Recent content by dfalchek

  1. dfalchek

    Meyer Hatchery - Sapphire Jewel

    I've had a Sapphire Jewell for about six months and she started out as a prodigious layer. But she's having her first bout of broodiness -- and it is severe. Hoping the SJ is not prone to broodiness.
  2. dfalchek

    Barnevelder 10 weeks cockerel or pullet?

    Question. I have my first Barnevelder, one of 8, and they are 7 weeks old. She is half the size of some of the others. She seems healthy. Are they typically slow growing? Thanks in advance.
  3. dfalchek

    Barnevelders- boy or girl?

    Hi, I have a barnevelder in my flock of 8. They are 7 weeks old and all doing well. But the barnevelder is half the size of some of the other chicks. She has no obvious issues. Are they typically slow growing?
  4. dfalchek

    culling / butchering and me

    We are on our third small flock of city chickens and for some reason, with this flock, we have become hesitant to cull. We got cold feet or something, even my wife, who was a biology major. We finally got our chicken dream teams of sorts -- started with eight and lost two to illness. We decided...
  5. dfalchek

    Whiting True Blue

    I'm interested in the Whitings, but they seem so slight and small, I wonder about their cold tolerance as I'm in Northeastern PA. The hatchery says "good," which is their worst rating.
  6. dfalchek

    Meyer Hatchery

    I ordered from Meyer for the first time recently with delivery expected next week. How do they determine and )how will know) which of the several post offices in my area will receive the chicks? I'd like to give them a heads up and know where I need to be.
  7. dfalchek

    Stupid Newbie Question

    Good luck. EEs are typically the victims of bully chickens.
  8. dfalchek

    Molting in negative temps!

    Ditto on the protein push. The industry took quality protein out of chicken feed during the "mad cow" crisis. Give you chickens some cat or dog food -- not too much because it is high in salt -- or meat scraps or eggs. Also, consider mixing high-protein game bird feed in with their ration. Their...
  9. dfalchek

    What kind of treats do you give when bitter cold?

    Less protein, more corn. Corn is junk food for chickens, but a little in the winter helps them generated more heat.
  10. dfalchek

    Chickens dying from cold

    You will not likely have any problems. Chicken's metabolism is much different than our and they are not unlike wild birds you see through the winter. So long as you picked birds that emerged from cooler areas, they will be expecting cold. I'm in the Northeast, and my birds are all breeds from...
  11. dfalchek

    Poultry Fly Strike...a cautionary tale with GRAPHIC photo progression.

    I would do a permethrin dip, which would immediately kill the larvea and all internal and external parasites and keep other bugs away for at least a month. Then I would blue kote or vetricin that.
  12. dfalchek

    Easter Egger club!

    Was there a change in feed? I switched feeds and all my girls, including my EE stopped for a week, then restarted slowly until I switched back. Also, a bird could be molting, or close to molting, when production slows down or stops. Good luck.
  13. dfalchek

    Myth: Bad eggs will float / good eggs will sink

    Float test is a myth. My eggs are rarely last more than two or three weeks in my house and I was concerned when so many seemed to float. After hearing lots of confusing misinformation -- I found this from the USDA to should put everyone at ease. What does it mean when an egg floats in...
  14. dfalchek

    Comment by 'dfalchek' in item 'Wyandotte'

    With backyard flocks, friendliness to people is an important criteria I will not discount. (As is broodiness) I don't fault my SLW for being restless when held, but the observations in the review reflect my own -- a bully in youth, broody as an adult, not the best layer, but beatiful and chatty.
  15. dfalchek

    Beware Lancaster Fancy Fowl

    I have read the debate over hatcheries being indoors/outdoors that began in this discussion about LFF. For context, I visited LFF whenI picked up my birds in early 2015 before it closed. As everyone said, it was indoors. But birds were kept in large farm building with clean bedding and ample...
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