BYC members in Massachusetts?

@Merrymouse: oh maaaan. I'm looking into getting Barred Hollands and setting up a breeding program to help get the breed from where it is now closer to the standard. I'm looking at like, ten years of work ahead of me, but it should be fun work! It's looking like I'm going to have to get them from a hatchery, though. I'd much prefer a private breeder, but so far I can't find any that are within what I consider a reasonable driving distance (which, um, is like, 8 hours one-way, so it's a wide definition of "reasonable").
You definitely have your work cut out for you with barred Hollands. I looked through my APA yearbook and couldn't find any listings for them, and I don't remember ever seeing any at the Poultry Congress either. You could ask over in the exhibition forum to see if anyone knows of breeders. Even if you had to ship chicks or started birds you'd be better off than starting off with hatchery stock. At least you aren't trying to find white Hollands!

If you can't find a breeder I would recommend contacting Duane Urch first. Sandhill second. Either will have a more sporadic supply of chicks, but the chicks will be a considerable improvement over the major hatcheries. You may have to wait for stock from either of those until next year. If you really want to start this year you can play around with what birds you can find.

Definitely build at least 2 coops/runs, preferably 3. One for breeders, one to grow out chicks and a 3rd for a bachelor pad for chicken dinners. You will be culling a lot!

I always thought Hollands were an older breed. I didn't realize they weren't developed until 1934 and accepted into the APA until 1949. I suppose with the prevalence of barred Rocks and Dominiques the Hollands have fallen by the wayside. Not to mention the apparent preference for brown eggs over white around here - I can still hear the commercial "brown eggs are local eggs, and local eggs are fresh!".
 
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Hi Everyone! So finally got to bring my two girls out to the big coop (3 months old, fully feathered) kept them in a kennel for about a week and everyone seemed okay. Let them out into the big coop and these little ladies are TERRIFIED. Of the other chickens, of me now too, of everything! They don't leave the coop when everyone else goes to free range. They very literally huddle in a corner. Will they adjust? It's been over a week since I removed the kennel.

Thank you in advance!
 
if anyone is interested....the dancers Agway has a large assortment of chicks available.

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gold sex links- 2 -3 weeks
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buff orpingtons
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light Brahmas
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buff Brahmas
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maybe 2-3?? Dark Brahmas
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Rhode Island reds
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Rhode Island whites
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productions reds
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partridge rocks
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Colombian rock cross
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barred rock
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Dominique $6 each
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barred Cochins- standard $6 each
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gold laced Cochins- standard $6 each
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cuckoo MARANS 2-3 left?
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wheaten MARANS- $20 each
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black copper MARANS -$20 each
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brown leghorns
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anconas 2 left?
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minorcas
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sumatras-$6 each
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gold laced Wyandottes
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silver laced wyandottes
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welsummers

They are open today until 2pm

I picked up 6 chicks on Friday (black copper and Wheaton marans, barred rock, partridge rock, Colombian rock cross and a welsummer.
 
Luckily it's over 2 hours away from me or I would have to go... even tho the only ones on that list that I need are Sumatras. And I have 10 Sumatra eggs in the incubator. Still, in the 30 seconds before I realized how far away it was, my brain had completely rationalized getting more
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You definitely have your work cut out for you with barred Hollands. I looked through my APA yearbook and couldn't find any listings for them, and I don't remember ever seeing any at the Poultry Congress either. You could ask over in the exhibition forum to see if anyone knows of breeders. Even if you had to ship chicks or started birds you'd be better off than starting off with hatchery stock. At least you aren't trying to find white Hollands!

If you can't find a breeder I would recommend contacting Duane Urch first. Sandhill second. Either will have a more sporadic supply of chicks, but the chicks will be a considerable improvement over the major hatcheries. You may have to wait for stock from either of those until next year. If you really want to start this year you can play around with what birds you can find.

Definitely build at least 2 coops/runs, preferably 3. One for breeders, one to grow out chicks and a 3rd for a bachelor pad for chicken dinners. You will be culling a lot!

I always thought Hollands were an older breed. I didn't realize they weren't developed until 1934 and accepted into the APA until 1949. I suppose with the prevalence of barred Rocks and Dominiques the Hollands have fallen by the wayside. Not to mention the apparent preference for brown eggs over white around here - I can still hear the commercial "brown eggs are local eggs, and local eggs are fresh!".
Heh, yeah. I'm looking forward to the challenge of finding some! There's a facebook group I just joined, which has people occasionally posting to it, so I'm hoping someone will post with eggs/chicks around the time when I've actually got a coop built. Fingers crossed. :p

I've been poking around Sandhill's website. Does Duane Urch have one that I'm just terribly bad at finding? I'm mostly looking so I can find out chick order minimums. Starting out with a backyard flock of like 25, even if most of them ended up being dinner, is intimidating enough! You know?

How big would you suggest I build the coops? I'm looking at ones that are big enough I can comfortable walk into them, because I want to do deep litter bedding and I just don't get how people do it when they can't like. Muck out the coop like a horse stall. :\ But I'm not sure what zoning laws are in this town on how big you can get away with building something without a permit. Actually, probably that is another thing I should make a thread about; what y'all know about skirting under local zoning laws. It's a five+ acre property, so in terms of ag I can do whatever I want (uh, within the bounds of what my parents will allow), but I think erecting structures is a different matter. Reading the zoning laws was Not Helpful, so I guess I'm gonna have to call someone about that.
 
if anyone is interested....the dancers Agway has a large assortment of chicks available.

1f424.png
gold sex links- 2 -3 weeks
1f424.png
buff orpingtons
1f424.png
light Brahmas
1f424.png
buff Brahmas
1f424.png
maybe 2-3?? Dark Brahmas
1f424.png
Rhode Island reds
1f424.png
Rhode Island whites
1f424.png
productions reds
1f424.png
partridge rocks
1f424.png
Colombian rock cross
1f424.png
barred rock
1f424.png
Dominique $6 each
1f424.png
barred Cochins- standard $6 each
1f424.png
gold laced Cochins- standard $6 each
1f424.png
cuckoo MARANS 2-3 left?
1f424.png
wheaten MARANS- $20 each
1f424.png
black copper MARANS -$20 each
1f424.png
brown leghorns
1f424.png
anconas 2 left?
1f424.png
minorcas
1f424.png
sumatras-$6 each
1f424.png
gold laced Wyandottes
1f424.png
silver laced wyandottes
1f424.png
welsummers

They are open today until 2pm

I picked up 6 chicks on Friday (black copper and Wheaton marans, barred rock, partridge rock, Colombian rock cross and a welsummer.


Wow lucky it's so far away or i would be getting a lot lol!


I want partridge rock and Wyandottes and maybe brahmas, Dominique and welsummer, but I'd probably get all those and more barreds and orpingtons, sex links, and just every chick lol
 
I've been poking around Sandhill's website. Does Duane Urch have one that I'm just terribly bad at finding? I'm mostly looking so I can find out chick order minimums. Starting out with a backyard flock of like 25, even if most of them ended up being dinner, is intimidating enough! You know?
He doesn't have a website. I think he has a 25 chick minimum too. Here's a list of what he has. I know he only wants calls between 7-9 pm CST.

http://standardbreedpoultry.com/breeder/Duane UrchUrch-Turnland Poultry/190
 

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