This is a beautiful example of one of our more unusual visitors! We are seeing an increasing number of back yard chickens with respiratory disease caused by mycoplasma. Stress such as overcrowding, dirty environments and movement between properties increase the risk of chickens developing the disease. If you are thinking of getting a new chicken, make sure you keep it separate from any existing brood for at least 2 weeks and check for any respiratory difficulties, just to make sure it’s not introducing any nasties to your existing egg-layers!