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Our Campbells were wiped out by a fox last year. Don't really know what sort of price would be fair as we've not bought adults before. We will be getting some ducklings this spring, but we have regular customers at the farmers' market so would like to have eggs ready for them. We are NOT...

In December, we adopted a German Shepherd. Being winter, the poultry are cooped, but on her handful of interactions she has gone after them. VERY fixated on anything with feathers. We let our birds roam free from spring through fall - any advice on breaking her habits? -Frank

Should work out okay - especially as you'll be re-purposing one of the roos soon. -Frank Blissett

"My ducks love naps." Our ducks are constantly napping - all day and ALL NIGHT! Wouldn't be so bad except that their coral is right outside our bedroom window. -Frank Blissett

Different chickens (not just different breeds, but different chickens within a breed) molt differently. Some go almost bald, while others are hardly noticeable. I've never really noticed them molting in the dead of winter, but so long as you keep them out of the draft they should be fine...

It's normal. Chickens eat broken eggs. It does help keep your next boxes clean - the risk, though, is that one of your hens will learn that 1) Broken eggs are good to eat 2) Cracked eggs can be broken open 3) Intact eggs can be cracked. -Frank Blissett

Nope - asking about stinky, slimy, rotten eggs. We vend at the local farmers' market and would like to be able to GUARENTEE our eggs are not bad. Especially in the winter when we can get somewhat backlogged by the time spring market season starts. Is there a way to open the carton, do a quick...

From what I've noticed, it can have two different meanings as they'll do it to other roosters too. Sort of a chicken version of a crude come-on line for the ladies that doubles as a macho insult for the guys. -Frank Blissett

"Will she always want to go to this flower pot at 7am?" She very well may! We had one banty hen who lay for many weeks in a flower pot INSIDE our house last summer. First thing this spring, she was waiting to get back in the house. -Frank

too much calcium can be bad for chickens, so it's usually best to feed it on the side. The hens who need it will peck at it while the others will ignore it. -Frank Blissett ps: One bakes the shells, so far as I know, simply to make them easier to crush up. I save our shells on top of the stove...

Anyone out there know of any non-invasive gadgets to check for bad (rotten, rather than simply old) eggs? ie Color-change swabs, sniffer-type gizmos, etc. -Frank Blissett

"Either that doctor didn't know what he was talking about, or it was some weird fluke your wife's friend picked something up from a chicken." ...or an urban legend, as noted by another poster. My guess as to what happened (just a guess - watch it become a UL too!): Poultry woman gets uterine...

Update: The hen died yesterday - think we got to her too late. If it keeps, we'll look into getting some anti-cocci meds to have aroud the house though. Thanks for all your advice and help. -Frank

Yes, she does seem to swallow if we syringe food into her mouth, but there was nothing in her crop the other day and she hasn't willingly eaten since we brought her in. As for her demo- er, chickographics, she's part of a group of started Isa-Brown pullets we got last May, so a bit over a year...

Thanks for all the thoughts. It's not a matter of offering the right food - she won't eat or drink when presented with food. She stood all yesterday afternoon over a bowl of chicken "treats" (whole corn) and a bowl of water but never even seemed to notice. We're to the point of force feeding...

We've had this happen in the past, but thought I'd post this time and see if anyone has any thoughts. The situation is this: Chicken seems a big under the weather, but otherwise okay. One day think "you know, she hasn't been roosting and is just standing around". Pick her up and there's no...

"...Any way to re-train them like you would a stray dog?..." A period of seperation from the flock might break the habit, though I wouldn't know how long is a good length of time in seg. A common method is to put a hot (spicy) concoction in blown eggs and leave them for the hen. I mean, spicy...

"...how can a pullet control when to lay eggs? people cant..." Sure they do! When a woman's pregnant, she stops ovulating. Further, she often won't start ovulating till she's done breastfeeding full time. Just like in chickens, it's hormonal. -Frank

"...My one buff orp broody attacked my labrador who tried to sneak a peek inside the coop...." LOL. We had a 1 pound banty go broody outside. Our 110 pound German Shepherd accidentally got too close while looking for a spot to do his thing - she managed to chase him off. Beautiful silkie, btw...

I don't know how bad your infestation is, but it may not be causing your drop off in eggs. You might also think about whether they are not getting a full day's light, whether there's an egg eater in your flock, a snake/rat/skunk eating eggs, the girls hiding eggs on you. Any of these may be more...