So sorry for your loss. I can’t help you with the chickens, I have 2 coops and they’re full. I’m a little curious how you managed to have so many chickens in Newton. I heard their local ordnance on chicken keeping were very restrictive. You could always reach out to animal control.
I have 2 old red hens (5 1/2 year olds) in need of a retirement home. I am downsizing my coop and I need to replace them with some point of lay pullets. I’m in north central Massachusetts.
Welcome to the wonderful, but dusty world of chicken keeping. Don’t be tempted to buy one of those cute chicken coops you see online. They are crap, and will not adequately protect your investment. Check out the coop building thread on the BYC site. A quick option is purchasing a small storage...
You’re welcome. With chickens, you learn to be patient. It’s also possible that a few backyard chicken keepers join together to combine their birds into one large order. That way the price per bird might be a little less. Just a thought.
I found two processors one in central mass and the other in western mass. They both said a $100 minimum. It’s been 4 or 5 years since I looked at processors and the one that used to be in Mason, NH charged $5 per bird. By the way prices have skyrocketed since the pandemic I’m not surprised at...
I just googled it and I found 2 “small batch” USDA inspected facilities one is in central Massachusetts- Stillmans and in Western Massachusetts is Redland Farms. Minimum charge is $100 per batch. So that comes out to about $10 per bird plus a charge for packaging material.
I’m happy to hear your chickens were fine overnight. My flock doesn’t mind snow all that much. They won’t go out in fresh snow, but they’ll be begging to go out once it’s settled. I leave a few piles of leaves for them in their chicken yard over winter so the bugs that hide in them are available...
I understand you on that. If things go terribly wrong with the economy, Russia, etc. I have an incubator and keep a rooster. All my chickens are dual purpose birds so if needed, I could hatch and raise a few for consumption. However, right now I’m enjoying eggs better than the “Eggland’s Best.”...
Thank you @DaisyNoelle. I’ve not found anyone who processes chickens here in Massachusetts. I haven’t checked in the western Mass area. There was a place in New Hampshire just over the line, I think it was in Mason, however apparently they don’t process chickens anymore. I was contemplating...
Chickens are all fine. Really wicked winds last night with the -15F temps before the windchill. After peeling back the vinyl shower curtains earlier half the chickens were in the run pecking up breakfast. I gave them warm water and scrambled eggs. They all loved it. The temperature inside their...
Those of you inside 495 are lucky. It’s been a little brutal out here. I’m hoping the warmth from today’s sunshine will keep the temps no lower than -5 inside their coop. It’s dropping to -14 to -15 F (actual temps, not windchill) for more than six hours after midnight. Best of luck with the...
How are you chicken and your chickens doing during this bitter blast? I’m in north central Massachusetts and it’s currently 7F with a windchill of -12F. The sun has been warming up the coop so I’m hoping it hangs on to some of the warmth when the sun goes down and the temperatures drop to minus...
Welcome to BYC in Massachusetts. I’m pretty sure Tuft’s will work on chickens. My former dentist near your area took one of his chickens there. However that was at least 10 years ago. I’ve not found any clubs or groups in Massachusetts but the members on this thread are pretty responsive if you...