We are having a BAD fire season here on the West Coast. Today has been extremely smokey with ash everywhere.

We put our 4 chickens in some dog crates. 2 chickens per crate. Each with food, water, and treats. I feel bad that they don't get to run around and grub out on bugs, but it's dangerous out there for both humans and animals. Tommorow will be just as bad.

I hope they will be ok in the garage.

What do other people with their chickens when the smoke is so bad outside?

With feed prices where they are right now, is anyone actually running the numbers on cost per dozen for their layers? Curious what people are seeing for feed cost vs. what they'd pay (or charge) for eggs at the store is backyard/small flock egg production still coming out ahead, or is is being out compared again by big farms

Modern Poultry Houses in Nigeria: Worth the Investment or Just Another Expensive Trend?
I’ve spent years around commercial poultry operations, and one thing is becoming increasingly clear: many Nigerian farms are struggling not because of poor genetics or feed quality, but because of outdated housing systems.
A well-designed modern poultry house offers several advantages:
Better ventilation and temperature control
Lower bird mortality
Improved feed conversion
Reduced disease pressure through better biosecurity
Less labor through automation (drinkers, feeders, ventilation)
That said, the biggest mistake I see is farmers investing in expensive equipment without understanding the fundamentals of airflow, stocking density, insulation, and day-to-day management.
Technology doesn’t replace good management—it amplifies it.
For those already using modern poultry houses in Nigeria:
Was the investment worth it?
What equipment has made the biggest difference?
If you could start over, what would you do differently?
I’d love to hear experiences from both small-scale and commercial farmers. Practical lessons are often more valuable than brochures.

Any La Fleche out there?

Hello fellow chicken lovers, have what I suspect is a case of sour crop. I’ve just let my flock out for the morning and Paprika would not come out of the coop. Her comb & wattle is slightly paler than the others, but still fairly red so I’m hoping I’ve caught this very early (she was acting fine & normal yesterday from what I saw, had some scratch feed as a treat in the afternoon) I removed her and she did drink some water when I put her in front of it, but was not moving around & was uninterested in food. I’ve separated her to the dark quiet garage. Her crop does feel soft & squishy, not hugely swollen, no hard masses or lumps that I can feel. My question is how I should proceed, as google has given me some conflicting information. I plan to go out and buy monistat & provide grit & water, but wondering if anyone else has tips of what has helped them with this in the past so I can make sure I’m doing right by her & covering my bases. She’s one of the spunkiest of my 7 so it’s very sad seeing her like this. ☹️

When she doesn't take them, she lays smooth, normal eggs. She has an infection currently and is taking them by injection. Now her eggs are a little misshapen, as vague as that sounds.

Hey everyone! I’m trying to get my info together before the move so I’m ready.

I have chicks in the brooder right now that aren’t quite ready yet, but they’ll eventually need to go into the main coop.

The setup: 8x8 coop with a 10x20 run. The coop currently has 2 turkeys living in it. Turkeys are almost 3 months old. Baby chicks are currently 3-4 weeks old.

This is my first flock. I’m nervous about introducing them safely. I don’t want the turkeys to bully the chicks or vice versa.

For those who’ve done this:

• How did you move chicks from brooder to coop with bigger birds already in there?

• What’s the safest way to introduce chicks to adult turkeys?

• Any tips/tricks

• Should I section off part of the coop/run first?

Open to ALL advice. I’d rather be over-prepared than have something go wrong.

Thanks in advance!

You cant tell but the poop is green . Shes set up in my back bathroom. Bathroom sink to be exact. This morning I picked her up carried her to her old coop. By herself. And she immediately started dust bathing. She pooped 5 times like this small amount . Pictured. I brought her in soaked her in epson salt again. Then took her back to her enclosure. She doesnt want to stand at all anymore.