Recent content by allison_waring

Unfortunately Florentine our Barred Rock didn't make it. We tried a couple of different things (corrid, monistat, calcium), but she continued to go downhill over the next several days. She completely stopped eating other than the liquified diet I was syringe feeding her. Unfortunately the...

Ugh I was hoping that wouldn't be the case. I did find a broken softshell egg under the roosting bars a couple of days ago. I'm not sure if it broke when it hit the ground or inside one of my hens. I have some tums. Can I dissolve one of these in her water, since she is really only drinking...

Thanks for the advice I'll try giving her some calcium to be on the safe side. She is moving at least the fluid she is consuming through here with the amount of diarrhea she has. Would she be egg bound if she is still able to pass water/food through her? Her underside feels normal to me and I...

Hi Everyone, Looking for advice on what might be affecting my 2 year old barred rock hen. She has been ill for the last couple of days. Her symptoms are: Almost clear, slighlty whiteish diarrhea Lack of interest in food- Although when I let her out to wander the yard yesterday she went wild for...

Oh and I probably should have mentioned that this waddle, depressed activity, and the small poops have been going on for a couple of months now. It definitely hasn't been a sudden onset but more of a gradual progression over time.

Hi Everyone, I have an almost 2 year old golden comment hen that's been struggling with what I think is some type of reproductive disorder. She hasn't laid an egg in nearly a year. I was hopeful she would start laying again after her winter pause but she hasn't. She also has what I think is...

I wouldn't ever lock them out of their coop. I actually find it kind of cute and amusing that they enjoy spending so much time in there, but I don't want them to be afraid of their run or be bored. Perhaps I'll try a combo of more enrichment and work on switching out their wind block when I get...

Are they not afraid of the shade fabric? I'd be concerned it wouldn't provide enough wind block and wouldn't allow light through. I was considering upgrading to clear PVC panels this year but we already had the giant roll of plastic sheeting.

I don't think it's a predator issue. This is a daily occurrence and I haven't seen any tracks in the snow. They're pretty protected from aerial predators in their run and most hawks have also migrated out of our region by now. Perhaps it's just a boredom issue and we can find some more ways to...

I'm tempted to give them some straw. I've been hesitant in the past because I've heard straw can cause impacted crops. Is that not something I should really worry about?

Last year we had some frostbite issues on our rooster's comb so we went taller with the wind break this year. They are definitely spooked by it when I move the one side that can be rolled back but as long as it's not moving they seem fine about it. When it's in place it's pretty taught and...

Their nest boxes are in there but I've had them covered with a board for a couple of weeks since they're not currently laying and I had one hen who was trying to sleep in there. They have a treat toy (peanut butter jar with holes drilled in it) that they like pecking at. Once they're full though...

Asking more because I'm curious then concerned. We've had our 6 chickens (5 hens and 1 rooster) for almost 2 years now. This is their second winter (we live in Vermont and have pretty cold winters). Last winter they spent a considerable amount of time out in their run. This winter they are...

I'm hoping it's just grouchiness due to molting and they'll be back to their normal life soon. We don't have much extra room to add more roosts so they'll have to figure it out.

Curious to get your thoughts on my flocks sudden inability to roost peacefully at night. A week or two ago I noticed that our flock of 6 (5 hens and 1 rooster) were being aggressive towards each other each night as they began to roost. They've always generally been pretty peaceful about finding...