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  1. Spikes Chooks

    Should I add anything else to the ground of the "garden run"?

    My four chickens have a raised coop and a permanent run of coarse river sand, about 8m2 (roughly 85 square feet). I clean it with a cat litter scooper and it is so easy. They used to spend 3-4 hours each afternoon free ranging in our garden, but two new kittens have put an end to that and we are...
  2. Spikes Chooks

    Should I replace part-time free ranging with another outdoor run?

    I have 4 hens, 16 months old, 1 each of RIR, Australorp, Barnevelder & Silver Campine. In addition to their coop & nesting boxes, they have 8 m2 permanent run with river sand, protected including roof with snake & mouse-proof level netting, buried in the ground and right under the floor (under...
  3. Spikes Chooks

    Advice needed - Soft-shelled egg has broken in hen vent

    My 18 month old RIR has intermittently been laying no-shell or soft-shelled eggs. Today I saw part of a very soft shell and yolk stuck to her back feathers, pulled it off then had a look at her vent - there was more of a very soft shell, with white and yolk gunk, sticking out her vent and I have...
  4. Spikes Chooks

    Freaky egg-laying incident

    Well, I've had soft shells and even no shell eggs. This was quite an experience though - last night, when I called the girls to bed with their scratch, Ladybird the RIR was unusually slow and just waddled along slowly. Once I got them in, she didn't eat (and she is the greediest!) but hunched...
  5. Spikes Chooks

    Bumblefoot questions

    My 11 month old RIR has a small black scab on each foot. So far, I have only put Betadine liquid on it. I have read up on how to cut it out and pack it with a topical antibiotic cream such as Neosporin, but don't have any. So, the questions: 1) How do I decide it isn't going to clear up and I...
  6. Spikes Chooks

    Does moulting make a chicken cantankerous?

    I have four 10 month old pullets and the Silver Campine is two weeks into her first moult (it is autumn here). No bare skin but loads of feathers everwhere and she has no tail. True to her breed, she's always been highly strung. A bit flighty, screeches to go free ranging and squabbly. She...
  7. Spikes Chooks

    Freqent shell-less eggs

    Two of my four chickens are regularly laying straight off the roost (as if they don't even recognise it as an egg coming) and the egg has absolutely no shell whatsoever. The membrane splits on impact and there is a normal egg yolk & white ruined on the poop board. They are 34 weeks old and...
  8. Spikes Chooks

    Dumb ? How long should it take to lay an egg.....

    My 7 month old Australorp has been in the nesting box for more than 3 hours and has only just emerged, having laid her egg. I checked on her a couple of times and did not get any broody behaviours, the noice, fluffing up and grumpiness. She is now out and free ranging happily with the others...
  9. Spikes Chooks

    Injured toe giving her a limp

    My 6 month old RIR has been slightly limping for a few days and now I notice one toe to the side (the left in these photos) is at a less acute angle than the equivalent on the other side. And it appears to have swollen joints or maybe a break. She has become slower than usual when running - she...
  10. Spikes Chooks

    Is it normal for a pullet to "try out" the nesting box?

    My four chickens are 24 weeks old and the first to lay (daily from last week) turned out to be the Rhode Island Red. I posted a photo as I wasn't sure if it was her or the Australorp - turns out to be the RIR as I finally found her laying the egg yesterday morning. The Australorp and the...
  11. Spikes Chooks

    Adjusting things to foil pesky wild birds

    Wondering what is the "least worst" to do..... The coop is in a predator and bird-proof run. I let the 4 chickens out to free range for 3-4 hours in the afternoon and, until recently, propped the door to the run open. Initially I did this becasue I thought they might dash there if startled - but...
  12. Spikes Chooks

    Is this behaviour a challenge to dominance?

    My 4 x 20 week old chickens came from the same place and there's never been any pecking, screeching, squabbling etc. To the extent I don't really know who is dominant/lowest except in the order they do things. Ladybird (RIR) is first to make the bedtime call, generally first on the roost. First...
  13. Spikes Chooks

    RIR keeping one eye shut

    She is 20 weeks old, wormed and treated for mites 2 months ago. She and the 3 others are healthy and I let them out for a free range for 2-3 hours each afternoon. She was fine about 4pm but just now I notice she is holding one eye shut, even though she is walking round and eating in the garden...
  14. Spikes Chooks

    New to BYC

    but I have been using it for lots of great information over the past few months, especially whilst we built our coop and permanent run. A month ago, for my birthday, my husband bought me one each of Silver Campine, Barnevelder, Australorp and Rhode Island Red. We live in a suburb of Sydney...
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