Thanks Janepick,

quite nervous, but ready for the challenge

Hi all, Our chickens have become part of our lives - they have become friends, given us endless hours of fun, made us laugh, made us cry - given us eggs, eaten the bugs n slugs in the garden and given us some unforgettable frights . They have become an all consuming passion of ours. We now believe w...

Hi all, thanks for the kind words - she has spent today re-affirming her position in the pecking order to the new girls. In a day or 2, I will take some photos of the 'new' run I have built over the last 2 days and post them on here. No chance of any girls getting out, and no chance of Mr F getting ...

Well its been 3 very long days since Snowball disappeared without a trace, so you can imagine our total disbelief when she trotted past us on the patio at about 6.30 this evening She gave us a look as if to say 'what's the matter - you look as if you have seen a ghost'. Both mine and my wife's jaws ...

Yes Lawlaw - the other 2 are fine - and they weren't skittish on the day she went missing either? Just so strange!!

Thanks for all the tips guys. Grannyof 4 - I have knocked all the doors in our street - asked the postman, the milkman, the binmen, the paperboy etc etc. No one has seen her. Stevethega s, wouldn't there have been some sort of sign to show that Mr F had her. A work colleague of mine had his 4 killed...

Thanks guys, I have looked everywhere I can think of looking where she might have squeezed in, but I would have thought she would complain as she is very vocal. Unfortunately I have not been able to hear anything anywhere The trouble is behind the field is a main road, so I have driven up and down t...

Hi all, I was just looking for some thoughts and advice. The night before last, I put the girls away as normal counted 1...2...3! I let them out yesterday morning 6.50 am 1...2...3! When I cam home from work yesterday at 2pm, there were only 2 in the run . Now this has happened many times where they...

Thanks Jannie - I'm sure it isn't mites, they live in a plastic coop and are dusted regularly - the others aren't like it, and I have checked them today.

So..........

If it is broodiness, is there anything I should do??

Thanks

OK, I was just about to post a topic on something I have seen today, but not sure if this post will cover it. My Blackrock has for the past few days been reluctant to come out of the coop. She stays inside laying on her egg and any of the others eggs. She scoops all the bedding out of the nest boxes...

Hi Grannyof4, there will still be about 6" of soil on top of the slabs, this will just stop any 'burrowing' under the fences, or up into the run.

Thanks all, I am going to implement a number of the actions. 1) Food will be put in shed during the night. 2) I am slabbing the floor of the run. 3) I am going to raise the sides of the run to 6', and then complete this by a mesh roof, so effectively they will be in a very large cage (16' x 16' x 6'...

My wife spotted a RAT eating from the girls feeder tonight. Thankfully the girls were tucked up in their beds. The coop and run are cleaned every few days. I have 2 questions for anyone who can help:- Are they a danger to the girls? How can I discourage them from entering the run? Any advice/help g...

Hi all, I haven't posted on here in a while since our bluebelle Yolko passed away; as I have been enjoying our new ladies for a while. Everything has been excellent and fun until today. I noticed earlier that Eva, our ISA Brown, has been a little listless today, eyes closed or closing, and she sound...