2014 New York Chickenstock

[rancher hicks]

It's in the 50's here today!

I'm cleaning the coop and getting the piglets out of the barn!

Could it be that spring is actually here?

I can't put the cleanings anywhere unless I snow blow a path to a spot to dump them. I suppose I could shovel it on top of the compost heap. Coops need cleaning bad.

Hang on, you have piglets? Pics please.

 

[ImpulsiveFarmer]

Quote:



These pics are kind of old. The remaining ones I'm raising for meat are a little past the cute and cuddly stage.

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

I dont think anyone does ..Do you have any extra Australorps ? Chicks or eggs ? now ? or for the picnic time ? I am looking for 2-3 chicks eggs

Hey Gramma - right now I only have eggs. I am planning on hatching some for the picnic and I can bring Aussie eggs too. Which ever you or anyone else would prefer.

We have Ameraucanas but not Aracaunas... if that helps?

Thanks

But I have 1 Aracauna hen...............................OMG, her egg is bluer than any Ameracauna egg I've ever seen

Was hoping to get a few more.

 

[aceschix]

 
It even rhymed!

You say Goodbye,  I say Hello,  you say ..?  

You say goodbye I say hello, oh oh oh
I dont know why you say goodbye I say hello......

 

[Lynzi777]

I told you if I went out to buy a snow blower Spring would come and the snow would go away!

 

[rancher hicks]

I told you if I went out to buy a snow blower Spring would come and the snow would go away!

Don't speak to soon.

 

[sonew123]

You jinxed me!!! Its been snowing here all dayyyy

 

[Lynzi777]

You jinxed me!!! Its been snowing here all dayyyy

It just starting snowing here a little bit ago, but just flurries, nothings sticking.

 

[Cass]

It just starting snowing here a little bit ago, but just flurries, nothings sticking.

100% sun for the entire time I was awake today. (got up late, real late) Really nice day to shepard in the next 3 days of cold. Yuck.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

I was thinking of looking for something portable that we could store the lawn mower and snowblower under. Gotta do some research. Something like half the size of a car port.

Hello. Over here from the NY Chicken lover thread to see what's doing. Love that thread. Appears some of you are over here too. Hope you don't mind me butting in. Not sure I can make on the 17th b/c it looks like I have to work the over-nights before and after, but working on it...

So regarding the thread above... yeah. More enclosures can be dangerous. DH doesn't like when I build new structures for the birds b/c sometimes that means more birds and I turn our lawn into a shanty-town of chicken structures, can't say I really blame him, but you know... This past summer we did color rangers for the second year and I really wanted a bigger structure than I had used the first year. So the plan was to build something big enough to winter the tractor in. Ie: double duty so it's ok to build it, right? So I built an A-frame structure with a base of 8'x10' and put wheels on it. I measured and built so it was tall enough for the tractor. It was great for the rangers. Pushed it around the lawn so they always had fresh grass. Then when they were done it was an extra place for the layers and the turkeys to get out of the sun, rain & wind. Then we placed it over the tractor as planned. The tiller & the push mower fit under there too. Great!

Well then the winter from hell came. Late December's freezing cold temperatures came and apparently my geese did not have enough goose down in their jackets. Who knew? They had a house with a light, but apparently it wasn't big enough or warm enough or the wrong color, IDK. But they preferred to sit and shiver in the wind rather than go in their house. The gander lost his back toenails to what I think was frostbite & my vet told me I had to give him more shelter. So the tractor traded the A-frame for a tarp and the geese received a new enclosure. I double insulated it with bubble foil and hay bales. Hung a heat lamp in there and its toasty warm. It's big enough so that they can stay in there all day when it's super cold. They go in there to get out of the wind and really seem to like it. The chickens love going in there to turn over the bedding and one even lays her eggs in there when she can. The old goose house will make a great broody house.

Hopefully we can get the tractor started when there's lawn to mow.