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Yesterday I found one of my girls sitting in the corner of the coop, rolling her head around backwards. She was sitting on the ground and looked like she was straining. I checked to see if she was bound but felt nothing in her vent and her abdomen felt normal. I checked her poops and they...

Hey guys. I've been trying to live trap an opossum for at least two months. I have bated the trap with veggies, peanut butter, crackers and it always seems to figure out how to get the food without actually going inside the trap. Today I caught a squirrel instead of the opossum. Any advice...

I couldn't really find a thread for this. I'm a newbie to it, I've mostly made soft cheeses. I'm contemplating my first attempt at hard cheeses. Anyone have any experience/advice/tips/stories?

I got my first egg today! I'm not 100% sure who's it is, but that's okay. (I have a Lavendar Orpington, a Marans and an Easter Egger) Take a look!

This may be a stupid question, but my girls are at 27 weeks, all signs say that they are about to lay... but... Is it possible for a hen to be stubborn about laying due to lack of privacy? The girls all sleep in one nest box even though I've tried to deter that. There are two other boxes, but...

My girls seem to like to pile into one particular box and sleep there for the night. How do I break them of this? I tried doing decoy eggs so they get the hint as to their purpous, but it's just not working. Suggestions?

Hi guys! I own one Maran pullet and had a question about what I should expect this winter. I live in Kansas which has inconsistent and fluctuating weather patterns. I've also been reading up on this breed and I've heard that Marans are cold hearty and they are not cold hearty. Which is it...

I added a few golf balls to my nesting boxes. Does this actually work? Do I eventually have to remove them after they start laying?

Hey guys. My neighbors recently inherited a cat from their late brother-in-law and the thing is pretty wild. They have other pets, but that cat seems to think my chickens are a meal on legs. She hasn't broken into the coop/run yet, but I think she's been trying. Any ideas on how to get a cat...

I've read that some breeds don't lay in the winter. Any ideas as to which they are? My girls are at 21-22 weeks and I'm waiting for my first few eggs, but I'm scared that since it's Nov and I live in Kansas, I may be waiting a whole lot longer.

Anyone have suggestions for artifical lights in coops? I'd need something somewhat solar since there isn't any way we can run electricty to the coop. My husband is against using a power cord because it technically is a fire hazard (he's a trained electrician)

So I've decided that I'm not going to heat the coop. It is partially insulated and well sealed (except for necessary ventilation of course). It's basically as draft free as possible. My only issue is that their water freezes at night and I don't have any electricity nearby to run a heated...

I can't get the uploader on here to load my photos so please click the links. One of my girls has a swollen looking eye. She acts fine otherwise, almost like nothing is wrong. What is it??? Here Here Thanks

I noticed today that one of my chickens has an eye which is slightly swollen. She can still see just fine as it is not swollen shut. It's a little pinker than the other eye as well. Could it be pink eye? If it is, what do I do for it? The other girls seem fine and she isn't acting like...

Check out my new coop! It's made out of reclaimed wood, pallets and a few newer 2x4s. I'm so happy it's done!

Hey guys, I just finished my coop and the girls seem to want nothing to do with it. They were originally in a chicken tractor and as they got too big I had to upgrade. Any ideas on how to coax them in and what might be wrong? The ramp is low and easy to traverse and they have comfy bedding in...

Hey! I need advice. I built my coop to be about three feet off the ground, on stilts if you will. I see that type of coop all over this board. I'm just wondering, how do you get in there to clean???? I have the hardest time doing it. I get about half way in and then I get stuck. Granted, I...

So, I've been noticing something with my girls that confuses me. I've been giving the girls grit because they don't have much else to choose from. If I put it in with their food (which the bag said I could do) they pick around it, if I put it in it's own container it's gone within 5-10...

Hi guys. I just wondered it if was important to try to keep the run as snow free as possible. In the winters here (Kansas) we can get some accumulation which can sometimes also freeze over due to random warm ups. Any tricks or tips? I'd like to keep this coop/run as safe as possible for...

Hi! I'm new to this and just wondered how many flies is too many? I just put them out in their coop/run last night and they seem to have a swarm of flies around them.. I mean.. SWARM. They've barely pooed in there too! I guess I'm just concerned about bird health and neighbor complaints...