Hello from CNY

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B4chicks

B4chicks

In the Brooder
5 Years
Apr 14, 2014
14
2
24
Hello from New Haven,NY. I have been trying to expand my knowledge of chickens while reading this forum for some time and decided it was time to join. Not new to chickens, just haven't been around them in years and never on this farm. My father in law, who I worked with daily on the farm at one time,had quite a flock. Two small hen houses in the barn with about 15 hens each and an additional 20 chickens populating the barnyard. He also had rooster cages of game roosters which were descendants of a time when he bred them for sale throughout the northeast for,eh,"sport". It was the quintessential old fashioned farm with a barnyard full of birds including chickens,ducks,geese,a few turkeys, the occasional guinea fowl and for a time some colorful peacocks.
We live on a 150 acre farm that we purchased and began the long task of undoing decades of neglect in 1996. Intensively grazed Holsteins for ten years and quit milking in 2009. Haven't had any stock since then and are currently building a small barn and run to start a flock of chickens very soon.Nothing huge just want to have enough to make it interesting and keep us in chicken and eggs. May go down to TSC in Auburn this Saturday to their swap meet to at least get out there and start to meet some breeders. We are wanting to start up with good genetics as being a former full time farmer I can appreciate the value of good stock.
I have a lovely wife and three beautiful children; a son in college , a daughter graduating high school this summer and a seventh grade daughter who is very exited to help with some birds.
I have enjoyed this site and look forward to giving back in the future.
 
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Welcome to BYC!

Congrats on the new farm! It is a lot of work to recondition an old farm, but in the end, well worth the effort.

Pull up a roost bar and make yourself at home here on BYC. If you have any questions, that is what we are here for. Welcome to our flock!
 
We have been here from 1996 and built our dairy from scratch, including clearing land. In hindsight I wonder what I was thinking.The simple naivety of a first generation farmer, my wife tried to warn me.
But If that is what it took to make me the person I am today then it was worth it.
 
Yes, I believe everything is meant to be in your life. You make no mistakes. And you are where you are now because you jumped into that adventure. We moved in here 20 years ago and it was pretty much a bare piece of land. Took 20 years, but we have turned it in to a small mini ranch. Was a lot of work, but we look upon it now as having won the lottery! What you build and work is an extension of yourself and your creations. And looking back may make you quiver, LOL, but you are living your dream. At least I hope you are. LOL We certainly are and wish the rest of the world could experience what it feels to grow and live in the manner meant for your inner self. :)
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Good luck with your chicken project. Have you picked out breeds you are interested in yet?
 
Not sure.Know we don't want games from past experience.Too aggressive.
Our ideal chicken would be a calm layer of large brown eggs, a good forager as we have plenty of room and may even follow some intensively grazed beef,decent meat production for our own use and decent broodiness as it is the plan to keep breeding them since it is what my wife grew up around.My wife is often asked about products from our farm at work and elsewhere so I am sure we can market enough eggs to offset some of the cost.That is why the desire for large brown eggs as that seems to be what folks want.
We have no desire to process meat birds to sell but I bet our family would eat at least 40 or 50 birds a year,don't mind doing that many, and we already have a big freezer for our beef.
 

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