It happened to me this week. One of my Buff Orpingtons, found dead. No evidence of trauma. I've been watching the rest of the gals, but they seem fine. I just hope she went peacefully.
I put a bale of straw in their yard a while ago, and they have obligingly spread it all around. I've been sprinkling and misting one corner of their yard, hoping to lower the temp by evapo-transpiration, if nothing else, but I noticed one of my Buff Orps making a little nest-like hole in the...
I have one of those "bottomless boxes" full of dirt and covered with chicken wire. I planted crimson clover, and my girls keep it mowed down. I've planted a supplementary box outside their run that I plan to clip and toss in to them. Might as well harvest some of this solar energy!
My vet suggested this (after my neighbor's cat inflicted about $1600 worth of damage on my cat this winter.)
Get a Havahart trap, baited with cat food. When you catch the cat, dump one or two buckets of water on it while it's in the trap. The cat will then associate your place with...