Articles by Shadrach

In the normal course of events, free-range chickens move around their territory as a group. The focal point of these groups is the senior rooster and the hens keep within earshot of the rooster in order to hear any warning calls he may give. There are occasions when a hen may leave this group...

The reader needs to be aware that these observations and conclusions are taken from a particular chicken keeping arrangement which was conceived to be as close as practicable to the living arrangements of the chickens' ancestors, the jungle fowl, in order to study the chicken's natural behavior...

Hens have been laying eggs, sitting on them and and hatching them for centuries without human interference. Considering their ancestors the jungle fowl still manage to maintain a reasonably healthy species population despite the hens nesting on the jungle floor where they may stay for twenty...

Pecking; not all pecks are equal. A chicken’s beak is extremely sensitive. It is packed with tiny receptors that scientists believe provide the chickens brain with similar tactile information that humans receive from their hands. So far scientists have identified three main types of receptors...

This is a picture of a chicken up a tree. She looks very at home up there. Makes a lovely picture. Shame about the photographer not getting the picture in focus. Here’s another picture of a few chickens up a tree. They look lovely too. They’ve even got their kids up there with them. They all...

As humans became ‘civilized’ and water and cleansing agents became widely available, bathing in water became more commonplace and to some extent, the purpose of bathing was forgotten. We tend to bathe out of habit and the primary purpose of bathing is no longer as relevant as it is to other...

There are various threads on what you should have as essential items to care for your flock. This list is what I've found essential. The bulk of these items are from European sources but with the pictures many should be quite clear as to what they are and what they are for. Fenbendazole wormer...

This article is about a flatpack coop taken to bits after almost a decade of use. Lots of people buy these flatpack coops and the model I’m going to write about is a popular style option in the UK, made by various companies. It’s a generic style and most look identical from the outside, while...

This article is about my foray into the world of fermented feed for chickens. It’s written tongue in cheek and is not meant to be a definitive guide to fermented feed. It’s a bit of fun that I enjoyed writing. I do, I hope, produce some valid criticisms of much of the hype surrounding the...

If you’ve arrived at this article looking for solutions to crop problems this article is unlikely to be of help. More relevant information can be found in the two excellent articles below...

Flubendazole, is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic that will kill all gastrointestinal worm species that commonly occur in poultry. It is effective against roundworms (Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, Capillaria spp., Amidostomum anseris and Trichostrongylus tenuis), gapeworms (Syngamus...

Most chicken keepers at some point have to deal with a mite infestation, be it on the bird, or in the coop. There are many types of mites, some more well documented than others and some yet to be classified. I first came across the Straw Itch Mite (SIM) about six years ago and in my ignorance...

Scientists believe the modern chickens ancestors are jungle fowl. The jungle fowl live in small groups, roost in trees, and nest on the ground. Having watched the chickens here establish similar groups I became interested in finding out what would happen if I facilitated a similar social...

Tar and particular types of clay have been used in the treatment of wounds for many years. In the days of wooden sailing ships during a sea battle a shrapnel injury, or a limb removed by flying debris sometimes got cauterised with a burning taper and had tar slapped over the wound to seal it...

Major. Mel and Treacle after a hawk attack. Mini Minx and chicks. Fat Bird on the computer, my late email reply excuse. Cillin Ruffles Fudge and chicks Block, Tackle and Twine Blue Spot with Punch and Pinch Donk with Knock and Wood Pinch and Punch practicing pro tree hugging...

There seems to be no provision for bookmarking content on the profile page, so these are the articles that I have read and liked. This page will get updated as I read more. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments.67194/...

Graphic Pictures. Below are a lot of pictures of sick chickens and injuries. Each subject will have a link to a thread or story where appropriate and if there is no other information on the site, a brief description of how the injury was caused (if known) the treatment and the recovery time, if...