I suppose it does depend on how much you are prepared to pay too. We got ours from a lady in Hook where I also went on my chicken keeping course and I paid £20 each for my Point-of-Lay. I was more than happy to pay a bit of a premium because I have been able to go back to her for advice and when we ...

My girl Rosie has been broody for two weeks now. We started off by pushing her out of the nest box, but after 4 broken eggs one day, because of her over enthusiastic nesting techniques, we have now tried various other things to get her out of the habit. She spent a few days in a cat basket, but she ...

We have had 6 ducklings appear at work over the last few days however two have died very suddenly. Their symptoms were: Loss of ability to hold their head up, their head was almost 'snapped' backwards onto their back. This led to an inability to swim or to stay upright/stand up. There was no sign of...

My Rosie has been broody all week and although we had her in a cat basket so the others could lay during the day, she just nested down in that instead. This is our first experience of a broody hen and what a nuisance it is.. Today I have built her a make shift cage inside the run so the others can g...

We had to leave them to their own devices today as we were both out and we returned to Rosie 'brooding' 4 broken eggs! So from tomorrow she will be in the cat basket, raised up off the ground, until all the others have laid. Then we can close the coop door and let her back with the others. What a pa...

Our girl Rosie went broody at the weekend, much to the confusion of the two girls who were 'chook sitting' for us while we were away! She has been a real headache, sitting tight in the coop and disrupting the others. She has pulled all her feathers out of her chest and seems determined to be a mothe...

She is back to normal now - very odd, but pleased its all over

She is much brighter today,eating and drinking and noisy again - however she is still hobbling around, almost as if she has a foot/leg injury. She is crouching while she is eating and drinking and yet she can get in and out of the coop OK and is happy to jump onto and off of branches in the run. I j...

I posted a few weeks ago about giving too many treats and the results, however, I am now confused and would appreciate some help! The same chook, Molly, has displayed identical symptoms to the last time today and yesterday, but no soft shell eggs, she is laying normally: She went lethargic, unintere...

Hi Alison, You should look for their combs on their heads and their wattles (think that's what they are called) around the bottom of their beaks turning bright red. They also tend to start crouching or squatting when you approach or stroke them, just before they start laying. They can take quite a f...

Just thought I would tell you all about our recent experience with our girls that has taught us a valuable lesson. All seemed fine and they were acting normally. However, over a period of a couple of days we had two soft shell eggs laid in the run and we were quite confused by this. We weren't sure ...

I stand my feeders on either a large plastic flower pot or bricks and I hang the drinkers from the side of the run. Haven't had any problems with them being knocked over, but the drinkers get dirty mainly because of the dirt on their beaks when they drink. I change the water everyday anyway and the ...

We have an auto door opener that is opening about 4.15am at the moment, so glad I don't have to get up I poo pick every morning before I leave for work. I top up their pellets and change their water every afternoon and as we have a fully enclosed run, it stays outside all the time. I only take the w...

Names shown below on our signature. We did have Hetty too but she had to be put to sleep after Xmas (poor girl).
Aggy, Maud & Dolly (& Hetty) are after my two Nan's and Rosie & Molly cause we liked the names and they just seemd to suit them too. The picture on the right is Dolly!

Hi there, we have a coop with a pull out tray and I must admit we find it is brilliant! I have no problem pulling it out each morning to poo pick and only occasionally get woodshavings underneath that need sweeping out. Once a week I empty the whole thing and replace all the bedding material. I only...