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  1. U

    Eye injury?

    As per my previous thread, my hens were attacked by a fox and one of the survivors has a small wound on her comb. I noticed today she is also keeping one eye closed. (I didn't see this before as she was in shock and hiding at the back of the coop with both eyes closed.) She seems to be doing...
  2. U

    Fox attack

    Thank you all for the advice and sympathy. Update - I kept them shut in the coop overnight, let them out for an hour in the morning before work, then shut them in it again while I was at work and let them out for a couple of hours (supervised) when I came home. Heavy duty hardware cloth and...
  3. U

    Fox attack

    I don't have a crate etc to keep them in inside the house, plus with three autistic/ADHD kids plus a cat in a small house it's never dark or quiet (school holidays here in the UK right now). I do have a spare coop which is small and wooden with a small attached run made of wood-and-wire aviary...
  4. U

    Fox attack

    They are pets. Rescued from the mass egg production industry. It was the least I could do. Gutted I couldn't save her. Been spending the morning so far reinforcing the run and digging in wooden planks around the bottom to hopefully prevent digging. (Had our decking replaced recently so had a...
  5. U

    Fox attack

    I found a small wound on her comb. I treated it with saline spray after researching online - is that right? She is staying in the coop (a small plastic one) which is warm and dark. I have patched the run with cable ties (it's fully covered with chicken wire over the top and sides) but will also...
  6. U

    Fox attack

    A fox got into my chicken run last night. Tore through the cable ties that attach the chicken wire to the frame. I woke with the racket and ran out, but one hen was already dead, one injured. Took the injured one to the vet and she had to be euthanised. The two remaining hens are in shock. They...
  7. U

    Soft eggshells (calcium deficiency?)

    Thanks. I will see if I can source some. Lily's egg today was fine - it seems to be every couple of days rather than every day. Don't know if that makes a difference to the diagnosis?
  8. U

    Soft eggshells (calcium deficiency?)

    Hi, looking for some advice. I currently have two hens - a 4-year-old Warren called Dot and a 1 1/2-year-old Light Sussex called Lily. Dot lays 1-2 eggs per week and they have quite thin, brittle shells, which I'd just put down to age. But recently Lily, who lays almost daily, has produced a...
  9. U

    Weatherproofing coop

    Many thanks for the suggestions :)
  10. U

    Weatherproofing coop

    It's just the windward side. There's a six-foot fence a foot away from the other side, which helps shelter it. I was thinking of a tarp as a temporary measure. Or maybe if I just lean a big sheet of plywood against it at an angle, that might help?
  11. U

    Mud in Run

    I use builder's sand as it drains well and is cheap. The chickens also like to dust bathe in it when the weather is dry :) I dump another couple of bags in every month or so after sweeping out the worst of the soiling. I just dump it in the middle and let the chickens kick it about, which...
  12. U

    Weatherproofing coop

    Hi all, looking for some advice on making my coop watertight. First, a bit of background... I've had the coop a year. It's one I bought as flatpack and just assembled the pieces (about the extent of my DIY skills!) As per the instructions, I painted it with a weatherproofing woodstain after...
  13. U

    Dirty vent

    Doesn't look like those pics - it just looks like dried-on droppings, and it's only around her vent. But I will keep an eye. Thanks for all the help :)
  14. U

    Dirty vent

    We trimmed her, but the remaining few mm of feather shaft are still dirty (the skin looks OK, not red or anything). Should we bathe her too?
  15. U

    Dirty vent

    Thank you - very useful info :)
  16. U

    Dirty vent

    Thanks. My husband was very late back today and it's already dark, so it will have to wait till tomorrow morning now. Another poop photo:
  17. U

    Dirty vent

    Not the best pics as she was more interested in trying to peck the phone, but should give a general idea. I'm going to wait until my husband gets home before attempting to clean her up as I think it will be a two-person job!
  18. U

    Dirty vent

    Thanks. She's a Warren (hybrid layer), same as the other two - not particularly fluffy. It's the middle of the night here now, but I'll try to bathe/trim her in the morning and also get some photos.
  19. U

    Dirty vent

    Hi, one of my hens has droppings on the feathers around her vent. I first noticed it a couple of weeks ago, but she's fine in herself - eating well and very active - though it does look like she may have lost a little weight (she was always the greediest and plumpest of my three girls, but now...
  20. U

    Broody hen?

    Thanks very much for the detailed replies :) Yes, I was confused by her behaviour as she was spending much longer than usual in the nest box, hours and hours and not coming out for treats (which is most unlike her!), but not showing other signs of broodiness. But I guess this 'egg-stra'...
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