Connecticut!

[CTRIVERCHICKEN]

East hampton here...

 

[ll]

Welcome to BYC and congrats on your 1st post CTRIVERCHICKEN

Chilly mornings ..... CHILLY! Here it comes ... "plans autumn to-do list"

 

[celticgarden]

Happy to answer! I have 8 chickens: 2 Black Australorps, 1 gold laced wyandotte, 1 buff orpington, 1 easter egger, 1 blue hamburg, 1 white sultan and 1 tiny olandsk dwarf. All hens, no roosters. My property is too small for roos. Actually I shouldn't have chickens at all, 2 acres are needed in Waterford. Fortunately the neighbors are OK so far with my operation. Most of my hens came from mypetchicken (which actually sends from Meyer hatchery if I'm not mistaken). I hatched the Olandsk dwarf, of 6 chicks that hatched there was only 1 hen.

I have a new order of chicks coming! From Meyer: 2 French Black Copper Marans, 1 spitzhauben, 1 Dominique and a Rhode Island Red. Then the following week I get 8 meat birds and one Buff laced polish. Although 8 hens gave us enough eggs in Spring we find that we have approximately a 50% lay rate now in the fall (so 3-4 eggs a day). We are a family of 4 and would like to have more eggs available. Of course, the sultan isn't really a laying bird and the olandsk dwarf lays tiny eggs and lately not many. I'm looking into ways to boost egg production. Right now for food I buy Green Mountain Organic Soy free layer pellets. Protein seems a bit low for non-free ranging hens (15%).

Last Winter was crazy. I shoveled out the run on many occasions. My run consisted of dog kennel panels from Tractor supply that I used due to burn out last Fall. This summer I've been replacing the kennel panels a bit at a time and have put up a roof over part of the run with the idea of avoiding more shoveling. I found the chickens came out if they had ground to walk on and the coop gets ripe quickly if they don't go out during the day.

I estimate the number of birds I can keep to be 12 based on 5 square feet per bird in the coop. Built the coop to be 8 x 8. If I were to do it over I would have ordered a kit! One dreams of recycling and building cheap but then you realize it may never get done as scrounging materials takes time and fitting together recycled materials takes time.

Let me know if you want to stop by some time and I'll give you a tour. I named my coop the "Wabi Sabi Coop" because I'm not a builder, it's imperfect. Here's a link to my coop page:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/wabi-sabi-coop-and-shed

 

[SunAndDirt]

Hi celticgarden! I'm in Norwich!!

 

[celticgarden]

Hi SunandDirt! How many chickens do you have ?

Tonight after work I dug up 2 rather buxom arborvitaes from a foundation border. They were getting too big for their spots so now they have been popped in the ground between my new "compost area" and their property line. I feel I have accomplished something, I was worried about them not liking the view of my handy dandy chicken driven composter.

 

[Vamvakas]

A lot of fairs coming up soon, can't wait!

 

[Apdeb]

Im entering 2 Barnevelders and my Banty Buff Brahma in orange fair

 

[SunAndDirt]

Well, I HAD seven in my flock, but apparently I'm down to six now.

Something came through before dusk and took an Easter Egger hen from me. Sad evening over here now.

 

[Apdeb]

Probably hawk or owl
My biggest best rooster be headed 1/2 eaten
Feathers all pulled out
I have thwarted one other bird mid landing
Mine wiser now more vigilant
Were they penned in or out???

 

[ll]

Hello

I'm excited for the fairs too.

I am also searching for a Legbar pullet = if anyone has "an extra" in New Haven County or close-by, please send me a message!