Welcome - I'm pretty new too (well, new - not pretty). We have a half-covered run; woodchip over sharp sand. Our chooks seem to like the Glastonbury experience but it doesn't get too muddy because of the sand. Underneath the sand and woodchip is concrete so I was a bit concerned about drainage. Onto...

We've got the same drinker as sazchops. To the girls, it is a great toy because we have it on a length of chain suspended from the roof of the run. You would think that the water would spill as they peck at it, but the gentle swinging doesn't seem to affect it and the girls love it. We've done the s...

Thanks to everyone who responded. Within 48 hours the problem had resolved itself. I think that it was a combination of just having laid and having done a big, loose poo. Golly - how my former colleagues would laugh at the sorts of thing I am discussing on here! I am very grateful to those who sent ...

Mine love cabbage, spring greens and anything in that group. Not cauliflower - they won't touch it. Green beans and peas are popular. Sweetcorn is favourite. Melon works very well as do grapes. Fortunately, weeds seem to be very acceptable. That sticky grass stuff has run wild in our new garden and ...

Well, I don't know about the chicken - but I'm feeling a lot better. Thanks for those who have responded so far. I will keep an eye on her; she seems perfectly happy but just occasionally she opens up her tail feathers as though she is a little uncomfortable. Anyway - if worst comes to worst I now k...

I've looked at some of the posts about mucky bums and it seems that I should wash my lady who seems to have developed a problem. As they are just settling into their new home I worry that I am rushing to cure something that might resolve itself naturally and adding to all the other things that they ...

I'm so sorry that you've had this rotten experience. I'm new to chicken keeping but have been paranoid about fox-related security. As I say, I'm new - but it seems to me that if you have a big enough run you ae giving your girls a good life and they could always be let out when you are there to keep...

Thanks MO - that's very reassuring.

Being new to chicken-keeping is a bit like being a first time Mum. If only there'd been a forum like this when I had my babies 30 years ago!!!!!

We can't be with our girls all of the time yet - we are still renovating the house. Normalement they are let out at 7am, I go and poo-pick etc about 1030 and collect the eggs. Today, being Sunday, I had to come home to cook Sunday Lunch and although I waited until 11.30 there was still only one egg....

Husband and chooks have been spoken to. Result - 4 eggs again today.

Brill

Thanks

The girls are approximately 2 years old. They belonged to a young man who, tragically, died about a month ago. I looked after them in their original home until my Walk In Rum was ready. The feed etc is what they have always had - in fact I'm still using up the sacks that Alan bought the day before h...

A week after rehoming 4 girls I seem to be having a little setback on the egg front. The move went well, and I still got 4 eggs per day. I love having them and have been giving them lots of treats. I now find the OH, who lets them out first thing, is giving them corn and maybe dandelion leaves. I ha...

Our girls have been in their new home for a week. In this time, they've provided enough poo to fill one quarter of the new 30ltr composting bin! It's true that some bedding gets picked up as well, but 4 hens really do know how to produce the goods. I haven't noticed the smell so much, except when I ...

Sometimes the shell can get pimply with excess calcium, or if your chooks are just starting to lay, the egg shells can be a bit odd to begin with! , are you feeding them lime stone flour in their food?. Thanks for the response Silverback The birds are approximately 2 yrs old and I have just acquire...

We moved our girls to their new home this week and everything is going well. But, this morning one of the eggs had a rough shell - it looked as though tiny pieces of grit were stuck to the outside but it is how the shell had formed. Am I doing something wrong???