Western Massachusetts

[Fiddlehead]

Hi, I am in Deerfield! I would love to keep this thread going just to make some local friends in addition to getting some help!

I have too many cochin/silkie roosters!! Please give my beautiful roo's a good home (no culling!) These guys are around 7 months old, very beautiful coloring. They are trying to mate daily, so if you are looking to expand your flock, they are your guys. Here is a link to some pictures of them. In the pics, there are a few silkies that I would be willing to part with as well.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=57283


(I am not giving away the Wyandotte pictured, sorry!)

 

[fagusabello]

Hey Fiddlehead,
I'm also in the Western Mass area not far from you... Montague Center (work over in UMass).

Since there's a beautiful trout stream behind my house I've been for a couple years raising Ducks and Geese (tried my hand at Guinea Fowls but those local Foxes really LOVED them just too much). NO chickens though, still have some bad memories from when I was really really young. One of my chores included feeding them in the mornings... <cough> spent a couple years with bloody ankles/knees and running from the roosters.

Set up my COOP and two pens for the flocks off the stream.

I pass your family's Leverett Sugar Shack every day on my way to work. During the last Flood I was sure it was going to be float away. Route 63 was barely passable as the water rushed across the road from the parking lot. Anyway... Merry Meet.

Cheers, Jonathan (fagusabello)

 

[mamadukes5]

I looked through 12 pages to find a Western Mass thread, and here you are! I'm in Easthampton, which is not all that far from most of you, and am happy to have found you. First three Mass threads I found were all out by Boston, and I was starting to think I was the only one out this way. This is my first year with chickens, and wanted to know if anyone who has done this through the winter before had any input about how the birds do through the winter months. I did find one person in Pittsfield, but this is her first year too. My coop is airtight (well it has a window but there are shutters for when it gets cold) and I wasnt sure if I'd need to run a heat lamp out there or something. Anybody who has wintered through with their flock, I'd love some advice.

 

[boxedcow]

Hi All, I really wish I had found this post a little earlier. I am over in Southampton. mamadukes5 I grew up in Easthampton This is my first year with chickens as well and I'm actually looking to add some more like olive egger, marans and not sure what else yet. Right now I have 2 partridge rocks, a black australorp and two EE's (one is a Roo). Not to mention a pair of geese and ducks lol. I sort of jumped in whole hog.

It is really nice to find people on the western side of the state that are raising chicks.

 

[boxedcow]

I will have to check out Whately, that isn't too far. I really don't think I could handle killing anything I raised, and I don't want to know my dinner by name.

 

[heath_elisha]

So glad I came across this thread! I am in the Greenfield area as well and have recently been dubbed the Crazy Chicken Lady by my family and friends lol. I love my babies and I am looking to create a flock with a variety of colored eggs. Once I convince my husband

I will be selling a couple of our young Easter Eggers (purchased off of craigslist- Ideal pullets about 10 weeks old now) and maybe a couple older mutt hens as well- to make room for some marans, welsummers and purebred ameraucana. I would be happy with one of each lol. Maybe do some trading.... egg swapping.... etc...... and I am especially excited to hear about a livestock auction in Whately. Can anyone provide me with more details??? Thanks!

 

[Chicken Mama 6]

Hurray I found the Western MA thread after an introduction to Boxedcow today! Hi everybody!!! I'm from Goshen MA. Gearing up to build my new dream coop as soon as the snow melts. I said I am going to add 6 more but we all know how chicken math is

 

[Rozee]

Hi Fiddlehead. I live in Holyoke. I just checked out your website, your silkies are beautiful. I don't have any chickens yet, planning on starting a flock this spring but have to build a coop first. I'm interested in getting a few silkies and was wondering if you know of anyone in the area that have silkies for sale.

 

[earthmother]

Hello all, my family and I live in Granby very close to some of you. We are really excited to be raising chickens...We are still doing our homework and self educating ourselves. I am loving the Silkies more and more. We are homeschoolers and my children can not wait. We are interested in Austalorps, Wyandotte, Amaraucanas(I found a breeder an 1hr and half from here) Brahmas, and Buff Orpingtons(i think)...AND the Silkie...We want them not vaccinated or de-beaked...We want babies....i am overwhelmed with info...Does anyone know where we can find a local hatchery- i would prefer local over ordering on line. We want to to start off with 10-15 female chicks. No rooster....Can any of you refer me to local, and if not a really good humane business that will respect our wishes and will sell me a small amount of chickens...This would be so helpful...
Idea-anyone local interested in getting together to show your chickens or chicks and discuss what this life can look like...we can come visit and help feed them?
Thanks.

 

[Rozee]

It finally happened! We got our first egg this morning, laid by Hillary. When I went in the coop she was laying in a nesting box rearranging the shavings around her. I sat on a little stool watching her and waiting. After a little while she jumped out of the nest squatted down in front of me and plopped out an egg right at my feet.