Help in Maine

[sunnydee]

First of all..sorry for my first ever post..I posted it in wrong section. I am a first time chicken owner...6 3 week old chicks. I am looking for any help about Maine weather, raccons, skunks, etc. And I am totaly confusing on the stuff you put down to help with flies and odor. I read that you put it in their food, on the floor, etc? Oh..this is so confusing!

 

[bangor777]

Hey Sunny,
Welcome to BYCs!!!! What do you need help with? I'm in Maine, I've had my chickens about 4 months now. Do you plan on free ranging? Do you have a coop/run?

The stuff for odor is DE, diatomaceous earth (OK I think I butchered the spelling of that!) do a search for DE and you should find some info. I don't personally use it and we haven't had any trouble with flies or odor, but I know people swear by it. Winters are tough here (as you know) but lots of people in Maine keep chickens and they do well. Certain breeds are more suited to cold weather. We bought a water warmer to put under the waterer to keep it from freezing in winter. predators are always a problem. Chickens should be securely locked in at night when most predators attack. During the day there's always the threat of fox, hawks, eagles, weasels...etc... A covered secure run should help, although I guess nothing is predator proof. i really wanted to free range mine, and I did for three months, then a fox found us and got 9 of my girls! now mine are in a run (and I'm trying unsuccesfully to trap the fox!)

you're going to love owning chickens, it's so rewarding and addictive! hope I was able to help a little. I'm sure some of the other mainers here will chime in! Did you see that there's a maine chickenstock coming up in litchfield?

 

[gumpsgirl]

Hello and welcome to BYC! I can't give you much help with the raising chickens in Maine issue but I can help out with the other question. There are quite a few of us here on BYC who like to use food grade DE in our coops to help keep the smell and flies down. I am also feeding it to my chickens and chicks to help combat cocciodosis. So far, it has worked great! I can tell an improvement and it's chemical free. Here is a link to a great website about the food grade DE. They have a lot of information on the different ways you can use it along with explaining what it is and where it comes from. http://www.shadowridgedonkeys.com/perma_food_grade.htm My dog also gets her daily dose of it as well. It is great for repelling fleas and ticks and works as a wormer. I also take it myself. Hope this helps you out some.

 

[sunnydee]

thank you for all the posts. My chickens are still inside. My coop is coming on Saturday (a used wooden storage shed I got for free!). I plan on making an outside run. I wish I could let them be free range, but too many dogs around, racoons, etc. I plan to put a top on the run.

One question...what is the best way to make the run so preditors dont dig under? I know to make a trench and put the fence in the ground a little, but will this work? I am soo worried about my babies! Im afraid I will never let them out of the house!

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Welcome to BYC!
Congrats on becoming a first time chicken slave...errr...owner.

You're lucky, there are lots of Maine and New England people here and most everyone is friendly.

Have you just moved here?

Maine winter is cold and long. You will need to provide a dry, draft-free (yet ventilated) shelter for your birds in the winter. I like to feed cracked corn as well to help them warm up. The biggest challenge is going to be keeping the water from freezing.
To prevent water from freezing, there are several things you can do.
You can buy or make a water heater or a heated dish. You could add a heat lamp (that is what I do, be careful though, I've melted my waterer before

) Or you can have a rubber grain dish and just refill it several times a day. I'm sure there are many other options as well.

We have raccoons, fox, skunks, fishers, bears, lynx, bobcats, coyotes, hawks, and other birds of prey, and depending on who you talk to we also have Mountain Lion (I believe it). The best thing you can do it lock your birds in a coop at night, when most predators are out and about. I have been fortunate to never have had daytime predators. Maybe the daycare kids two houses down scare them away? Could be the goats as well (hey good excuse for getting goats

)Don't use just chicken wire, use hardware cloth, it will save you A LOT of headaches.

Ditto on the DE!

 

[can you hear me now?]

Your best bet to stop them from digging is to put either chicken wire of hardware wrap underground about 1 foot with it going in an L direction facing away from the run. I would suggest hardware wrap because racoons can't reach in and grab chickens. Also I would suggest to use something that is very sturdy to hold your run fencing in place. There is a staple called a poultry staple. I think this is best. there are aother things to fasten it you may want to ask other people I don't use them so I don't know what they are. Almost forgot,

. Last but not least enjoy your chickens. They really are addicting.

 

[sunnydee]

Okay, DE it is. I am hoping I can find this at my local Agway? As for winter time, I plan on insulating the whole shed with blue board and covering that up with paneling. I have two windows which I will cover w/ heavy fencing (not chic wire but the heavy stuff) and will plastic up in winter. I also plan on buying a heated water dish. I want to be able to let them come out in their run in the winter too, so I am planning on creating a porch of some type with a nice roof and keep it shoveled out for them.

Oh so much to do...yikes! My kids r sooo excited. I caught my 16 year old kissing one tonight! Oh my god..I almost started to cry I was so happy!!! Oh and I just checked on them..all together sound asleep. What angels!!

 

[gumpsgirl]

It sounds like you are doing everything right.

 

[Chicken Rob]

were is good place to get DE in maine . will agway no what i am looking for ?, sometimes they arent very bright about there products they have .

 

[Frozen Feathers]

I haven't found food grade yet at any of my feed stores. Though I believe Seachick said there is a feed store in Buxton...don't quote me on the town...that carries (or can order it) food grade DE.

I'll write more later...big thunderstorm rolling in...YIKES!!