Hello
I am new here so if this is in the wrong section may I apologise.
I have six chickens, they all seem quite happy are laying eggs 5 per day, brilliant! I am doing a number of things wrong (after reading here and fully intend to correct this) but the girls are settled into a routine, go off exploring together, come to the back door for treats together, etc, etc - fantastic love having them (about four months now I have had them).
This morning when I opened up the chicken shed - they live in a slate outhouse - five of them came around as normal - they follow you each morning but Jemima stayed indoors. Didn't think much of it, sometimes they may be laying an egg, they don't always all follow.
She hasn't moved since. there is food and water near to her but I don't think she has moved at all. I don't mean dead - her eyes are open and she looks at you when you go in but she doesn't appear to want to move at all, she is also very grubby - she is a light Sussex (white with a black collar) and I have been surprised at how white she seems to keep herself but now she looks really dirty and a little sorry for herself - what should I do - am I being particularly neurotic?
Also I want to clean out the chicken shed but don't want to use Jeyes fluid - I haven't had a commercially produced cleaning product in my house in over a decade - anybody got any suggestions for a more natural alternative please?
I use a natural hutch cleaner for my pigs - strong tea tree smell - and I wash down the stables quarterly with a solution f borax - any reason why I couldn't use borax solution in the girls house?
Appreciate any advice, many thanks, Gill