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TLDR version: My hens have slowed egg production since early May but have also undergone changes to routine (less free range time), increased predator threats (fox family), and integration of new chicks (at 8 weeks old). Is decreased production a result of this stress? Or could there be...

I noticed about 2-3 days ago that one of my hens seems to be coughing (see video). It's become a bit more frequent, and this morning it seems that 3 of my other hens are having similar symptoms (one is more wheezing than coughing). All are eating, drinking, and active (though the wheezy one is...

I have 8 young hens (~17 weeks), 1 laying consistently nice strong shelled eggs for about 1.5 weeks now (OE) and another who laid a nice strong egg late last week but has not yet laid another (WLH). I would have expected at least 1 or 2 others by now, even if she was only laying every other day...

Hi, I'm new to chickens. One of my 8 pullets (16 weeks) has a bloated chest. Not sure if it's sour crop?? I noticed it yesterday while they were all out free ranging. I was hoping her crop would clear overnight but she's the same this morning. I have them all in their run today so I can monitor...

After years of research and planning, I finally got my chickens this spring :ya Wanting a diverse flock of bird colors and eggs, I started with 8 girls/7 breeds (2 EEs because egg color is a crap shoot). I'm already planning in my head what breeds I will add next year, but there are SO MANY to...

I have 2 EE pullets, trying to figure out what they will look like when full grown/all feathered out. Currently about 4 weeks+. In particular the gray one has some pretty red/brown tones in her wings and neck, trying to see how that will look. I love seeing how they all grow and change! :)

We are building a coop in my existing barn (circa 1800s) that presently houses my horse and 2 mini donkeys. Last weekend I cleaned out the area (was being used for random storage) and pulled down some shelving and boards to clear the area. We finished the shell today- it is now fully enclosed...

My chicks are about 3 weeks old and all seem to have missing feathers just above their tail areas (see photos)- is tbis normal?? Should I be concerned or do anything?

I'm getting my first chicks tomorrow- SO SO excited!!! And now the panic is also setting in, a bit like the day I went into labor with my son thinking omg what did we do?! I'm on several chicken groups on Fb and seeing all the questions with problems-please remind me that most of the time...

My hubby finally said YES to chickens, woohoo! I'll be converting an area of my existing barn for the coop and building a fenced run off of the barn. Wondering what material is best for a cover? I live in a snowy area (Massachusetts) so that is a consideration. Do people just continue hardware...

I have an old 1800s bank barn that currently has stalls for my horse and 2 mini donkeys. I have additional storage space that I'm planning to convert to a fully enclosed coop with an attached outside fenced run. Will I regret keeping chickens in my horse barn? My reasons for using this space...

I'm hoping to start a flock of chickens this year or next (starting with 8-10 and then I'm sure chicken math up to about 25 hahaha) and of course everyone's cute pictures of ducklings has me thinking...should I add a couple ducks, too??? My biggest hesitation is the extra work for ducks...

How much work are chicks? Do you need to be checking them frequently or are they ok with 2-3 checks per day? I.e., if I work full time out of the home and check on them in the am and when I get home from work and another night check, is that enough? Assume appropriate set up and heat (planning...

From my purusing of hatcheries online, it seems that sexing day old silkies is quite difficult. If I were to get several straight run, what age can you typically tell if you have hens or roos? Any tips specific to silkies? Not ordering now, just curious for the future.

Newbie here, trying to learn and weigh future options. I have several Qs for folks that I would love input on. Do you feed your chickens all organic or not? What factored into your decision? Do you sell egs? Does the decision to feed organic relate to egg selling? Do people buying eggs...

Is there any benefit/advantage of building a 3-sided compost bin in the area I plan to enclose for my future chicken run? I have some pallets that I want to use to build a couple compost bins and have been trying to figure out where to build them. I have read that chickens love to scratch...

So I'm planning to convert storage space in my barn (horse barn, a stall sized area) into a coop and build a brooder within this space so that I can raise chicks outside (with a heat plate) instead of in my house. For those who brood chicks in your coops, can you show me pix of your setups...

I don't have chickens yet but I'm hoping to get some in the spring. In addition to my coop, which will be a converted area of my existing barn, I plan to build an enclosed run that will be approx 20×20'. Is it beneficial to add any vegetation in the run? I was in a work meeting the other day and...

I live in the northeast and we get cold winter as well as hot summers. I'm thinking ahead to when I build a coop- do people typically insulate theirs? Walls, roof, both? If so, what do you use? I have read about mice getting into it, so not sure. But in my climate it seems like it would be a...

If you have a secure coop attached to a secure covered run (is that an oxy moron??), is it still necessary or advisable to lock chickens in the coop from dusk to dawn? Is there any benefit to leaving the door open to the run and letting chickens decide for themselves? Or is that just asking for...