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Hi - you can see the roosts in my runs on my live cams: www.HenCam.com. I have flocks of mixed ages and breeds, so outside roosts are a necessity to keep everyone safe and happy. You can also see my inside roosts. The ones in the HenCam barn are hinged, so that they can be lifted up and latched...

Yes, it's prolapse. Immediately remove your hen from the flock. If the other hens see it, they'll peck at the prolapse (which is the insides pushed out due to egg-laying issues) and they'll kill the hen. Some prolapses can be cleaned up, pushed back in, and your hen will be fine. You need to...

When hens molt it can be just a few feathers a day, or they can all of a sudden look almost naked! You'll know it's molting because there will be lots of feathers on the ground - big and small ones, and all in perfect condition. Your hen will look scruffy. In the newly bare areas you'll see...

Glad I could help.

My guess is that they're bored. They also might be crowded on roosts at night, depending on how that is set up. Sand doesn't give the girls much to do during the day. You can use a suet bird feeder (the metal cage type) to hang greens up in. You can give them a melon to peck at. Kohlrabi -...

Feather pecking can begin for many reasons. It would help to know the age of your flock, the number of birds and how they are housed. One main instigator is boredom. That, combined with crowding, can quickly lead to feather picking. If the hens have been more confined due to this heat wave, they...

You can buy special shade material that lets breezes through. I have it over my run and my rabbit hutch. Do a google search for "shade tarp" and "shade cloth" and you'll find lots of options. Shade is essential in this heat. Also, you can hose down the run in the shady area so that the hens have...

Eleanor is an elderly bird- now 7. She's looked like that for several years. I've had chicken experts and a vet look at her and they're all stumped. She has other health issues, but keeps on going. Amazing what chickens can live with.

I have some good pictures of lice on my blog and also what to do about them. http://www.hencam.com/henblog/2010/05/of-lice-and-hens/ Mites are another story. Luckily, I haven't had to deal with them so no photos. But, they are quite different than lice - from where they live to what they do...

Wonderful!

If there's too much manure, anyone will get sick. But, coccidia, external parasites, most internal parasites and respiratory diseases are species specific. However, all animals have E. coli and salmonella - so remove the manure frequently and you'll lesson the load.

I'm not sure what you are dealing with. Usually bacterial infections have yellowish liquid, not clear. I don't like dosing healthy chickens with antibiotics when the one affected chicken might not have a respiratory disease. Keep an eye on things. Pay attention to other signs. Is her crop full...

Heat stress is panting, lethargy, death. Not fluid coming out the nostrils. Watery green poops can be a sign of infection. Isolate her in a cool place and observe. Very rarely can you match the diseases you read about on the internet with what's happening in your flock. I have a FAQ about what...

It's berry poop! Give them red cabbage and you'll see brilliant purple. BTW, when they eat a lot of fruit, the poos will be runnier. Also, in this heat they should be drinking a lot of water and the manure will be wetter. Don't worry!

I have a FAQ about this. http://www.hencam.com/henblog/rabbits-and-chickens/ You can see my rabbit, Candy, in a the chicken run with the hens at www.HenCam.com. Worry about predators! I wouldn't let my rabbit roam without overhead netting to keep out hawks, and worry about them tunneling out...

It can be quite damaging for the chicks to get too much calcium and protein. Too much calcium will damage a chick's kidneys. Too much protein and they won't have the steady, even growth you want for strong bones. Are they in a dirt run the whole time? They need a source of greens. I'm also...

If they're already free-ranging together, and they are comfortable with each other, there's no reason to keep them separate - unless for some reason they're getting different feed, such as one group is getting chick feed and the other layer. If there's communicable diseases, they'll communicate...

I've had all-girl flocks for 15 years. I don't free-range because even a rooster couldn't protect the girls from the hawks nesting in the backyard, and the coyotes, and the fisher cat.... (they do get out under my watchful eye.) Rarely have I had bullying. Once it was easily stopped by giving...

More info, please. Age of chickens? Are they laying? Housing situation? Blood in the poop can indicate several issues. I just had a bout of respiratory disease in my flock. Read about it here: http://www.hencam.com/henblog/2011/05/not-mycoplasma/ Then read related posts. It's impossible to...

Yes, that's her. She's perfectly healthy otherwise -no one bullies her so she's not giving off any sick vibes. It's very odd!