BYC members in Massachusetts?

[Merrymouse]

New to the area, and thread, and looking to start raising some hens this year in Southborough. Anyone local and have any recommendations on coops and such, I am all ears. Currently thinking of starting with 3-4 hens and going from there. Thinking calm and more docile layers to start off, with the number of eggs not being as important, so feel free to provide feedback on breeds you currently work with (I have some ideas of what I'd like to start with). Thanks in advance for the feedback/help everyone.

Welcome to BYC! I lived in Southborough for 13 years not sure about their rules for chickens but definitely check the rules before you buy. When I lived there it was more rural, still had a bunch of farms with cows and such but its not like that anymore, one of the reasons I left. Anyway, Im getting off topic. Make sure you get chickens that can handle the cold. Nice heritage breeds like Rocks. I have three varieties of Rocks, (Barred, Buff and Silver Penciled). They are a great starter chicken. They produce lots of brown eggs and mine are super friendly. They are relatively easy to find and cheap. I prefer to buy local but all the hatcheries will sell rocks. There are many nice breeds of chickens out there but its also fun to have some colored egg layers in your flock so you might consider easter eggers, which are not a true "breed" but will lay mostly blue but sometimes minty blue, pink or brown. If you want a bird that is a good forager and not a big fat hen, that doesnt eat you out of house and home crested cream legbars are a really cool bird. I love mine. They lay blue eggs although mine have a slight minty coloration to them. They arent super big girls but they are cold hardy. They will probably be a little more expensive but they are autosexing (you can tell the females from hatch by their color) Anyway, the breeds I currently have are:
Rock (barred, buff and silver penciled) regular brown eggs but good layers and cheap and plentiful to find, friendly lap chicken

French black copper maran (dark brown egg layer) love these but pricey and difficult to find good stock, Big hen but only lays about 3 times a week, not lap chicken but nice

Crested Cream Legar Blue eggs, good layer in warm months lays almosts every day but quits in about oct and starts up again late Feb, Friendly lap chicken

Orpington: I have buff but many varieties, regular brown eggs, plentiful to find and not expensive generally. Everyone seems to love this breed but for me they're just ok. They are big hens, mine isnt that friendly and she has the hardest peck of all my birds.

Specked Sussex I love these, I think they are so pretty. regular brown eggs and friendly. Mine like to wander a little

Cochin: I love my cochins but they get picked on a little because they are so docile. Big fluffy chickens with "pants" (featherered legs) Not great layers but they sure are cute. I have white but there are many varieties

Easter egger mixed breed mine is not that friendly but people claim they usually are. mine was raised by a broody hen so I didnt handle it much as a chick so...

Also have a plan for your roosters if you get any. Its the biggest hassle to try to find homes for them. I hate to cull a gorgeous rooster just because I cant keep them.

I live about 10-15 minute from you if you ever want to come check out my set up its no problem. I built my own coop and I never even picked up a hammer before. I love talking chickens just send me a message. And I would be remiss if I didn't warn you how addictive chicken keeping is. Every spring I say Im not getting any chicks this year and so far I have never kept that promise. Chick fever is real...

 

[HeyHo]

Looking to surrender 3 lovely girls. 3 years old. Stopped laying for the winter, not sure they will start up again. Located in Williamstown, MA.

Did these girls find a home yet? Just checking in.....

 

[Wisey]

Welcome to BYC! I lived in Southborough for 13 years not sure about their rules for chickens but definitely check the rules before you buy. When I lived there it was more rural, still had a bunch of farms with cows and such but its not like that anymore, one of the reasons I left. Anyway, Im getting off topic. Make sure you get chickens that can handle the cold. Nice heritage breeds like Rocks. I have three varieties of Rocks, (Barred, Buff and Silver Penciled). They are a great starter chicken. They produce lots of brown eggs and mine are super friendly. They are relatively easy to find and cheap. I prefer to buy local but all the hatcheries will sell rocks. There are many nice breeds of chickens out there but its also fun to have some colored egg layers in your flock so you might consider easter eggers, which are not a true "breed" but will lay mostly blue but sometimes minty blue, pink or brown. If you want a bird that is a good forager and not a big fat hen, that doesnt eat you out of house and home crested cream legbars are a really cool bird. I love mine. They lay blue eggs although mine have a slight minty coloration to them. They arent super big girls but they are cold hardy. They will probably be a little more expensive but they are autosexing (you can tell the females from hatch by their color) Anyway, the breeds I currently have are:
Rock (barred, buff and silver penciled) regular brown eggs but good layers and cheap and plentiful to find, friendly lap chicken

French black copper maran (dark brown egg layer) love these but pricey and difficult to find good stock, Big hen but only lays about 3 times a week, not lap chicken but nice

Crested Cream Legar Blue eggs, good layer in warm months lays almosts every day but quits in about oct and starts up again late Feb, Friendly lap chicken

Orpington: I have buff but many varieties, regular brown eggs, plentiful to find and not expensive generally. Everyone seems to love this breed but for me they're just ok. They are big hens, mine isnt that friendly and she has the hardest peck of all my birds.

Specked Sussex I love these, I think they are so pretty. regular brown eggs and friendly. Mine like to wander a little

Cochin: I love my cochins but they get picked on a little because they are so docile. Big fluffy chickens with "pants" (featherered legs) Not great layers but they sure are cute. I have white but there are many varieties

Easter egger mixed breed mine is not that friendly but people claim they usually are. mine was raised by a broody hen so I didnt handle it much as a chick so...

Also have a plan for your roosters if you get any. Its the biggest hassle to try to find homes for them. I hate to cull a gorgeous rooster just because I cant keep them.

I live about 10-15 minute from you if you ever want to come check out my set up its no problem. I built my own coop and I never even picked up a hammer before. I love talking chickens just send me a message. And I would be remiss if I didn't warn you how addictive chicken keeping is. Every spring I say Im not getting any chicks this year and so far I have never kept that promise. Chick fever is real...

Appreciate the feedback, and the information. Had a good sense of what I was thinking before posting on here, so the feedback seems to have reinforced that. Was wondering if anyone knew of a good place to get any Black Copper Marans (or to be more precise, French Black Coppers) in MA? Since I am starting out, and am not really looking for any roos right now, if anyone knows of anywhere that sells Maran pullets, would be quite interested.

Hoping to start with the FCBM, Lavender Orpingtons and the Swedish Flower (assuming I can find them in pullet form). Hoping the BYC community can work its magic.

 

[Merrymouse]

Appreciate the feedback, and the information. Had a good sense of what I was thinking before posting on here, so the feedback seems to have reinforced that. Was wondering if anyone knew of a good place to get any Black Copper Marans (or to be more precise, French Black Coppers) in MA? Since I am starting out, and am not really looking for any roos right now, if anyone knows of anywhere that sells Maran pullets, would be quite interested.

Hoping to start with the FCBM, Lavender Orpingtons and the Swedish Flower (assuming I can find them in pullet form). Hoping the BYC community can work its magic.

Twin cedar farm in Acushnet MA. Has really nice FBCM but expensive. I think I maybe paid $50 for my day old chick. Can’t remember. But they have a website and FB page and they are on BYC once in a while. They also have Swedish flower among others. They sell both those breeds straight run. Not many local breeders sell sexed chicks unless they are autosexing like cream legbar etc. You could wait and buy grow outs (pullet) but you’ll pay a lot more. I’m sure you can find cheaper FBCM around but theirs came for a line that I really wanted. High quality. Also if you want Swedish Flower I have a friend in Easton, MA who specializes in them. She has a FB page. Called My Dream Chicken a micro chicken hatchery or something or other. She also has other breeds and will be less expensive maybe. She’s also very knowledgeable and always answers my messages really quickly. And will really help you. That means a lot for a new chicken keeper. I have eggs from her in my incubator right now. Good luck and keep us in the loop

 

[phina]

Hello Everyone. I just started keeping chickens and we love it!.. We have one of those "Eglu" chicken cube coops-the Eur-design is really not spacious. so I have 3- 1 Year old laying Hens to re-home or trade . A lovely Barred rock, Gorgeous rare Lavender Orphington and a nice Black Australorp. We need the space!! help! Please message me, I am in Norfolk, MA (Norfolk is near Frankin, Millis, medway, walpole, Medfield)

Thank you

 

[Powerhour]

Hello Everyone. I just started keeping chickens and we love it!.. We have one of those "Eglu" chicken cube coops-the Eur-design is really not spacious. so I have 3- 1 Year old laying Hens to re-home or trade . A lovely Barred rock, Gorgeous rare Lavender Orphington and a nice Black Australorp. We need the space!! help! Please message me, I am in Norfolk, MA (Norfolk is near Frankin, Millis, medway, walpole, Medfield)

Thank you

I would love to give your hens a new home. I have been keeping chickens for 5 years now and of my current Gang of Four three where adopted from a family that had to move. They would be well cared for.
Powerhour

 

[thumper650]

This was posted in Animals for free rehoming if anyone's interested in some hens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...r-hens-need-a-new-home.1297874/#post-21124850

 

[tigger19687]

I'm putting this out here first because I am moving at some point and need good "known Hen Keepers" for the 4 hens I have.
For $100 <--- putting that out there up front but they come with a LOT
You need your OWN set up (coop, large run they are used to free ranging in a 1/4acre fenced area).
2 year old, only 1.5 year laying, lay every day and KNOW where to lay
2 Columbian Wyandotte (shy, easy going)
2 Production Reds (one is bigger then the other, but the thinner one is the "Roo" of the hens and is the most Alert).
They were Organically raised/fed/free ranged until this Winter when I added Feather Fixer feed to help them.

5 Gal pails each of crushed corn (for treats), mixed NON-GMO feed and Feather Fixer, bran flakes.
1 big bag of bird seed - for scratching in the big 10x20 run for Winter and when weather is crappy and no free ranging
1/2 a Big bag of Grit and another of Oyster shells, 1/2 bag of PDZ and another Full bag of PDZ
1/2 bag shavings
2 big 3" feeding tubes, 1 smaller one for oyster shells
3/4 bag Red Lake Earth Diatomaceous Earth.
Big Heated Dog Bowl.
An old heater waterer I got for free

I also have a small kiddie outside house (for toddlers) they like to hang out in and roost during the day, you can have that too if you want. I got it for free anyway.

Also a bunch of Straw bales, 6 I think

 

[tigger19687]

Also if you know anyone that is interested in keeping Koi, I am also thinking of selling my set up with 1 Foot+ Koi Bartholomew and 2 Goldfish (about 6-8 inches?) Raja & Kissy Face. They all are 4 years old.
The gold fish were 1/2 inch feeder fish when we got them to 'save ' them.

But with moving and losing 4 other smaller Koi to the F-in neighbors cat, I just think it is better to find a home before I do Spring clean up.

$100 for Hard Pond (originally $3,000 the THICK fiberglass kind not the crappy Home depot crap they used to sell) 7'x10'x 2.5' deep, pump, filter box and hoses, used Matala filter media and extra large 2 full sheets of Matala never used.
Also a pond heater for Winter 250w floating. keeps pond clear of ice but I also cover with wood for the Winter

I would prefer someone that already knows about keep Koi or outdoor fish.

 

[harmonymw]

Hey, we have room for the hens. Holy moly that’s a lot of equipment! I’m in Framingham. I’m not even going to tell my wife about the koi because she’s been begging for years.

I'm putting this out here first because I am moving at some point and need good "known Hen Keepers" for the 4 hens I have.
For $100 <--- putting that out there up front but they come with a LOT
You need your OWN set up (coop, large run they are used to free ranging in a 1/4acre fenced area).
2 year old, only 1.5 year laying, lay every day and KNOW where to lay
2 Columbian Wyandotte (shy, easy going)
2 Production Reds (one is bigger then the other, but the thinner one is the "Roo" of the hens and is the most Alert).
They were Organically raised/fed/free ranged until this Winter when I added Feather Fixer feed to help them.

5 Gal pails each of crushed corn (for treats), mixed NON-GMO feed and Feather Fixer, bran flakes.
1 big bag of bird seed - for scratching in the big 10x20 run for Winter and when weather is crappy and no free ranging
1/2 a Big bag of Grit and another of Oyster shells, 1/2 bag of PDZ and another Full bag of PDZ
1/2 bag shavings
2 big 3" feeding tubes, 1 smaller one for oyster shells
3/4 bag Red Lake Earth Diatomaceous Earth.
Big Heated Dog Bowl.
An old heater waterer I got for free

I also have a small kiddie outside house (for toddlers) they like to hang out in and roost during the day, you can have that too if you want. I got it for free anyway.

Also a bunch of Straw bales, 6 I think