I was looking for the petition (before you put the lihk up) and started reading the Freedom Foods pages about the conditionsthat barnand free range hens should be kept under. It was a 65 page Adobe doc. so I didn't get to the end of it. The bit I found interesting was the bit where they said that th...

By not picking it, so the leaves can do their work, feeding it.

I've heard that you shouldn't pick after July (or is it shouldn't pick in July), because the poisonous oxalic acid in the leaves moves down into the tops of the stems.

Jim has surrounded some of the new plant/seeds he's put in with a web of sticks and string, to keep rabbits off. Maybe it would work for cats (next time!) The folkies on Mudcat had a long(53 post) discussion about rhubarb - price, culture, jokes, varieties, the 'Rhubarb Triangle, family history of r...

I suppose all animal keeping involves finding the balance, between the instincts of the animal and the conditions we can provide.
We can't give hens a jungle and complete freedom, nor can the human animal indulge all it's instincts in the modern world.

We do what we think best.

I didn't put compost on mine, but its rampaging (memo, give it some). Did you overpull it last year Wendy?

I should think they could glide down, it's taking off thats supposed to be difficult when they're unbalanced

Well, I divided it into 4, and put it next to the money tin, with the books and half dozen eggs, I didn't put a price on, but told the one who asked that I thought it was £1/lb in the market, there was £10 in the tin but I don't know how many books came and went. £1 seems a lot for a few sticks o...

You'll be doing it the hard way. My Grandma used to raise day-olds in a tiny arc with a glass covered run on the lawn. I seem to remember all sorts of panics and emergencies. And they may have had a setback in the petshop; if they are sold as food they may not be kept on the best conditions. They'll...

I found this picture of how to do it http://www.poultryhelp.com/wingclipping.html
I think the idea is to make them uneven, to deter them from flying out, and getting into trouble/mischief.

don't know how to deter them, but I noticed yesterday that one of my birds looked thinner and blacker than the others! It flew off when I came near, and it wasn't stealing their supper from under their beaks, maybe it was hoping for leftovers. I can't keep them off the cherry tree either, they have ...

Mine do that. I've got 3 boxes but they pile into one.

Yes, our cat is always drinking outside.
After th last downpour we had a full bucket under a leakiy gutter and Pat was seen stretching to get his head over the edge.

If no-one here can help try Practical Poultry http://www.kelseyinfo.co.uk/yabb/YaBB.pl
They have some knowledgeable members, at least they seem to be.

Its not usual, but one of mine once laid 2 in a day, when starting laying.
Anyway you can't stop them, can you. They are bred to lay lots.

Right, I've been outside with the ruler.
The flocknet round my hens has a mesh of 3"x4" squares. If a strand snaps they will find and squeeze through a double square, no problem. The 4' high net will usually keep them in though I have one that's getting out every morning at the moment.