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I hope this isn't a silly question, but I have a beautiful Sablepoot that unfortunately likes to attack me. Would this trait be passed on in his offspring?

A useful and comprehensive article on the different types of impacted crop Crop & Gizzard Impaction in Chickens By Dr Rob Marshall Crop impaction is a life threatening condition of chickens with several predisposing causes. The treatment required and outlook for recovery depends upon...

I have a cockerel who has an impacted crop and, I have also discovered, an incredibly hard and swollen vent. I presume the impacted crop is a sign of the whole system being blocked. I have sat him in warm water for ages and massaged the vent for ages, as well as syringing water into it. He...

I've just consulted Marriages as I ran out of food before the birds had completed their 7 days course. It seems the course is only 7 days long to ensure that the birds take in enough of it if they are free-ranging and not eating any pellets. The course is this long to ensure some pellets are...

Has anyone tried the Chuxaway battery powered automatic door with programmable timer? It seems to be a lot cheaper at c £90 than the German-made VSB battery operated door for £160 with a 4-year guarantee.

I've taken on a 4-acre field where I am now enjoying two sheep and two hill pony foals. I'm planning a new adult poultry pen which needs to be extremely secure as its away from my house. I've planned 6' high, 14guage galvanised mesh with 1.5" holes, reinforced by 3' 3/4" hole ' 16 guage...

I moved Rolo, my intended young speckled sussex bantam cockerel into an enclosed pen with young ladies yesterday. All looked fine and I went out for the day to find both Rolo and Clement (brown sussex) in the adjoining pen in a completely dazed state with blood all over their faces. Could they...

I was very shocked to find one of my POL Faverolles pullets dead in her house this morning. She had some pale brown faeces attached to her, but otherwise looked quite normal, and I hadn't noticed anything unusual about her behaviour. What could have made her die so suddenly?

Does anyone know what protection would be sufficient to keep badgers out? My garden has become so wet I'd like to make some space for the chickens in a nearby field, but there are lots of badger holes there.

I'm very surprised that my little lemon sablepoot cockerel has been continually attacking me when I try to change the food or water in his coop and it is hard to stop him. A few times I have held him down on the ground to try and discipline him a bit, but today he was very difficult again. He...

A friend has recently taken on Bluebeard, one of my cockerels, 2-3 weeks ago. Initially she had him in a pen next to the hens so they got to know each other, then they all went in together a week ago. He is now gasping for breath. He is gaping and stretches up to take breath. His comb and...

My 18 month old cock has developed a black round spot on his comb about 1cm diameter. He seems very well, but I'm wondering what this could be?

I have a two-year old Marans, well established in her flock, that has stopped roosting in the house with the others. Does this mean that something might be wrong with her? She has just completed moulting and is fully feathered again. She was inseparable from her sister before so I find it...

I have two spare Speckled Sussex bantam cockerels. They are well-marked birds from old bloodlines. Free to a good home.

I have two young Orpington teenagers that have had wattles from a very early age, but have otherwise shown no signs of being cockerels. Is there any chance they could be pullets?

It seems someone at Exeter University is researching what different species see, and it turns out chickens have exceptional eyesight, better than bees and way better than ours, and that whereas we see in a three colour spectrum (red,green, blue), chickens have a fourth spectrum and see in a...

This year I let my lazy, laid back booted bantam cock breed with a lovely bantam speckled sussex. It has resulted in pretty birds which are much more like normal birds than chickens, and I'm not sure what to do about it. I can't contain one of them within the garden as she flies over the 8 ft...

A lot of my birds are moulting dramatically, poor things. At this time of year I seem to get the odd bird with depluming mite as well. Does anyone know where this comes from and what causes it?

Some of my youngsters came into lay, but after one or two good eggs, I got soft-shelled ones for a week, then no eggs. My hybrid came into lay with a large double-yolker as her first egg, then an odd-shape one, then after two eggs nothing. They all have red combs and look well. I just wonder...

I would love to make contact with a breeder of brown sussex bantams with a view to obtaining hatching eggs next year.