So, first welcome to the forum. As far as I can see you are doing all the right things. Most chickens' eggs decrease both in number and quality over time and some of yours could qualify as middle aged now. There are products on the market which purport to improve shell strength. I have not tried the...

Great idea - what will you do with the spare cockerels that you hatch? Just saw someone trying to offload a batch at a house clearance auction. So sad.

Hi Esther

I have no experience of them myself but you might check out mumsnet.com as I note that in 2017 there was discussion on Arkus coops. By now, the owners should have a year's experience of how they perform and you could maybe wake up the thread to find out more.

Cheers
Kate

...and not just foxes, feral cats will bite the heads off young stock who poke their heads through. Super work though!

No real answer for you but I had an OEG bantam with the same thing and it didn't seem to bother her any. I took her to the vet who removed some of it but it was stressful for her and as she was an old bird, I didn't want to continue. The bit that the vet removed grew back and blocked her nostril aga...

Some people! What a thing to do - hope she has a good home with you now. She looks like a commercial layers breed or maybe a Rhode Island Red.

Thanks for saving her

Kate

And here we still are! Hanging on for grim death - such a shame more of us don't contribute any more.

Personally I don't think you would notice any difference. If your chooks get a balanced diet (ie access to grass, bugs, weeds etc) then they'll do fine on your local stuff. If you feel strongly about GM then that is a different matter altogether.

I think if you try to confine her she will become stressed and it could exacerbate things. I don't think antibiotic cream is going to be effective either. You will just have to try the waiting game if you don't want to go down the vet route. If you eventually do want to try a vet, make sure they are...

It probably won't be allowed for long but I did as you did CP and ordered it on line - it was supposed to be delivered on Wednesday but we are snowed in here with chest deep drifts so my rats will just have to stay hungry.....

It's just another tax.......

Yes that's a fox - as soon as you see it has no head, you know it's a fox. Hope you said 6 foot is no way high enough for the fence and they should be shut in at night. Foxes are particularly fond of duck and goose - will choose them over chickens. Electric fencing may be the way to go.

No, well the course is free I believe but you have to pay for the exam and therefore the certificate, which is the only way you can get the rat poison. £50 + vat

From March 1st 2018 you can only buy enough rat poison to kill one rat (and the cost for that one rat packet has skyrocketed) unless you have that damned certificate. Look out for huge increase in rat population.

People say good things about Smilebox....don't upload my photos so can't say categorically, but friends like it.