Hudson Valley NY *chat thread*

[LSzajko]

Quote:
Feisty...ornery..you name it, that's Gertie the Australorp! She better start layin' to redeem herself. I should rename her Mizz PMS. Next in line is Sylvia the SLW but she's not as bad. It's so funny how different their personalities are. The EE is a sweetheart, the brown leghorns are as skittish as can be and the rest are fairly friendly...very curious when we come out to visit them. One or 2 will hop into our laps to hang out. The EE jumped onto my head the other day. My 2 orpingtons are HUGE and keep to themselves. The other girls were really mean when we first introduced them. Now they chase them away. They don't even forage together. I feel so bad for them. We were convinced the blue orpington was a roo but now we're not sure. Wouldn't he be crowing by now? He's about 16 weeks. The others are 19 weeks. Your sister has orpingtons doesn't she? Or am I confusing you with someone else? They are absolutely beautiful..so full and fluffy!

 

[LSzajko]

Quote:
Lexi, please do post some pics of the lavender orp. Is that the same as a blue orp? Either way, they're so pretty. I love their "bigness" (I have my own dictionary, can you tell? lol) and those big fluffy behinds of theirs! The Buffs are beautiful also. Are they good layers? They seem docile although mine get picked on constantly so they're extremely shy. Anyway, I'm glad your flock is doing well ! Hatching anything?

 

[LSzajko]

Is anyone going to the Farm Animal Tailgate sale at Tractor Supply in Amenia on Saturday, July 13th?

 

[Coupe]

Lexi, please do post some pics of the lavender orp. Is that the same as a blue orp? Either way, they're so pretty. I love their "bigness" (I have my own dictionary, can you tell? lol) and those big fluffy behinds of theirs! The Buffs are beautiful also. Are they good layers? They seem docile although mine get picked on constantly so they're extremely shy. Anyway, I'm glad your flock is doing well ! Hatching anything?

Ill get some pics today ! So ill have some alittle later.. Lavender Orps have a light grayish/blue color that looks almost like a pale lavender color. I never handled my Lav. Orps muc bit they have turned out to be very sweet birds! I believe Orpingtons in general are just a great all around breed! My old buff Orp was a great layer!
Im not hatching anything right now..i do have some eggs under that broody silkie, that i need to check on! i dont remember when i put tjem under her so i dont have a due date!

 

[charlie14]

Is anyone going to the Farm Animal Tailgate sale at Tractor Supply in Amenia on Saturday, July 13th?

We got our rooster at the highland one in May and he is just the best rooster ever. He is great with the hens, dogs, and kids. He is a welsummer I believe.

 

[mountaindog66]

Feisty...ornery..you name it, that's Gertie the Australorp! She better start layin' to redeem herself. I should rename her Mizz PMS. Next in line is Sylvia the SLW but she's not as bad. It's so funny how different their personalities are. The EE is a sweetheart, the brown leghorns are as skittish as can be and the rest are fairly friendly...very curious when we come out to visit them. One or 2 will hop into our laps to hang out. The EE jumped onto my head the other day. My 2 orpingtons are HUGE and keep to themselves. The other girls were really mean when we first introduced them. Now they chase them away. They don't even forage together. I feel so bad for them. We were convinced the blue orpington was a roo but now we're not sure. Wouldn't he be crowing by now? He's about 16 weeks. The others are 19 weeks. Your sister has orpingtons doesn't she? Or am I confusing you with someone else? They are absolutely beautiful..so full and fluffy!

Yes, my sister in VT currently has a layer flock of 22 buff orpingtons, she likes those the best and believes in keeping only one breed in her flock so that they all get along. She had some red and black sex links a few years back and they were mean and were hard to keep from pecking each other when she introduced different ages or colors. Now she gets a new flock every couple of years from a hatchery, she doesn't breed or keep a rooster. Her one buff orp. rooster was really mean so he went to freezer camp. Her buff girls are all really gentle and pretty, they really are fluffy and plump and look like they are all wearing petticoats - very cute. She gets a lot of large pale brown eggs, and they are very cold-hardy, but even they stop laying in the dead of winter, as she doesn't supplement the light, she prefers to give them a rest.

I don't think I can limit myself to one breed though, I'd like to have some egg color variety and see what some of the different breeds are like firsthand. It is tough to narrow down the choices, but I'm most interested in Wyandottes right now (Partridge and SL) because they are also so plump, round, and pretty, and really good layers so I hear. Next after that I'd like to include some Black Copper Marans for large dark eggs, and they are such big, impressive birds - good meat birds too for any culls. Then I'd definitely like to have a slew of Easter Eggers for blue/green eggs, since they have that hybrid vigor they are also very productive and often lay extra large eggs, and I love the beards and muffs on them. I'll probably stick with just those 3, but I also find the Black Australorps interesting for their productivity, they also look like big, calm, beautiful birds for the most part. DH and I eat a LOT of eggs, and we have some family in the area who'd like any extra eggs, so I want to be sure to produce enough eggs for us all.

That's why I like hearing about your birds, since you have a lot of those types right now.

 

[LSzajko]

We got our rooster at the highland one in May and he is just the best rooster ever. He is great with the hens, dogs, and kids. He is a welsummer I believe.
We went to the Chester TSC's swap meet this year and Highland's last year. I know I'm going to be tempted Saturday. Was the roo healthy? No mites, etc.? Did you quarantine him?

 

[mountaindog66]

Ill get some pics today ! So ill have some alittle later.. Lavender Orps have a light grayish/blue color that looks almost like a pale lavender color. I never handled my Lav. Orps muc bit they have turned out to be very sweet birds! I believe Orpingtons in general are just a great all around breed! My old buff Orp was a great layer!
Im not hatching anything right now..i do have some eggs under that broody silkie, that i need to check on! i dont remember when i put tjem under her so i dont have a due date!

Lexi, hope you find a nice surprise under that broody hen soon!

 

[LSzajko]

Ill get some pics today ! So ill have some alittle later.. Lavender Orps have a light grayish/blue color that looks almost like a pale lavender color. I never handled my Lav. Orps muc bit they have turned out to be very sweet birds! I believe Orpingtons in general are just a great all around breed! My old buff Orp was a great layer!
Im not hatching anything right now..i do have some eggs under that broody silkie, that i need to check on! i dont remember when i put tjem under her so i dont have a due dat
I remember you said you put some eggs under the silkie....a couple of weeks ago, maybe??

 

[LSzajko]

Yes, my sister in VT currently has a layer flock of 22 buff orpingtons, she likes those the best and believes in keeping only one breed in her flock so that they all get along. She had some red and black sex links a few years back and they were mean and were hard to keep from pecking each other when she introduced different ages or colors. Now she gets a new flock every couple of years from a hatchery, she doesn't breed or keep a rooster. Her one buff orp. rooster was really mean so he went to freezer camp. Her buff girls are all really gentle and pretty, they really are fluffy and plump and look like they are all wearing petticoats - very cute. She gets a lot of large pale brown eggs, and they are very cold-hardy, but even they stop laying in the dead of winter, as she doesn't supplement the light, she prefers to give them a rest.

I don't think I can limit myself to one breed though, I'd like to have some egg color variety and see what some of the different breeds are like firsthand. It is tough to narrow down the choices, but I'm most interested in Wyandottes right now (Partridge and SL) because they are also so plump, round, and pretty, and really good layers so I hear. Next after that I'd like to include some Black Copper Marans for large dark eggs, and they are such big, impressive birds - good meat birds too for any culls. Then I'd definitely like to have a slew of Easter Eggers for blue/green eggs, since they have that hybrid vigor they are also very productive and often lay extra large eggs, and I love the beards and muffs on them. I'll probably stick with just those 3, but I also find the Black Australorps interesting for their productivity, they also look like big, calm, beautiful birds for the most part. DH and I eat a LOT of eggs, and we have some family in the area who'd like any extra eggs, so I want to be sure to produce enough eggs for us all.

That's why I like hearing about your birds, since you have a lot of those types right now.

I prefer a variety of breeds and egg colors too. I think once we get more experience w/the different breeds we'll probably stick to just a few when the time comes to restock the flock. Orpingtons would definitely be one of my top choices. They're so pretty. And you're right~ they do look like they're wearing petticoats lol Eventually I'd like to get an incubator and hatch some myself but I'm not set up for that right now. As much as I don't want chicks in the house again, I suppose the brooder box can be set up in the basement until they feather out. But from what I've read in BYC, we should have a grow-out pen and another run to introduce the newbies to the existing flock slowly.There's so much to consider! We used to have goats and my husband was going to convert their barn into a second coop but he met someone today who might be interested in buying it. With the goat barn money he's going to build a bigger coop or possibly another coop. Not sure which option is the best one for us. I'm confused!! Right now the coop is at full capacity so I really shouldn't go to the TSC swap meet Saturday! I'm just going to look....(yaaaa riiiight!)