Western Massachusetts

[Fiddlehead]

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.

Hi Boxedcow! I love my Australorps! They are the best, most friendly chickens I have ever owned. Nice to hear from everyone!

 

[boxedcow]

Has anyone see coop builders in the area? I thought I had spotted a shed place in Westfield that had an Amish style coop but that was before fall and when I went by it was gone. I am looking for one of the larger coops to hold around 20 ><. Trying to prepare for my new hatching babies coming end of May.

If anyone happens to see one while they are out and about please let me know. I've tried craiglist but I haven't seen anything other than ordering online.

Thanks!
Denise

 

[cjh0907]

hello everyone, I am from North Adams so just about as far west in Mass you can go. I have not had much luck finding anybody around the area sharing my hobby. I am about a year into my new hobby and love it. Right now i have 4 silkies and 18 others of a mixed flock. I also have 7 guinea fowl and 8 ducks to round out my poultry addiction for now. I currently am trying my hand at incubating and hatching out my own chicks. If anybody knows of anyone in western mass that sells call ducks or black copper marans please let me know. I look forward to making some new friends

 

[Fiddlehead]

hello everyone, I am from North Adams so just about as far west in Mass you can go. I have not had much luck finding anybody around the area sharing my hobby. I am about a year into my new hobby and love it. Right now i have 4 silkies and 18 others of a mixed flock. I also have 7 guinea fowl and 8 ducks to round out my poultry addiction for now. I currently am trying my hand at incubating and hatching out my own chicks. If anybody knows of anyone in western mass that sells call ducks or black copper marans please let me know. I look forward to making some new friends

Welcome CJ! I live in Deerfield, not much of a following here either. Glad to meet you, did you get to the poultry Congress?

Has anyone see coop builders in the area? I thought I had spotted a shed place in Westfield that had an Amish style coop but that was before fall and when I went by it was gone. I am looking for one of the larger coops to hold around 20 ><. Trying to prepare for my new hatching babies coming end of May.

If anyone happens to see one while they are out and about please let me know. I've tried craiglist but I haven't seen anything other than ordering online.

Thanks!
Denise

We looked to Denise, no luck. We ended up building our own. Good luck and glad to meet you!

 

[boxedcow]

That is what I am afraid of. My awesome father build my first arc, and then my guck (goose/duck) house. I really hate to ask him to dig into another project so soon.

CJ it is getting close to Easter so the babies should be showing up at feed stores soon. If you aren't in a rush I just ordered hatching eggs for end of May to include 4 olive eggers, 4 Blue/Black/Spash English Orpingtons, 2 Black and 2 Blue copper marans. I am sure that even if I do get them all to hatch and they aren't all hens I will have more than enough. If you would like one of the marans we could talk about it after they hatch.

I ordered my eggs from Ruth on the forums if you wanted to check out her birds.

 

[cjh0907]

Yes i went to the poultry congress show at the big E. I brought my son along and he thought it was the coolest thing. I didnt know that there was going to be so many birds for sale there or else i would have brought more money. Im young, only 22, and yet i cant contol myself from wanting to keep increasing my flock. Im glad i have a lot of land. Does anyone else here sell your eggs? Ive been selling my chicken eggs for $3 a dozen and i cannot keep up with the orders around here. My next mission is to find people to buy my duck eggs

.

 

[cjh0907]

boxedcow,

I am trying to get my hands on them sooner but am interested. I want to build up a nice size black copper marans flock so some different blood is always good

 

[boxedcow]

I would love to sell my eggs, I am just getting to the point where my 4 hens are producing too many for me. I am hoping by adding a few more hens it will allow me to sells some. I have a lot of work and family friends that want eggs, but I just don't have THAT many to give away yet.

My Cayuga Jane has not started to lay yet, I am thinking she may be a seasonal layer She is almost a year old. I swear my goose went into the dog house this morning on my way to work and was getting ready to lay. Jane was standing outside talking to her and cheering her on. I am hoping that gives her the idea to lay some as well! I can't wait to get home today and check.

On a side note, for those of you who hatch or even buy babies who turn into unwanted roos. What do you do with them? Do you cull them yourself, have someone do it locally, or know someone who takes them in? I am just curious. I am such an animal lover that I really don't think I could cull, but I know that I can't handle any more roos than the one I have.

 

[cjh0907]

i actually go to a livestock auction in new york and sell my unwanted roosters. I dont think i could process them myself and while in the back of my mind i know thats probably whats happening to them, i like to think that they are living a good long life.

 

[Fiddlehead]

i actually go to a livestock auction in new york and sell my unwanted roosters. I dont think i could process them myself and while in the back of my mind i know thats probably whats happening to them, i like to think that they are living a good long life.

LOL, I am the same way. I can't process either. If I have any that die or are suffering, I call the grim reaper (aka my husband!)

I have been selling my unwanted cockerals either on CL or BYC. There is a livestock auction just up the road from me in Whately, Ma. I have not sold my eggs, just given them away to friends and family. I know there are breeders that sell eggs for hatching, some go for $50/dozen. When you have great bloodlines, people will pay, I have!