Recent content by downtownjb80

  1. downtownjb80

    Stopping them from straying?

    Now I know the obvious answer is build a fence, but my garden is very large and the fence building takes time and a lot of money. There is already a wire fence there but in places it is falling down and there are gaps. On the other side of the fence is a popular dog walking path, which obviously...
  2. downtownjb80

    A quick fix for mud

    So it's been raining for months now and my chicken run has completely turned to mud. I was holding off doing anything as I thought the rain must stop at some point, but no. It smells really bad and because the hens are carrying mud around with them the eggs are filthy. The run is covered by a...
  3. downtownjb80

    It's been months and they're still not getting along.

    A couple of months ago now I added 5 new pullets to my flock of 4 hens. They were a little smaller at the time but have now grown to roughly the same size as the older birds. When I let them out on a morning, all of them go for the feeder but after a few seconds the older ones go for the new...
  4. downtownjb80

    Adding younger, smaller pullets.

    Tried that the first night, still a lot of aggression towards the new little ones as soon as it was light enough to see them.
  5. downtownjb80

    Adding younger, smaller pullets.

    I have an old flock of 4 hens just over a year old. 2 days ago I added 5 younger smaller birds a few weeks away from laying. I know for a few days they are going to fight, when they are a distance from each other they are OK but if one of the smaller ones strays too close to the big girls there...
  6. downtownjb80

    Can the coop be too dark?

    I was looking at adding a solar powered light, but the website advertises that the lights stay on for hours when they are charged. Would a light on all night be a problem for them? I presume the light will not be that bright being solar powered.
  7. downtownjb80

    Who is the leader?

    When I am out with my hens I don't see (or I don't think I do) any signs of who is top of the pecking order. I sort of have an idea of who it is, but what are the signs? It may be helpful when I add my new pullets in a few weeks.
  8. downtownjb80

    Can the coop be too dark?

    I have plenty of ventilation holes already built in, the window is made of plastic but in the shadow of the awning therefore less light getting through.
  9. downtownjb80

    I thought they liked to be high up?

    My first lot did that as well, but they finally got the hang of it. This time around I got them learning early and now at about 9-10 weeks they just about have got the hang of it.
  10. downtownjb80

    Can the coop be too dark?

    2ft x 2ft, but the awning comes down above it.
  11. downtownjb80

    I thought they liked to be high up?

    It is quite dark inside so will they be seeing the higher bar properly?
  12. downtownjb80

    Can the coop be too dark?

    My coop is a converted shed with one window, but the window is sheltered by a little awning extending from the roof. I was told that if there were too many windows it would act like a greenhouse and be too hot. Will enough light be getting in for them to see properly getting in on a night? They...
  13. downtownjb80

    I thought they liked to be high up?

    I recently built my girls a new coop converted from a shed. I put in a couple of roosting bars at different heights, the higher one being a foot higher than the lower one. But they only seem to want to use the lower one. I have tried for the last few nights lifting them on to the higher bar but...
  14. downtownjb80

    Pecking and Chasing Each Other

    My hens are 1 year and a couple of months old and just recently have started pecking and chasing each other around their pen. It has never been a problem before until recently. I have noticed a few have lost feathers around their vents and this seems to be where most of the pecking is done. A...
  15. downtownjb80

    Sideways leg

    Has recently started to hit its head off the side of the box it is living in
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