Connecticut!

[OmeletMan]

Moss isn't a problem-at least it's green and under control. The 'weeds' are dandelions (which I can pull if I have to), creeping Charlie (at least that's what my mother called it; kinds of a round leafed vine that weaves through the grass) and the ubiquitous maple seedlings which I've been pulling out of my garden beds by the hundreds, and don't have the time or the patience to pull from the lawn. In all honesty, the weeds aren't the big deal so much as I want to fertilize the lawn and overseed it ... I can keep the girls contained while I reseed but how to evenly fertilize without hurting them??

Before you start throwing money at fertilizer get a soil test. UConn has a soil testing lab and the CT Ag Experiment station can test your soil. Prices are reasonable. The nice thing is that after the soil test you will know how much fertilizer and lime you will need to put down to care for your lawn. If you can plan your fertilizer application to a time just before a couple days of a slow soaking rain, the fertilizer granules should dissolve adequately. N, P, and K are highly soluble.

 

[Vamvakas]

Then you need to figure out how to give them heat out there. If it gets a little warmer it won't be so hard, but they need the heat.

Well, I plan on putting them in the coop this Monday and it be like 70s next mid week... There's a word in Greek, if you keep your chicks in a brooder to long it's called "μικρό κοτόπουλο", this means small chickens will grow small, and wont grow fast if you keep them in a brooder to long. Better to have alot of space or they will grow small in brooder to long.. Trust me both my parents grew up with chickens in a small village in Greece and this how they trained the chicks to grow fast.

 

[Lynzi777]

Well, I plan on putting them in the coop this Monday and it be like 70s next mid week... There's a word in Greek, if you keep your chicks in a brooder to long it's called "μικρό κοτόπουλο", this means small chickens will grow small, and wont grow fast if you keep them in a brooder to long. Better to have alot of space or they will grow small in brooder to long.. Trust me both my parents grew up with chickens in a small village in Greece and this how they trained the chicks to grow fast.

I've been going back and forth as to whether or not to put my chicks in the coop this weekend and after all the reading I've done on here, there seem to be a lot of "old timers" who have been dealing with chickens for decades and they said to get them out there! LOL My chicks will all be 4 weeks old this weekend so I plan to move them. I stopped using a heat lamp weeks ago and it's amazing how fast these chicks are growing. They are all almost fully feathered and I've been told they will be just fine. And I'm in Upstate NY!

 

[new chick 203]

It may be that we will hit 70° by mid next week, but the lows will still be in the 40s. This isn't Greece's climate. If the chicks have to put too much energy into keeping warm they won't be able to put energy into growth.

 

[LilacSpring]

Update on my chicks....


All are alive and well.

And growing.

 

[LilacSpring]

I've been going back and forth as to whether or not to put my chicks in the coop this weekend and after all the reading I've done on here, there seem to be a lot of "old timers" who have been dealing with chickens for decades and they said to get them out there! LOL My chicks will all be 4 weeks old this weekend so I plan to move them. I stopped using a heat lamp weeks ago and it's amazing how fast these chicks are growing. They are all almost fully feathered and I've been told they will be just fine. And I'm in Upstate NY!

But where are the "old Timers" located... if they are in the South or West where it is warmer then here in the
Northeast, of course they can put their chicks out at a younger age.

 

[new chick 203]

It was down in the low 30°s last night. I really hope none of you put your chicks out with no heat as discussed.

 

[new chick 203]

That's great. They are so fun when they are that little.

Update on my chicks....


All are alive and well.

And growing.

 

[Lynzi777]

But where are the "old Timers" located... if they are in the South or West where it is warmer then here in the
Northeast, of course they can put their chicks out at a younger age.

One was in MN and another I read from was in PA. My coop isn't due to arrive until Monday so I will spend the week taking them outside for longer and longer periods of time, they love it out there. Until eventually it is a little bit warmer out there and they can stay in the coop at night. We're going into May for cryin out loud - it better get warm! LOL

 

[ll]

hi CT peeps ^^
nice cedar house on craigslist this morning!
Thought since it's chick season someone might be interested in this ... lots of possibilities.
http://newhaven.craigslist.org/pet/2983894168.html