I have two bristlenose plecs- a girl and a boy. They're really sweet and only grow up to a few inches. Mine have white spots and orange edges to their fins. They each have their own coconut at either end of the tank.

Emma

It's really hard looking after an animal when you're not sure that they will make it. As long as she does not seem in pain or distress, you are doing the right thing, so don't feel bad.

Emma

Our old cats like lying in the sun in the straw underneath the girls' coop. The hens never usually bother and potter round them quite happily. Unfortunately, Mildred (the broody) encountered one on her way back up to the nest box and being extra grumpy, decided to attack him! The cat was cornered an...

Same for mine, Lucy. Managed to get her Frontlined as well!

Emma

Mrs B wrote:Lovely girls and a very scared looking cat.

Your girls look so svelte compared to mine, I appear to have hippo chickens

I think you'll find, the word is chickapotammi!

Emma

If the hens do roost on the bars, will they not get a draught on their tummies from that gap you can see light through? I thought draughts on hens was a big "no-no"?

Emma

Thanks Steve,

I knew the workers stayed with the queen, but was wondering how you found the queen in amongst all the swarm to put her into the hive first!

Emma

How do you persuade a swarm to go into a hive?

Emma

What great pictures! Benny looks really proud of you! I'm sure hubby was as well!

Emma

Hi, welcome to the forum. I have to say, I am a complete beginner myself and have no first hand knowledge of chook illnesses. However, in the absence of someone more knowledgable, the one thing that struck me is that it may be something fungal, with the soreness and the brittleness of the nails. It ...

Hi Kayl, welcome to the Lane. I am a beginner myself, but until one of the "pro's" gets here, these are a few ideas. Try googling red mite and then red spider mite and see if your daughter can say which she thought it was. I think red spider mite are harmless to chickens, but if Astrid was...

What gorgeous colours- lucky you!

Emma

Does it need to be a flower bed? Maybe you could turf it and then plant a few ornamental shrubs along the length of the turf, so you still have some colour?

Emma

Had to resort to a wine rack once, when we lived in Scotland. Snowed in with the monster stove from Hell (which ran the central heating) to start- luckily it caught, or I would have had to move on to the futon!

Emma

Hi Joel, I use Aubiose (which is a hemp product a bit like wood shavings) in the nest boxes and in the poop tray, as it is very absorbent and makes it very easy to poop pick every day. I also put a couple of loose handfuls of barley straw just in the nest boxes to make it a bit cosier, and it also a...