That is probably a good idea, but I do not have any game cameras.
Either way, there is no way anything can get to the birds, so I am not worried about that. But it would be nice to see what they are doing.
Okay. The photo is a little weird. I would coat a wound like that with some original neosporin. Its a good one just make sure it does not have pain-killer. If you have Veterycin, it works good too.
I am so glad I do not have bears here. If you could, try to get a better photo.
Okay, yeah, that would totally make sense. I forgot to add that I hear coyotes a lot, including yesterday.
I am not too worried about them coming close. The coop is fully predator proof. I just was curious what was brave enough to come so close. Seems like coyotes could jump fences pretty well too.
Rained yesterday and here we are with tracks. Would love if someone could help identify them. I am in California. To me, it looks like two different animals. These were not here yesterday. Nothing attempted to get into the coop (which would be impossible anyways).
Lots of bobcats, deer, elk...
To answer your first question, it depends on your birds. Some lay through their first winter and some don't.
As for feed, I recommend the latter. Grower and oyster shells on the side is enough.
Polish are easy targets. Brahmas are big birds. A lot of people separate Polish chickens because Polish are small, have crests, and they can have poor vision due to their crest. Whenever I integrate new birds, I provide more feeders and waterers.
In your case, it might be worth a try to...