Hudson Valley NY *chat thread*

[BarnMom719]

:yiipchick good morning! I'm over in New Windsor area (Rock Tavern). My hubby is building a chicken coop. I can't wait til he's done so we can get the chickens! I'm so excited! We've never had chickens before so this will be quite the adventure and learning experience. I really don't want to get the day olds and deal with the heat lamp etc. Do you think they will still be people friendly if we get then a little bit older? Any other advice for a first time chicken momma?

 

[Basskids08]

Hello everyone! I have been extreamly busy and havnt been able to get on here
I have some eggs due on saturday !!
Hope everyone is well!

Hello! What eggs do you have? Are you setting them?

 

[Brznwench]

Just a few picks of our flock and the new coop/run. We have a 10 x 20 shed. partitioned the back 4 feet. added nest boxes and Driftwood found locally. Exterior elevated run is complete with driftwood perch and a swing! We have ample pine needles so that is what I use in the outdoor pen. We are on a lake and surrounded by critters. We even had a black bear roaming the shoreline winter before last. Very protective so still deciding about making a "playpen" to get them ground level. Ahh forgot about the pair of Bald Eagles nesting near by. nevermind.

2 Black Jersey Giants
2 New Hampshires
2 Eastereggers?

Looking for a couple more, and to build a tractor.

 

[JerseyHen]

JerseyHen...hope all is well with you. How are your garden projects coming along?

Lost a buff orpington the other night. I wasn't feeling well and went to bed early and we all assumed someone else would lock them up. I think the wind shut the coop door before she made it in for the night...a coyote probably. Only a trail of feathers was left. I feel so bad.

Engaging in any chicken transactions with this one is probably not a good idea. I don't know if I trust her.

So sorry to hear about your hen

Letting them out is always a gamble, but I think they have to be free to live like a chicken should.

My gardens are keeping me busy. I have to turn that pumpkin patch again and get it fenced in so the deer don't eat everything. My early spring garden is sprouting (potatoes, greens, root veggies, asparagus, etc). I won't put the rest in until the frost risk is over. Anyone still doing seeds that wants to do a seed swap at the sussex show, just let me know. I bought waaaaay to many seeds this year. That is what happens when we have such a nasty winter, I peruse the seed catalogs all day and night.

I also need to finish the grow out pens(which will later be used for breeding and brooding) so that the 28, 5 week-olds, can get out of the basement brooder and outside where they belong. They are not fully feathered yet, so I will give them another week or two on the lamp before putting them out, which gives me just enough time to get the pens done. Speaking of which, I will need to sell about 1/2 of these. I am only trying to get back the money I have in them (bird, shipping, brooding to fully feathered), so pm me if you are interested. I have cream brabanters and appenzeller spitzhaubens available. I will bring them to the sussex show if anyone is interested, but otherwise I am not going to bring them.

As to the craigslist whacko... I would not have any transactions with that person. I especially wouldn't tell them where I lived. I do all my craigslist transactions via email so that I don't have to give out my cell any more. I get a feel for them via email and then I have them give me their number. I had a similar interaction some time ago. If you need to sell the chicks, you can get a sales cage at the sussex show for 3 or 5 dollars, I can't remember exactly. Birds sell really well there.

 

[JerseyHen]

Just a few picks of our flock and the new coop/run. We have a 10 x 20 shed. partitioned the back 4 feet. added nest boxes and Driftwood found locally. Exterior elevated run is complete with driftwood perch and a swing! We have ample pine needles so that is what I use in the outdoor pen. We are on a lake and surrounded by critters. We even had a black bear roaming the shoreline winter before last. Very protective so still deciding about making a "playpen" to get them ground level. Ahh forgot about the pair of Bald Eagles nesting near by. nevermind.

Nice looking birds and a cool coop set up. If they are only going to be in the "playpen" during the day or while you are out there, you can probably do a simple one and cover it with hex cloth (chicken wire) on the sides and netting on the top. The night predators will get through chicken wire, but if the chickens are locked in at night that won't be an issue. Otherwise you should use welded garden fence and cover the top and have a "skirt" as well. If you are close to water you might have mink and fisher cat as well as the standard set of predators. They can get through smaller holes. I am very close to a lake as well. The bald eagles here go for the fish and the waterfowl, but I imagine they will come after the chickens eventually if they are hungry enough. The hawk is my worst enemy (and my own, new, dog who is a hound).

 

[JerseyHen]

good morning! I'm over in New Windsor area (Rock Tavern). My hubby is building a chicken coop. I can't wait til he's done so we can get the chickens! I'm so excited! We've never had chickens before so this will be quite the adventure and learning experience. I really don't want to get the day olds and deal with the heat lamp etc. Do you think they will still be people friendly if we get then a little bit older? Any other advice for a first time chicken momma?

Welcome to BYC, to the thread, and to chickendom! You can find out everything you need here, there are so many great (and experienced) folks on these threads.

To answer your questions... If the person who brooded them for you did a lot of interacting they will be pretty friendly. If they didn't spend much time with them the younger they are, the more time you will have with them to make them friendly. If they are point of lay birds that were not raised with a lot of interaction they may always be skittish. How many are you looking for? What breeds? How old (feathered, but young (6 weeks or so) or point of lay (16 weeks or so)? When will you be ready for them? There may be some people on here willing to hatch and brood for you, but they will need to know your timeline.

I have had some seriously skittish birds become friendly once they realized that I always have a pocket full of goodies. It will get to the point that as soon as they see you they come running. It is pretty funny actually.

 

[WoodlandChick]

Hello! I have one chicken and one rooster both about a year old. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on where to buy some more laying hens (just 2 or 3). We need to get some more hens because one rooster to one hen is just too much! I am in germantown ny, but would travel anywhere in the area.

Thanks!!

 

[JerseyHen]

Hello! I have one chicken and one rooster both about a year old. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on where to buy some more laying hens (just 2 or 3). We need to get some more hens because one rooster to one hen is just too much! I am in germantown ny, but would travel anywhere in the area.

Thanks!!

There is a poultry show on May 17 in Augusta NJ (not sure if that is too far for you) hat has a sales vendor area. There are usually a hundred + birds for sale. I would imagine someone will be selling POL pullets. I would get there early if you want the best choice though.

 

[chickenmama55]

So i have a set of eggs set to hatch sunday/monday and friday/saturday. The parents are





and the potential daddys are







I'll be selling the chicks for $4

 

[Brznwench]

good morning! I'm over in New Windsor area (Rock Tavern). My hubby is building a chicken coop. I can't wait til he's done so we can get the chickens! I'm so excited! We've never had chickens before so this will be quite the adventure and learning experience. I really don't want to get the day olds and deal with the heat lamp etc. Do you think they will still be people friendly if we get then a little bit older? Any other advice for a first time chicken momma?

Hey Barnmom!

We are both newbies! Got our 6 chicks at TSC end of Feb and I have to say raising them from babies was wonderful. They really are not alot of trouble and you can get them now and still have 6 weeks to bond with them while the coop is being built! that is what we did. We used a large dog crate that was separated into two halves with the openings together and an old screen door for the top. when they got bigger, we just wrapped the whole thing with hardware cloth using zip ties and put the screen door on top of that. Really was easy and we got some gentle critters.I have heard some people do the same thing with a childs swimming pool.
BTW. I am in Salisbury Mills/Beaver Dam Lake. hiya neighbor!
Barb