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Of course we don't buy eggs but was curious to see a sign explaining the French system of egg standard. There are 4 categories- 3, 2, 1, 0. They are defined thus:- 3 -caged hens at a stocking density not more than 13 per square metre. I defy anyone to find an egg box marked category 3. I picked...

Hello Soliloquy72 and welcome to the forum. Silkies are renewed for being broody. Sure they are not as bad as Transylvanian Naked Necks though? Just need to be sure your broodies are two years old and in perfect health with no lice or mites. We put ours in a purpose built very secure coop and...

Welcome to the forum HIfarmpickles. That does sound a rather haphazard setup you have, but if it works on the land you have that's great. My neighbour's 6 chickens run free range most of the year, but even over two acres they need supplemental grain. They are penned in now (for 3 months) because...

I guess to class them as Leghorns they would need to comply with breed standard Dinosaw. The hens should have a floppy-over comb that doesn't flop so much as to obscure vision, but unfortunately in my experience can be prone to frostbite. Suppose the term 'utility modified leghorn' may apply...

Our hens seem to have gone broody all at the same time, which is strange. Some of them do it silently, hoping you don't notice? No clucking or raised feathers, they just sit there looking as though they are just going to lay an egg, but taking ages about it. Noticed the other day though that if...

Hi Topaztiger1983 (Chris) and welcome to the forum. Loads of good info here plus on the host site 'poultry keeper.com'. Of course much of the forum is filled with problems and that could lead you to believe poultry keeping is just one problem after another. But that isn't the case. Start with...

Our biggest predators are stray hunting dogs Patsonline. They can (and have) torn through chicken wire. The foxes are timid here and won't come in the daytime, unlike England, unless the crops around us have grown enough to give them cover, so we have 3 months high risk (starting now). We had...

Our local breeder hatches all year round Patsonline. But its not as easy as you would think. Problems in this area begin with very high winds -there are no wind turbines here as they would blow over. Also hot summers mean that the fluffier ones have to go inside a stone barn to keep cool. The...

Hello Patsonline and welcome to the forum. A great selection of breeds listed there. La Bresse Gaulois is a native breed in France obviously. But our local breed is the Black Gascone- a sort of black Leghorn I would think. Loads of them around us, although the French here are beginning to become...

Continuing my quest to reduce the strain on my back I have been looking at a way of poo picking the enclosures without bending down. There are dog poo pickers available and horse poo pickers available. I've used a horse poo picker (just a dustpan and brush on a stick) and it's hard work as they...

Hi Jackie57 and welcome to the forum. Good luck with the hatch, it's always an exciting time for us. Something we will be doing later in the year once we have our enclosure better arranged for new arrivals. Our flocks are getting old and this year may be our last chance to keep them going.

Hello Gilly and welcome to the forum. They seem to lay younger all the time. A few years ago 21 weeks was exceptional. I think the quality of the rearing has a big influence, as well as the breeding.

Hello Poultryman and welcome to the forum from me as well. Whereabouts are you located?

I'm posting this question having pulled my back again, after moving the 'bell' type of plastic drinker into one of our low runs. We have them in every run and most have coloured plastic balls inside to show the water level at a glance from a distance. Most are also 9 litres capacity so quite...

We have a rather strange situation with egg eating. We have two Brown English Bantams laying at the moment. One of them is Bluebell, the youngest at 16 months and very much top hen (she replaced Snowdrop). The other is Daisy, now three. We have a single nest box fitted with a curtain. Laying can...

Hello Greatrooster and welcome. My guess of your location would be Quebec Canada. Having looked at your link I can see that the coop is far bigger than it first appears. I have an old book which recommends insulating a coop in the North of Scotland as there it will get quite cold, but not as...

Hello Cukoo and a warm welcome from a very sunny Gascony in France. I have no doubt your considerable experience will be a valuable asset this forum.

Hello HorseRider12 and welcome to the forum. Afraid I don't know much about ducks but I'm sure someone can answer your questions. Whereabouts are you?

Hi Chalky and welcome to the forum. Amazing quest you have. We have a problem here keeping the fluffier breeds cool in Summer and one keeper I have contacted (she has 400 chickens plus numerous rabbits) keeps all hers in a large (600 square metres floor) stone barn and uses a big mobile...

Hello Marches Farmer and welcome to the forum. We have a rather depleted flock of Blue Laced Wyandottes with a sick cock at the moment. Foxy does Salmon Faverolles. I seem to remember that she visits Bristol regularly which may help you.