Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[barbiegirl]

Sorry for your loss.

Maybe you can pick up a Polish hen.

 

[Intheboro]

Now I'm freaked out about salmonella We usually keep our brooder in the kitchen. Opposite side of where we prep food but still. I will be moving it in the basement from now on. My husband is in and out of the house 100 times a day and doesn't take his boots off. We have hard wood floors and I clean them often during the week but my 2 year old is all over the floor all day long. I'm afraid of what germs he is tracking inside the house with his nasty boots.I also keep my egg basket and a gallon milk jug that I take back and forth to the coop under the sink. Please someone tell me I'm over reacting!!

In other news one of our polish chicks died yesterday. They were fine when I left for my son's baseball game and dead by the time we got home. We only got 2 and of course it was the one we thought was going to be a hen. Grrrr! I promised my daughter we would get some polish and serema eggs soon.

You are not alone, I am in the same type of situation, well the freaking part...our chicks have to be in the house by default, basement floods, she'd isn't secure, and a raccoon recently spotted. Our house is set up with a living/dining/kitchen as the main room and only real living area in the house... And with a half dozen kids running around, well you get the picture... I will be watching to see what responses you get!

 

[chiques chicks]

She said i came right past you! I caught Ciderpress to Meadow view to try to avoid downtown Manheim. If you're familiar with the area, i live next to the Renaissance Faire (we face the joust field). Anyways, we had Champagne D'Argents for awhile, we really liked them but they are hard to come by it seems. Plus i was kinda screwed over with the doe we bought from some high school student selling rabbits out of her garage. I should of known better . Alot of people seem to do Californians or New Zealand around here. When we first started "homesteading" we tried to stick to more of a heritage breeds- Dominiques were our first chickens, soon followed by Champagne D'Argents. But i'm thinking that is going out the window soon. I liked the coat also, maybe i'll get around to making a nice pair of winter mittens. With two small shadows following me around,  I can dream can't i?! lol. 

On another note, can you free range ducks? Do they put themselves up at night like chickens? We have a nice creek out back that i think they would enjoy but i get the feeling i'll be duck wrangling every night. I haven't read up much on them, but seeing wingstones (she wouldn't give me a price!) i would like a few. 

Yes you went right past me. I'm just up from the corner of Meadow View and Milton Grove. Cider press is in my stomping grounds, my way to the turnpike, as a matter of fact. And gretna.

I just bred my champagne d' agent pair last week. They are partial pedigree from show stock. Also have Californian and new Zealand. There is a champagne d'agent breeder in Halifax. There is a new Zealand breeder in annville and a Californian breeder in mastersonville.

I have Swedish flower hens as well if you are in to heritage breeds, lol

 

[wingstone]

Now I'm freaked out about salmonella We usually keep our brooder in the kitchen. Opposite side of where we prep food but still. I will be moving it in the basement from now on. My husband is in and out of the house 100 times a day and doesn't take his boots off. We have hard wood floors and I clean them often during the week but my 2 year old is all over the floor all day long. I'm afraid of what germs he is tracking inside the house with his nasty boots.I also keep my egg basket and a gallon milk jug that I take back and forth to the coop under the sink. Please someone tell me I'm over reacting!!

In other news one of our polish chicks died yesterday. They were fine when I left for my son's baseball game and dead by the time we got home. We only got 2 and of course it was the one we thought was going to be a hen. Grrrr! I promised my daughter we would get some polish and serema eggs soon.

Your over reacting, this salmonella scare comes up every year about this time...

 

[wingstone]

Between wingstone and I we can probably fill all your wants! And the scary part is, I'm just as close as she is, I'm on the Milton Grove side of Mount Joy.


I have ducks in the incubator, and baby rabbits when you feel the need, lol.

She said i came right past you! I caught Ciderpress to Meadow view to try to avoid downtown Manheim. If you're familiar with the area, i live next to the Renaissance Faire (we face the joust field). Anyways, we had Champagne D'Argents for awhile, we really liked them but they are hard to come by it seems. Plus i was kinda screwed over with the doe we bought from some high school student selling rabbits out of her garage. I should of known better . Alot of people seem to do Californians or New Zealand around here. When we first started "homesteading" we tried to stick to more of a heritage breeds- Dominiques were our first chickens, soon followed by Champagne D'Argents. But i'm thinking that is going out the window soon. I liked the coat also, maybe i'll get around to making a nice pair of winter mittens. With two small shadows following me around,  I can dream can't i?! lol. 

On another note, can you free range ducks? Do they put themselves up at night like chickens? We have a nice creek out back that i think they would enjoy but i get the feeling i'll be duck wrangling every night. I haven't read up much on them, but seeing wingstones (she wouldn't give me a price!) i would like a few. 

I am still hanging from the fence on those ducks, just not sure what I want to do with them yet..

A suggestion,,,,in the next couple of weeks craigslist will have way to many free or cheap TSC purchases on there,,,,,that would be a good time to get those ducks and give it a try,,,, if you decide that you do not like ducks, you wouldn't have much into them and a duck roast is quite tasty,,,,

 

[wingstone]

CC. (Ray ). I am gonna get the trash can out and cook up a chicken tomorrow, ....swing by with a fork...

I know this is not a normal way of cooking but I tried one of those little hibachi grills ( I prefer charcoal ),and keep in mind it is just the 2 of us.......it is rather interesting to watch a chicken run up to a grill and steal the chicken off of it...

 

[evroman]

Do you keep your eggs in the counter or refrigerate right away?

 

[wingstone]

Do you keep your eggs in the counter or refrigerate right away?

For my own use they go on the counter,,, for customer sales the law say's I have to refrigerate them...

 

[barbiegirl]

My eggs go into the refrigerator unwashed.

 

[Intheboro]

You are not alone, I am in the same type of situation, well the freaking part...our chicks have to be in the house by default, basement floods, she'd isn't secure, and a raccoon recently spotted. Our house is set up with a living/dining/kitchen as the main room and only real living area in the house... And with a half dozen kids running around, well you get the picture... I will be watching to see what responses you get!

So I called the store where we got our chicks, they called mt healthy. And the cdc. They were told the outbreak is over, and if you have had your chicks for a few weeks and not gotten sick, you are either doing really good with the whole cleanliness thing, or the birds are not infected.from what the girl said from the store, it seems this May be a *bit* hyped in the media (since the report just came out, suddenly there are news stories). She said, as wing said, as any of us with chickens know, salmonella is around with chickens, use common sense.
I am thinking that our birds were not infected, as it said in my post, I have a half dozen kids... As vigilant about hand washing with chickens as I am, I am also not ignorant of the fact that I am sure some hands, probably the 2&4 year olds, have not gotten washed....they are sneaky about touching those fluffy butts!