeks old) often cheeps in pain when it defecates. It has done so since birth and seems to do quite large poos. I give them a little greenery and grit along with their crumbs. I'm not sure what else to do. It otherwise looks well. I'm puzzled that my copper...

Hope its OK to check with someone - I have two French Marans chicks with a bantam broody who is pecking them. I have two hybrid chicks in a pen with an electric hen which I got as a companion to a bantam that she rejected. Can I add the two marans chicks to these (at night)? They are the same...

Hi, I've recently had two broody hens hatch two lots of chicks (rather too early in the year). They are a week apart in age. The first broody rejected one chick but the second broody is a wonderful mother and has taken the older, rejected chick this evening. Is a two week old chick OK with...