New here from PA

[CathyB]

Thanks Southernbelle!

Blooming Chicks - We looked in Perkasie when we were house shopping when we first got married! Beautiful there. good luck with your chicks from moyers! Are these your first chickens as well? These are mine. the kids are so excited they have all 10 named! Not names I would pick either!

 

[Blooming chicks]

Cathy,

Yes, these will be my first chicks. I ordered 10 of them, but know they will not be my last group. I am so excited that I spend all my free time researching chicken stuff my family laughs and calls me the "chicken geek".

I'd like to also find some Buff Orps but am having a hard time because everyone that ships smaller orders seems to be out-of-stock. The TSC guy said that buffs are special order chicks--and he wasn't very helpful/friendly either.

Perkasie is a sweet little town, my whole family lives here--though it is much too quiet for my teenage daughter.

Kelly

 

[CathyB]

Kelly,

My daughter thinks it is too quiet here as well! Nothing to do!

I ordered ten chicks to start off with as well! My family is calling me "obsessed". I guess I am the chicken equivalent of Fatal Attraction

!

I was interested in Buff Orps too! I also wanted Black Australorps as well. But I was running into the same problem you had. People out of stock, a hatch date end of May, or wanting to charge you extra from small amount of birds. That is why I made the decision to go with the local feed store. No shipping, I can pick them up, and it is close. The one elderly gentleman who works there was very sweet and patient with me on the phone. We have done buisness with them for years. I get all my dog and chinchilla feed from them. Also, since these are my first ones I wanted to not spend a lot to see how it goes. I am sure I wil be chicken shopping next year!

As far as the Buff Orps, if that is still a option, I beleieve Mypetchicken.com had them in stock yesterday.........

Are you free ranging them or building an outside run? I am building an outside run because I am a worry wart and scared for their saftey. I have a local hawk that hunts here. I have found piles of dove feathers on my yard before. 3 months ago, a mountain lion ran through my backyard! I had a coon trying to get in my house after my dogs before...........it is like wild kingdom here. So, although I would love to let them go wherever, it is not possible. In fact my DH suggested that he is going to make the chicken door so that I can totally close them into the coop at night so they can not get out just for added saftey. I do not know if this is a good idea or not, but a least he is trying to help!

Take Care!

 

[CritterHill]

Quote:
My chicks are on the way, so I can't speak from experience yet, but we are in a very similar situation - coons, hawks, possum, fox.

The advice I got here was the enclosed run - including wire over the top and either buried a foot or two into the ground or bent out and run along the ground outside the run so they can't dig under. Also, folks seemed to think that closing them into the henhouse at night and only letting them into the run during the day was a good idea.

 

[CathyB]

CritterHill ~ Thanks! I was thinking of closing them in at night too! My DH and I were a bit worried. Glad to hear that people close them in at night. I felt bad since they are already enclosed in the outside run so they don't get to run free, but then confined to the coop all night! I guess it is for their saftey!

 

[Blooming chicks]

Cathy,

I will do the same thing you are doing--inside at night--fenced run during the day. Too many predators here, and like you, I also have a resident hawk.

I called Moyer's today and asked if it was possible to get my chicks early and lucky for me they had a cancellation. They moved my hatch date to April 28th. So I only have 20 more days to wait. I'll keep in touch and post some pics when I bring them home.

Take care,

Kelly

 

[CathyB]

Kelly, NO FAIR!!! I want my chicks early! I have to wait until May 16th! But at least it gives us more time to get the run and coop ready for the little ladies. I am so worried I will lose a chick or something. I guess it is us new time moms!

 

[Parson's Wife]

Hello & Welcome!

 

[CathyB]

Thanks Parsonswife!

Hey Pa people, anyone have some Black Australorps pullets they are selling or getting rid of? I am getting my chicks May 16th so I would prefer they be close in age. It looks like I might be waiting until next year however! Since I got them at the feed store DH does not want to pay to ship 3 now just so I can have my faves!

 

[All About Chicken]

Hello looks like no one on this thread for some time, anyone out there? I’m in South West PA close to the Maryland West Virginia lines Laurel foot hills. Boy started this adventure with wanting fresh eggs, and with my daughter interest we added and raised egg producer (Leghorns, and Austhorpe) and processed some crosses… well most anyway! One had a big black spot and my daughter and wife named it… never name food! LOL so I struck a deal keep Spot and a friend and ok to get the rest. First lesson was how aggressive rooster ( got my daughter good) can be with young ones and with the hens. So I had to get make broth and soup out of the “mean rooster” as my daughter calls them. Hey “Spot” a Cornish Cross as we found out is a Rooster… how aggressive? He seems much friendlier but is getting more skittish as he gets older only a few months old but man is big! I can only guess but he has to be getting close to 8-9 pounds now. Two times as big as my Leghorns that are close to two years old. I was also told that Leghorns egg production decreases to nearly nothing after about two years, but out of seven I still get 5 to 6 eggs ever day.

Bob and Dottie (daughter)

PS very fun watching her as she helps feed and collect eggs!