A short while ago, I discovered one of my 12 week old Cuckoo Marans, Fifi, laying motionless at a funny angle under the henhouse inside the run. I retrieved her body -- no apparent injuries; her legs and wings were stiff, her eyes closed and slightly sunken, but her head and neck just flops...
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens?
Yes, I am (mostly) new to chickens. My paternal grandparents had a small flock on their farm when I was a kid, and I've cared for a few friends' flocks. My partner’s parents raise chickens (and geese, ducks, and turkeys)
We got our...
I'm about to start construction on a coop and run in our suburban backyard in the Piedmont of North Carolina.
We have 13 standard-size laying birds (well, week-old chicks) that will need a home soon. I've drawn on designs like the The Palace Coop and Carolina Coops to build in dual purpose...