Chickens on a few acres in North Carolina: what needs doing this September

Fire danger right now — Raleigh area

One district can stand in for a state, so this is Raleigh area. For the rating at your own address, the app checks it for you every day.

What chickens need in September

From the care calendar — the things that come round once a season for chickens in North Carolina.

1. Moulting season — fewer eggs is normal

   Around now they'll drop feathers and stop laying for a few weeks. It's normal and it isn't illness. They need more protein while they regrow feathers. Worth knowing before you start worrying about it.

Plants in North Carolina that hurt chickens

Worth walking the fence lines for. Each one links to the official page with photographs, because a description alone is not enough to identify a plant.

• Garden plant or tree

  Avocado

  Look for

  The tree, and anything fallen under it. Common in old house gardens on acreage.

  Worst

  Whenever fruit and leaves are dropping.

  What it does

  Leaves, bark and fruit affect the heart and udder. Horses and goats get swelling of the head and neck; birds are very sensitive and can die quickly.

  What to do

  Fence animals and poultry out from under the tree. Don't throw pruned branches or spoiled fruit into a pasture or a chook run.

  Photos and detail: RSPCA Australia — Plants toxic to animals

Ring a vet now if you see any of these

Not a list to think about — a list to act on. Every one of these is measured in hours.

• Suspected snake bite is an emergency — antivenom is time-critical.
• An animal that can't get up or won't bear weight needs a vet now.
• Laboured breathing is an emergency.
• A suspected poisoning needs a vet now — what they ate changes the treatment.
• A prolapse needs a vet now.
• Seizures need a vet now.
• Uncontrolled bleeding is an emergency.
• Sudden eye injury or blindness needs a vet now — eyes don't wait.