Anyone in WV???

[wvchics]

Yes, I sell chicks and hatching eggs too. I've considered selling my entire chocolate flock, but they are good birds, and if I can't sell them all, I might as well keep them as breeders. The hens are extremely broody too. They have been through 2 rounds of hatchings this season, plus the many that I have incubated.
Look me up in the spring!

I definitely will do that. It sounds like just what I'm looking for. I'm going to pay very much attention to temperament, broodiness, etc. I want to reproduce the best temperament with good production and reproduction. I am going to breed selectively.

 

[Kate Roe]

Hey everyone! I am in Parkersburg and planning to start a small dual purpose flock soon. Orpingtons or Barred Rocks, I think. I'm still learning what I will need and money is tight so I'm going to be making a brooder to start. Also looking for a good local source for chicks so let me know if you will have some or know someone who will. I'm hearing that hatchery chickens usually end up having health problems and breeders are the way to go instead.

If anyone has any input on anything, I'd appreciate it. Thanks guys and have a great day.

 

[WVduckchick]

Hey everyone! I am in Parkersburg and planning to start a small dual purpose flock soon. Orpingtons or Barred Rocks, I think. I'm still learning what I will need and money is tight so I'm going to be making a brooder to start. Also looking for a good local source for chicks so let me know if you will have some or know someone who will. I'm hearing that hatchery chickens usually end up having health problems and breeders are the way to go instead.

If anyone has any input on anything, I'd appreciate it. Thanks guys and have a great day.

Hi Kate! I'm also in Parkersburg!
I have a pair of lavender Orpingtons you might like, just about a month old.

i also planned to start out small, but that didn't last long. 10 pens later, I keep hatching and broodies keep making babies.

Feel free to pm me if there's any way i can help you!

 

[Sara Ranch]

I took an old kitchen cabinet, no top, added handles to the side (total cost about $10 for 4 handles) & wow - I have a good brooder box! I have a screen I can put on top if needed. My babies are about 3-4 weeks old now - still not able to fly out.

Breeders have their own issues, so please don't rule out a big box store (like Tractor Supply) or a hatchery for any animals. [I lost a flock of babies because they were too closely inbred and had genetic problems. Yes, autopsies & testing was done to reach this conclusion.] Keep your options open.

There are usually a lot of roosters that need a new home. Most people stipulate that you can't eat the roosters.

I adopt roosters and provide a forever home. If you did the same, you could get some great "daddies" for the future baby chicks....and then let the mating result in baby chicks...and grow your flocks that way. It would be a way to honor the previous roosters owners request while achieving your goals.

I hope you understand what I mean. Sometimes adopting chickens can be an affordable way to achieve your goals. Some chickens are dudes, aggressive, sick, while others are amazing, friendly, calm, awesome... Lol - I have clearly adopted quite a few amazing and awesome chickens!

Edited to correct poor word choice. Not sure the "ladies" need a "daddies".
Edited to correct poor word choice. Not sure previous roosters put in requests.

I am soooo tired!!!

 

[Storybook Farm]

Hi, Kate!

I'm not too far from you, in Sugar Grove. Parkersburg is out dump, so I think about 45 minutes.

Sara: You sound like me: make it work on the cheap! For instance, we had an ancient shed on our property when we arrived six years ago. By turns, it has been used to house/service grain, our tractor, breeding sheep, a tack/grooming area for my horses, storing equipment, housing a laying flock, and I'm now turning it into a brooder/bachelor quarters for my breeding program.

View attachment 1134465

I've designed and built 5 (going on 12) small hoop coops for my breeding program. These were designed for six birds each, and cost under $100 to build. There's more info at my website (see my sig below; you have to copy/paste, as they don't allow links there unless you're a premium member) if you want ideas for your small flock.

View attachment 1134466

Kate: We breed Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks. They are an unusual (and beautiful) variety of the great Plymouth Rock breed. They are docile and inquisitive. We also have the breed that has become my favorite: Light Sussex. They are very friendly, and gorgeous white birds with greenish black tails and wing tips, and bright red combs and wattles, and are champion layers of large tan eggs. I just love them! I'm selling chicks and hatching eggs starting this spring, but right now I've got about 30 high quality Silver Penciled cockerels that I've got to cull, choosing only one or two for next year's breeding season. If you want one of them (all you'd need for a small flock), you are welcome to come and pick. They are gentle and beautiful birds.

If you want more information on the breeds I'm raising, again, go to that website URL.

 

[Sara Ranch]

I call it "affordable." Lol - so many people look at me like I am crazy! "What do you mean affordable??" they ask. I mean, I am paying cash for it and/or using what I have to get the job done!

My old barn has been converted to the Roo Barn - bachelor pad. When the goats arrive, they will also share the barn.

You are about 90 minutes away... I'd love to see your set up!

 

[Storybook Farm]

I wanted to report back about NPIP, as I said I would.

Yeah! good luck!!! And I hope you will let me know how it goes.

I started the process by sending an email query to the contact listed on the NPIP page. I had to wait about five days for a response, but it was June and I assume the contact was on vacation, because when I did get an email it was very helpful and detailed. It included a phone number, so I called with a few questions. She took my contact information and told me that the inspector would call shortly to make an appointment. He did so two days later.

My inspector made an appointment with me for two weeks after his call. He came an hour late, but this was fine. He only was interested in testing adult birds (six months and older) who were breeders for the chicks we planned to mail out. (In other words, he didn’t test our laying flock.) We have our birds separated into various outbuildings on our farm. He only wanted to test the ones in our breeding coops. We had six birds for him to test by this criteria, even though we have a laying flock of 20 chickens, and over 85 birds under the age of 6 months.

I was surprised when he told us that most flocks he tests in backyards average 12 birds! He also said that it was fine for him to “test sample” because if any birds were sick, all were, and so testing a sample flock would cover all our birds.

The testing consisted of a wing prick for blood (the Salmonella typhoid test, which gives results instantaneously) , and a mouth swab for Avian Influenza (which gets sent to a lab and we get our results back in two to three weeks). The inspector also looked around our facility and rated it. He rated us an “A” for cleanliness — which he mentioned mostly included no dirt piles around the coops — I think because of rodent infestation, but that’s a guess.

He asked about whether we used automated watering or hand watering. We do the latter: I can’t bring myself to trust automated systems, in case they fail, so we water and feed morning and evenings daily, as well as shutting coop doors by hand. He gave us a “1” (which is high) for not having automated watering. He did not look into our coops to see the cleanliness levels.

He left us some paperwork to fill in. It’s mostly contact information and the type of operation you are running. Two pages; very simple. We mailed it in, and waited for our “all clear.” Our inspector told us that it was on us to call and arrange a repeat visit yearly. It took about a month for us to receive our NPIP #253 from the WVDA.

And that was it! I was glad to clear this hoop and find that my birds are as healthy as I thought they were! I think that, for most of us, if you habitually follow best practices for your birds, you too will clear this hurtle easily, so don’t be afraid to try!

 

[Storybook Farm]

You are about 90 minutes away... I'd love to see your set up!

I'd love to show it to you! You should stop by sometime when you're over this way. Meanwhile, a lot of our set up is featured on my blog. That's linked to the URL that's in my signature. If you have questions, I can answer them for you. Maybe use the comments on the blog, or you can private message me here.

 

[WVduckchick]

@Storybook Farm that's awesome! Congrats on your certification, and your happy healthy flock! I'll check out your blog.

 

[Sara Ranch]

Congrats on your certification! That's a biggie.