Hudson Valley NY *chat thread*

[jzervas92]

carousel86 your ducks are so cute! I wanted to free range mine, but I have way to many nasty predators. This is definitely going to be an interesting winter!

 

[jzervas92]

Hey does anybody have female ducks for sale, or know where I can find one? Craigslist has not been helping! I'm looking for rouen, campbell , or ancona.

 

[carress]

Is there anyone local who is comfortable taking a chicken with bumblefoot. It's very swollen, and certainly painful. I do not have the time, space, or materials to treat this chicken. I'm downsizing and relocating as we speak. I can lend a hutch to isolate her while she recovers enough to be integrated into your flock.

 

[Basskids08]

Is there anyone local who is comfortable taking a chicken with bumblefoot. It's very swollen, and certainly painful.  I do not have the time, space, or materials to treat this chicken. I'm downsizing and relocating as we speak. I can lend a hutch to isolate her while she recovers enough to be integrated into your flock.

if you still have her and need someone to take her and fix her up let me know!

 

[cutipatooti]

Does anyone in here use organic/ non-GMO feed/grains? Where do you buy your feed? I'm closest to tractor supply in chester (I think anyway, maybe there is something closer I just didn't know about) and they are always out of stock on everything I want and I haven't seen organic in there yet...

I use organic! I get mine from the natural pet center in gardener or heritage feed in bullville. There is always lightning tree farms on the other side of the river but that's usually to far for me to drive. Tractor supply does now carry organic layer by blue seal. They even have small bags of organic starter but not at the one in Chester.

 

[carress]

I found a lady in Plattekill, Marly who is taking care of her.
Thanks for the offer though, I appreciate it.
C

 

[MeggyC]

I use organic! I get mine from the natural pet center in gardener or heritage feed in bullville. There is always lightning tree farms on the other side of the river but that's usually to far for me to drive. Tractor supply does now carry organic layer by blue seal. They even have small bags of organic starter but not at the one in Chester.

Thanks! I JUST stopped in bullville at heritage and spoke to a very helpful young woman in there about pricing (although she told me they carry cold spring and nutrena organic, but when I visited the nutrena site they said they are NOT considered organic ). Which tractor supply does carry organic? Pine bush maybe? Chester is the only one I have ever visited, but between us the people I have encountered there were not very nice or helpful (very sorry to say). I already bought dumor starter/grower 50lb. (Tractor supply Chester lady talked me into it). Does this ruin my organic efforts?

And, BTW.... THEY SHOULD ARRIVE TOMORROW!!!!! I am so excited! Lol thanks for info.! Hope to hear from you soon!

 

[cutipatooti]

Thanks! I JUST stopped in bullville at heritage and spoke to a very helpful young woman in there about pricing (although she told me they carry cold spring and nutrena organic, but when I visited the nutrena site they said they are NOT considered organic ). Which tractor supply does carry organic? Pine bush maybe? Chester is the only one I have ever visited, but between us the people I have encountered there were not very nice or helpful (very sorry to say). I already bought dumor starter/grower 50lb. (Tractor supply Chester lady talked me into it). Does this ruin my organic efforts?

And, BTW.... THEY SHOULD ARRIVE TOMORROW!!!!! I am so excited! Lol thanks for info.! Hope to hear from you soon!

I live in barryville in Sullivan county. I saw the organic at the tractor supply in liberty. I think I saw it in Chester also just not for chicks. I get the cold spring one from heritage most of the time. In a pinch I use the dumor starter/grower. Sometimes I just can't get out of the house to get to bullville. It's never to late to go organic. I actually think the chicks like the dumor more or many it's just less waste. The organic is a mash and the dumor a crumble. The organic keeps vital nutrients by not subjecting the food to a heat process to get it into crumble form . There are plenty of people who grow and eat their chickens on dumor so there is nothing really bad about it. It's just what you want and believe in. Raising your own is still way better then relying on the super market even if it's only a couple hundred eggs a year. Congrats on the little ones coming tomorrow. How many, what kind, where from?

 

[Joanmcm]

Hey Joanmcm, I have been looking into this fermented feed idea. The threads on this site are extensive and I am getting confused. would you mind terribly giving me a run down of how you do it? Can it be done just for layer hens? How old should they be when they start? How many times per day? do they still get regular feed along with the fermented (different time of day maybe)? How do you even make the stuff? the recipe I saw called for feed (whatever you normally use) and water and apple cider vinegar (what kind? organic?) and let sit in a covered but NOT sealed-shut bucket.

its just that there is a long thread for meat birds and then a layer thread that directs you to the meat thread because it touches on the topic and its taking so long and everyone has a different opinion. I figure whatever you are doing must work for you so... help? lol sorry to put this on you (or anyone else who wants to answer) I just don't know and I want to do what's best. what is even the benefit of fermented feed? better egg production? better eggs in general? its overwhelming!

Missed this. Sorry about the delay. The fermenting food breaks it down so it is easier to digest and helps make sure the hens get extra water during the cold winter.

I use layer feed from Lightening Tree Farm in Millbrook, NY. Take a 5 pound bucket, fill half full of feed. Add water until to cover + or - 3.5 inches. (Depends on what time of feed you use...you will learn to look at it and add feed or water to get to oatmeal consistency.)Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup organic apple cider vinegar with 'Mother'...I use Dr. Braggs. You can get it pretty cheap on the internet . Let sit for 24 hours...stir once or twice. I give them a Large cooking scoop per bird per day + free feed them dry food in the winter. You know you have the right recipe when bubbles appear after a day or so. I add food and water to same bucket after removing some each day. Each week I eventually empty bucket and start a totally fresh batch.

The chickens don t care if it is too thick or too watery when you start out so keep practicing.

During really cold days I make them tuna oatmeal w a few spoons of coconut or other oil mixed in. This is just regular cooked oatmeal w a can of tuna (or some meat) mixed in and whatever leftover fruit and veggies I have. The dog appreciates a couple of spoonfuls of it as well. The chickens really were wild over it.

I use several plates to feed to make sure everyone gets some. I use 5 gallon bucket lids to feed FM or oatmeal.

 

[Joanmcm]

I did not lose any birds last winter. Breed may make a difference. We have barred rocks, RIRs, and one red star. The Plymouth Rocks did best with the freezing weather. None liked walking in snow over a dusting. They have an enclosed wooden coop connected to a small roofed, open sided pen. The open pen has plastic walls for windblock up to chicken height about 18". The half open pen opens to their yard. We used clear plastic roofing sheets to roof and for the low walls.

They stayed in their coop and covered pen most of the winter.