Retired and very recently widowed, live with my son who has just bought a small farm. Bought 12 chickens and two roosters, and 5 ducks. Having a lot if bad luck with them. One duck died, I think he may have eaten something harmful as they gobble everything in sight. We found what looked like black spilled paint, not sure. One hen was caught by a predator, and another just died. I now feel their pen is inadequate. It is an old French pen with the henhouse upstairs and 5 little rooms downstairs for small livestock. It is built out of concrete, which is old and cracking here and there. Now a hen became broody and hatched two eggs. The chicks were doing well until yesterday when one died. I discovered it was riddled in lice. I have dusted mother hen and the other chick with lice powder but they don't appear to be infected. Mother hen then lost interest in her chick, so I have brought it inside and it seems well enough. I feel I have to re-disinfect the whole henhouse but fear the concrete won't dry off quick enough as it is winter and I have nowhere else to keep my chickens. I have sprinkled D.E. in the coup and their dustbath.