Keeping Chickens Newsletter

Shantel : Re: keeping chickens and ducks together. How to keep chickens out of duck pond. I've lost one already. It didn't drown but likely hypothermia got her instead. Head still above water but dead in pond... :-(

My Reply : Sorry to hear that. I think fencing may be the only way if the pond is in the same area and the chickens are voluntarily going in (another possibility is that the ducks are drowning the hens which can happen intentionally if they feel there is a shortage of food and/or there is a bit of bullying going on, or unintentionally if there is a drake trying to mate with your chickens). Ducks can fly easier than chickens so a fence shouldn't stop them getting to it, but hopefully would stop your chickens. If chickens are just falling in around the edge you could try sloping the pond at the sides to hopefully help them get themselves out again.

200 Eggs a Year Chicken Care Guide CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Carole : I would be interested to know whether other chicken keepers have had a similar problem to me. I got Goldilocks a beautiful 20-week-old Gold Lace Orpington last October.  All was well until early this year when she kept falling over and was unable to get up on her own.  I took her to my local vet who thought she might have kidney or Mareks disease.  I later spoke to another vet when she wasn't improving who agreed with the diagnosis and recommended I separate her from the other chucks as Mareks is infectious.

Not expecting her to survive I separated her out for a couple of weeks at the end of which she had improved quite considerably so I introduced her back to the others.  She got rather badly bullied for a couple of days and then things started to settle down.

She does still have problems with her legs particularly her right one and can't jump any more and also has no movement in her right wing which makes me think she may have had a stroke.  I would be interested to hear whether other people have had experiences like this.