Posts by terryg

Not molting is one of the reasons why pullets can start laying in the autumn and lay all through the winter. Next year your hens will molt in August or September, and need almost two months to grow in their feathers. You'll start...

You're sure they don't have wounds? Have you picked them up and looked carefully? (for those interested, I have a video that shows how to pick up a hen and examine the vent area here:...

Vetch is a green vine type plant often found in pastures in New England. If consumed in large doses on an empty stomach, (as happened with my Buffy) it can be toxic to hens. Cows love it. As far as what to feed - there's a lot of...

Patience! :)  Your pullets are old enough to safely eat laying hen feed, but why not wait for the first egg to give the younger ones a bit of time to catch up. You can put out oyster shell free choice now. I use a rabbit feed...

If a soft-shelled egg happens once it's not a big deal, but it can cause big problems, like internal impactions and infections, and also cause egg eating to start. I have a feeling that your pullet needs a much better diet. Egg shells...

I had a very good laying hen that lost her feathers on her neck like that. It was always a sign that she was laying. After molt they'd all grow back in, then she'd lose them again. But, look for other causes. Are the hens rubbing the...

It might be vent gleet, which is a yeast infection. It can be alleviated with a bath and providone. I've written about that here (along with other messy butt issues.)   http://hencam.com/faq/Yuck-My-Chickens-Have-Messy-Bottoms/

Yes, it's a prolapse. Have you separated her from the flock? The other hens will peck her to death if they see it. I successfully kept a prolapse back in using honey - not only is it sticky and has natural antibacterial components, but...

You could combine them now as none of them are fully mature. If they are penned, make sure you have enough space (minimum of 8 square feet per bird, and another 4 square feet inside.) I think that outside roosts go a long way to...

Broody hens not only have a higher body temp, but they pull out their breast feathers so that their hot skin will have direct contact with their eggs. You can stop a hen from  being broody by putting her in an anti-broody coop....