Reviews by Jenni Hen

I'm not sure that my Eglu coop provides sufficient ventilation. It probably just about meets the 1 to 10 rule but there's no control over the ventilation and in summer I'll be leaving the back door propped open at the top.
The run is wire mesh but cladded with corrugated PVC in winter and spring. The narrow gap that between the PVC and the roof is easily one-tenth of the distance to half-way across the run, so that ratio is ok. Last year everything was fine, nice and dry and no draughts.

However, this year, we've had a wet winter, and there's been condensation on the roof each morning, enough to need wiping off so that it doesn't drip.
In addition to the damp weather (high 90s % humidity all the time) the ventilation from the windy end of the run has been slightly reduced this year because I added a makeshift extension in a hurry. (Avian flu cases were increasing rapidly and poultry would need to be brought inside.) The 'windows' in the extension are chicken-level and square, and face the prevailing wind that brings the rain, so they need to be closed against wind and rain; otherwise there are muddy patches inside the run, from the rain blowing in.

Thank you so much for this article.
One of mine had been withdrawn, not surprisingly as she was moulting and had lost most of the feathers on her back, but as the feathers were growing back nicely, she started to sit all hunched-up and wouldn't talk to me. There was clearly a problem. Usually she's the feisty one.
I'd not liked to handle her whilst the feathers were forming - I've read that it can be painful for them - so I wasn't sure what to do but when she stopped doing chicken things, I did pick her up and found a hard lump. The article confirmed that this was an impacted crop.
I read the instructions in the article and sat down with chicken in one arm, syringe of oil in the other, realised I hadn't a clue how to get the oil into the chicken and was interrupted by the cat walking in and dripping blood from her rear end! Isn't life just like that! Anyway my partner grabbed the cat and took her out of sight. Fortunately Ginger seemed to like sunflower oil and massage and something moved in the crop. However, we got messy from the runny oil.
I read about solid coconut oil, which I don't have, but the ingredients in my partners anti-cholesterol olive spread seemed ok for chickens and that was much easier to give. I put a dollop on the lid of a yoghurt put and Ginger stuffed her beak into it eagerly, scattering grease all over. I put the next dollop into the inverted rim of the lid, which made a beak-sized trough, and that was much less messy.
I massaged upwards as instructed. I was perturbed that several other articles on the internet said to stroke downwards. I checked on chicken anatomy and stroking downwards seems to me to be dangerous and probably very painful.
After that session the lump was flatter, but still not right, so I put her back in the coop for the night and repeated the olive spread treatment next morning. The crop didn't clear completely but she seemed much brighter so I put her back in the run. She gradually perked up and is now back to her usual feisty, chattery self.
If the article hadn't been there I'm not sure where I'd have got sound advice. Thank you very much for it.

Thank you, this could be just what I need for a better extension on the run! We're expecting that they'll have to be kept indoors shortly, because of avian flu, so I've covered their 'back garden' area.
I searched all over the internet for a frame for my old polytunnel cover and never thought of using heavy-duty mesh like that!
In the end, I bought a cheap plastic greenhouse but the cover tore straight away and I don't think the frame will stand up to the winter winds. I'm relieved that now I have a better plan.