Recent content by Xtineart

she spent all yesterday attacking them again, then running up to me as if to say 'look mum I'm protecting you' or maybe 'save me from these nasty hens'. this morning she has hung around the house to be with me instead of having to be out there with 'them'. ah the hen drama

aww that's sad to hear. I got the pullets as she seemed so lonely as she is 5 now and as an ex rescue her other friends have all long since died. I hoped she could make some new friends in her old age

my big old matriarch loves me, but only me. She has learned to tolerate one of my other hens, but 3 new pullets I got last month are simply not given time of day by her - she either attacks them constantly or chased them from food or 'her' space. She even spends all her time as far from them as...

I recently got a new batch of pullets and introduced them to my current babies, knowing full well my oldest would throw her weight around for a few days to make sure they knew she was the boss. So predictable chaos ensued, much pulling of neck feathers and nipping at backsides, but no real...

my hens free range in the garden and although I am constantly poop-picking after them and try to keep the place as clean as possible, the warm weather has meant we are being swarmed, excuse the pun, by plagues of big black bluebottle flies. They are attracted by the poop but there are so many...

The baby at the bottom of the pecking order is being prevented from getting in the coop at night by the other girls. They are sitting across the door and pecking her head if she tries to get in. Ive seen her have to spend the night sleeping in the sawdust in the run underneath after shes been...

hi sweeties, wonder if anyone knows the answer to my baby beast's sore bum problem? My sweetest gingerbeast rescue hen has never regrown the feathers on her bum, a strip down her breastbone and her crop and although she's happy, healthy, lays the biggest eggs (100g!!! :-0) she is always sore...

sometimes it can be jealousy that is causing her to get picked on a lot, especially if it is being done in view of you, as the higher hen(s) can be making a point that she is 'below' them and they feel she is getting more than her fair share of love and attentions from you, their rooster and are...

just wanted to ad an update. I gave in and took her to the vet fully expecting her to be put to sleep as she'd not eaten for over a day and was just so sleepy and sad. He had a poke and a prod and gave her some anti inflammatory tablets, some painkillers and a bottle of antibiotics to see if we...

sorry I'm in Scotland so dont know what there would be in LA/USA but have you tried large fishing/hunting shops? particularly angling supplies places often sell feathers or complete skinned birds, often dyed all sorts of colours for fishermen to use for fly tying. This is the sort of thing you...

I think she's got some kind of egg binding thing going on, possibly infection. She has definately laid yesterday and a broken thin shelled egg today but she's really been down the last few days, not wanting her treats, not wanting to run about with the rest, and just wanting to cuddle in on my...

aww thanks pullet things are getting back to normal here. installed a 'holiday' run for the hens at my parents and they went there to live for a few weeks while the water board did repair works. the garden is a mess but at least i's no longer under 2 foot of stinky water. My girls are now back...

those carved eggs are amazing. wanted to share a wee hen picture I drew during the week for a challenge set by another forum I use.

I've looked though that and she's not got anything pointing to serious illness on that list. she's not laying but not egg bound that I can tell, her abdomen is fine as is her crop, she's not even got a pale wattle but she is very lethargic. I've watched her and she does eat but she just takes...

My poor boo is acting so depressed, doesnt want to eat, doesnt want to play, doesnt want to egg and just looks sad all the time. This morning she let me cuddle her on my lap and ruffle through her feathers taking out all the loose ones while she closed her eyes and had a wee sleep, I guess it...