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Hey folks -- long time, no see. I'm no longer keeping chickens (moved to the big city and I'm pretty sure my landlord wouldn't like them in the living room), but my folks let me start peeps every couple years during my summer visit and then care for them as adults. This black beauty is an EE...

Never thought to check on her eyes -- I'm going to be taking a short trip back soon and I'll check her then. We joked that we were going to put in a "chickenvator" -- she pecks peoples boots until they pick her up, so we're sure we could teach her to peck the button for the appropriate "floor" ;)

(Long time no see folks; I moved to Boston following work, and my chickens are now under the ownership of my mother. I do long distance diagnosis and recommendations and take care of them when I visit. It's quite strange.) I started some babies for Mom last summer and they integrated well...

Gratefule Dad -- other chicks can be sexed with about 90% accuracy (by professional sexers. Farmer Joe down the road may know what he's doing or he may just be guessing, but the 90% generally applies only to the professionals). Sex-links are just particularly OBVIOUS at birth, and from a method...

Wellies are sloooooow. And they're poor winter layers to boot. But it's all worth it if you get nice dark eggs :) I keep a couple real monsters to fill the cartons (Sex links, Wyandottes, Rocks), and the Wellies and the EE are for cool eggs.

If I feel a need to do anything more that water (like, say, if I've had a rough year with disease, or ended up with used equipment for whatever reason) I use bleach. It'll work on either of those materials; just watch your clothes and do it outside if you like your carpets. Be sure to rinse...

EE muffs are such a target -- it's like the other chickens are saying "Hey, honey, you've got something on your face. Let me get that." I've found with my picking problems that targeting the culprit and not the victims is the solution. Remove her from the flock temporarily. Get the EEs'...

Is your light clipped or chained? If it's clipped, chain it. There's not much chance of the cardboard getting too hot unless the light actually drops on it, so prevent it from dropping on it with a chain or rope or both. I usually do a chain with an s-hook and also tie it up with a bit of twine...

Or it would be if my phone camera didn't suck so bad XD Depending on the lighting, this egg is either pale steel blue, or mint green. I won the EE lottery :D

Try separating them from the flock for a while and remove non-protein-increasing treats (AKA, everything but the BOSS) from their diet. That said, sometimes when they get started they just won't stop. What finally, finally put an end to the last of my picking issues was eating an evil hen who...

This is totally a hunch, but... check him for mites? The reason that I say that is that the only time I've remotely seen anything like that was in my cats, and it was self-inflicted--scratched all the fur off. Right behind the ear is one of the few places that chicken can reach to scratch at...

Even my breeds who are good winter layers (and DID lay through the winter last year and the year before) decided to quit this year. Not sure where you are, but I think the exceptionally gloomy, rainy weather we're having here has something to do with it. We're not just having short daylight...

Gabby's not particularly loud yet, she just NEVER shuts up. Afraid to see what it'll be like when she starts laying.

(Some of you know that my chickens default to no name and an eventual home in the soup pot once they slow down. They can escape the pot by earning a name--once you're named you're home free unless you turn vicious or need to be put down due to an illness. The naming has to be spontaneous -- we...

See, normally I don't let them perch on me, but for some reason this year's batch of young 'uns like to roll out of the holding position (one arm wrapped around the wings with both feet held in that hand) and onto my wrist when I try to release them. Then, no matter how much they were...

First: Hi everyone; I haven't been around much lately! ... I realized I was getting some odd looks this morning when I was gesturing -- don't blame me, I'm half Italian, and I sure perpetuate the stereotype when I get going. Anyway, a few minutes ago, I realized why: a rather ugly red gash...

All my girls will throw spots periodically. White spots seem to come primarily from the Wyandottes; the Wellies, while they normally lay uniform dark eggs will sometimes throw a heavily speckled one, or, even more fun, a "pinto" egg. The Java, before I ate her, laid a darkly-speckled egg. I...