As hens get older they have a tendency to develop problems when laying eggs. As they approach the end of lay stage shells may begin to display full or partial wrinkling. This is caused by reduced elasticity of the tubes which the eggs travel down as ...
Taking care of chickens and ducks during winter has already been covered as a subject but how many readers realise that they can actually suffer from hypothermia and frostbite? Hypothermia Some chickens, particularly youngsters who are not used to ...
With a New Year just around the corner, chicken keepers know that temperatures are going to drop; with the usual wind and rain of autumn and early winter soon to be accompanied by an icy chill. This decline in temperature usually witnesses some ...
Wing clipping, if done properly, is a harmless method of preventing your chickens flying if they are predisposed to escaping an allotted area. It is used if they are likely to venture in to neighbouring areas where they are not welcome or it is ...
Chickens need feathers to provide protection and insulation for the body and to make sure these vital assets stay in tip top condition chickens will shed their feathers annually – although it can occasionally happen more or less frequently – ...
Okay, here it is, the Pocket Farm chicken coop and run project. These instructions are best used in conjunction with the plans which can be downloaded here and the photos which accompany the text below. This is a project that I have just completed ...
Pekins are a true bantam breed, meaning that there is no large fowl counterpart. As is often the case there are several suggestions as to the origin of the breed – the most popular alleges that they were stolen from the private collection of the Emperor of China in Peking in 1860 but it ...
Seasoned keepers will know that eggs can present themselves in many shapes and sizes outside of the classic egg shape we expect but they will also know whether or not an unusual shape is an indication of something more sinister or not. ...
A highly contagious disease that can survive for months or years in litter and poultry dust. Infection occurs through the respiratory system. Incubation periods range from 3 weeks to several months. Chicks become infected at an early age, whilst the ...
Poultry keeper James Marshall will often be found writing about farming and the countryside on his blog Outdoorsandmore. Here, he takes time out to make a light-hearted, but nevertheless identifiable, comparison between what some of the more romantic ...
In this photo tutorial we show you how to prepare a soft feather bird for showing. You can apply the same methods to all birds, the only difference for a breed such as silkies (as shown in the pictures) who’s barbless feathers soak up water ...
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