Hello from Philly, PA

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Hey... I'm near Philly!! I'm getting 15 chicks next month. First time chicken owner so so I'm not much help at this point.
I'm just reading all I can on BYC and I'm learning so much.
I've started a notebook with sections regarding health, food/treats, coop/run and more. I think it will be handy but mostly
it's so I keep busy till the chicks get here!!

What are you getting and how many? Are you in the city or suburbs?
 
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from Alabama. Glad you joined us.
 
NN:

Hi, I am in Chester County near Malvern...I'm planning to get 4-5 chicks and most supplies from Pickering Valley Feed. They have a pretty good web site. Where are you getting your chicks/supplies? I am planning to buy a small coop with an enclosure online and let them free range when I'm hanging around the house.

Where are you located?
 
stake said:
NN:

Hi, I am in Chester County near Malvern...I'm planning to get 4-5 chicks and most supplies from Pickering Valley Feed. They have a pretty good web site. Where are you getting your chicks/supplies? I am planning to buy a small coop with an enclosure online and let them free range when I'm hanging around the house.

Where are you located?
Click to expand...
I got my coop from the guy associated with Pickering, Tuckers Coops, and plan on getting my supplies from Pickering as well. I was going to get my chicks from there but they didn't have some of the breeds I wanted so I went with Meyer hatchery in Ohio. I figure it shouldn't be to far to ship to our area so hopefully they do well in transport. They are great at Pickering and learned a lot from them. I checked out a few other places to get feed/supplies, Agway in Collegeville, since none of the stores are really close to me. I have about a 30 minute drive to any of the feed stores I'll see which feed I like better and go with them. I don't think that many 'main liners' have chickens! I love to be different :) The Agway feed brand looks pretty good and the same price as Pickering, higher than the rest of the country, from what I can tell. It's the main line so it's all expensive right?.
I'm in Gladwyne and can't free range them at all. Our yard back up to woods and have 2 fox that come through our yard a few times a day, lots of hawks and raccoons. We're (meaning my husband) building Fort Knox for a run so we'll be OK. One of my neighbors was free ranging her hens and rooster and a fox came through and killed about 7 including the rooster in a matter of minutes. She started keeping them confined to the run but they don't have a roof on it, just some string zig-zagged over the top and a hawk got in and killed one a couple of weeks ago. So I'm not taking any chances.
What breeds did you decide on? I figure I'll start with my first flock and see how it goes. If I want to ever add to it I will go through Pickering. When's the big day?
 
NN:

I have foxes, racoons and hawks also. I back up to the R5 and its all woods behind my property.....I have heard from the office manager at my vet (she lives in Honeybrook and has chickens) that if you string some fishing line across the your back yard, the hawks will see it and not 'fly through it' to go after the chickens on the ground...


One of these two coops: (I'll probably have to do some extra security work to get it correct)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Deluxe-...715?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a2335f36b

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-Play-...310?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2576520b66

Pickering's first arrival week is 02/18...they told me there is some variance exactly when...I am hoping the breeds I want all arrive on the same day.....

2 buff opringtons
2 gold laced wyandottes
1 black austrolop....or bared rock.....

all hens...no roos making noise allowed!....
 
stake said:
NN:

.I have heard from the office manager at my vet (she lives in Honeybrook and has chickens) that if you string some fishing line across the your back yard, the hawks will see it and not 'fly through it' to go after the chickens on the ground...
Click to expand...

I always think it depends on how hungry the predator is. If it sees an easy meal and very hungry it will take a chance. We see them sitting in the trees and even on our outdoor furniture so I'm not sure I want to risk it. Maybe when we're in the yard I may give it a try.
Great breeds you chose. I'm getting Easter Eggers, Buff Brahma, Black Australorp, RIR, Cuckoo Marans, Partridge Rock, White Cochin, Barred Rock and Columbian Wyandotte. I must have changed my list 20 times and had BO's and GLW's on the list but changed them. Will get them later if I want to add/replace any hens. They are all so pretty I couldn't decide!!
My family thought I was nuts for starting this endeavor but I have converted them and my mom has claimed one BB as her own already and my sister wants eggs! Huge list already of people that wants eggs!!
 

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