BYC members in Massachusetts?

[Lozuufy]

Gonna have to remember these. Speaking of which can chickens get ticks?

Probably, I've never seen ticks on my chickens but I know wild turkeys and grouse can get them. Ticks usually just stay on the face (on turkeys and grouse anyway), I imagine if a chicken got one the other chickens would just eat it

.

Ticks have never been a problem though for my chickens in the 15 years we've had them free-ranging.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Probably, I've never seen ticks on my chickens but I know wild turkeys and grouse can get them. Ticks usually just stay on the face (on turkeys and grouse anyway), I imagine if a chicken got one the other chickens would just eat it .

Ticks have never been a problem though for my chickens in the 15 years we've had them free-ranging.

Hmm well i havent seen any on the face but neck region? I will look again

 

[eyralis]

You may already know this but just in case- it’s SO important!!
Please, please go vote on November 8 to ban this atrocity!

Massachusetts is considering becoming the 11th state to ban battery cages so small and so crowded that the girls can’t spread their wings, ever, for their whole life. For their entire life, each hen has been allocated a space smaller than an iPad. This ballot measure would also ban cages for veal calves so small they can’t ever turn around.

Just by ticking one box, you can change their life and make animal history.
Stop their suffering - VOTE YES ON PROP 3!
http://www.citizensforfarmanimals.com/

Spread the word, we MUST make this happen.

Tell your friends, your family, your neighbors. Do you belong to a church? Please PLEASE ask your minister, pastor or priest to speak to the congregation about this. It would be truly an act of kindness and mercy!

 

[NBwriter]

Hi all, I'm in my first winter of chickens, and I'm concerned about keeping them warm enough. I only have 3 (RI reds and a barred rock) so there's not a lot of body warmth. (What started as 6 chicks became 3 hens when half of them matured into roosters, which we can't have in our town.)

We built an 8-bird coop from Tractor Supply Company, basic thin pine walls in the roosting box opening onto wire areas and an expansion run we built. (pics below: the red is how it started, the expanded version on top)

As we all know, it can get cooooold. Our coop's enclosed space (2 roosting perches and three nesting boxes) has decent ventilation, but thin boards and no insulation. I plan to pile up extra hay in the box and the open walking areas.

No outlet nearby but I'll be running a cord to the house to drop a heating coil in the waterer, and putting up a covered string of LED lights with a timer to increase daylight hours to keep up eggs through the winter (my 5 kids love them). But we weren't planning on putting in an extra heating source that they might get too used to and suffer during power outages.

I've been reading about vaseline and cracked corn and other stay-warm tips, but am focused first on our setup. Are the birds really ok in a basic thin coop without insulation?

Wishing for a shed,
Nichole

 

[keesmom]

We built an 8-bird coop from Tractor Supply Company, basic thin pine walls in the roosting box opening onto wire areas and an expansion run we built. (pics below: the red is how it started, the expanded version on top

Tractor Supply sold that as an 8 bird coop? Shame on them. I wouldn't even put 8 bantams in there let alone 8 large birds. The 3 you have are the most I would consider.

IMO I wouldn't add any insulation to the revised coop. It's small, and even 3 birds will put out a lot of heat. Ventilation is far more important. If you have good ventilation you won't have to worry about using frostbite on combs or toes. As for timed lighting, first year birds should lay all winter just fine without it. It won't hurt anything though if you want to add them. But definitely get a heating coil for the water, or a heated water base. It certainly beats having to bang ice out 2 or 3 times a day!

 

[NBwriter]

Thanks! I hadn't heard that about first-year birds usally laying through the winter.... And yes, definitely getting a de-icer coil for the water bucket.

 

[Lozuufy]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...e-held-oct-16th-at-topsfield-fairgrounds-2016

 

[BilzFamilyFarm]

Hello all! We're downsizing the flock. I have a few started pullets available as well as juvenile Muscovy ducks. The pullets are: speckled Sussex, barred Rock, buff Orpington, and few barnyard mixes. The heritage breeds will be $10 each and the mixed are $5 each.

 

[AlphaRooster]

 

[AlphaRooster]

Thats a picture of the handsome Mr. Sweetcheeks.