Maine

[MEMama3]

I am woman hear me roar! I have an ice house/shed being delivered to me some time in the next week. Everyone said I should just stick it in the side yard and move it into place (where the current coop is) some time in the spring since the hoop "atrium" is frozen into the ground. With the atrium where it is, the new shed would overlap the driveway giving me no room to park. I love my golden girls coop, but it is not winter friendly and I want to use the new coop asap. Anyways, through sheer determination I managed on yanking and heaving that darn coop the two feet back that I needed it to go. Now when the new shed gets delivered all I need is some strong backs to move the old coop into the run (so the birds have somewhere to stay while I remodel) and the new shed can go in its place. Woo hoo!

 

[buckabucka]

I'm a MASS****. I have to admit, when anyasmifya said she was embarrassed, I thought, "oh, she's from New Jersey". Not that New Jersey does not have some beautiful areas....
I also grew up in a relatively rural setting that slowly disappeared. And while more and more houses are cropping up in this area, we do have considerable acreage to protect us. I don't think I would like moving north, as winter is already long enough!
I'd offer you some chickens, jerseychix, but I'm sure you don't want OLD chickens. This spring, I may have to break down and get rid of some of my older girls, because I am already itching to do some hatching and dreaming about new breeds.

 

[MEMama3]

I'm a MASS****. I have to admit, when anyasmifya said she was embarrassed, I thought, "oh, she's from New Jersey". Not that New Jersey does not have some beautiful areas....
I also grew up in a relatively rural setting that slowly disappeared. And while more and more houses are cropping up in this area, we do have considerable acreage to protect us. I don't think I would like moving north, as winter is already long enough!
I'd offer you some chickens, jerseychix, but I'm sure you don't want OLD chickens. This spring, I may have to break down and get rid of some of my older girls, because I am already itching to do some hatching and dreaming about new breeds.

well, So long as you don't drive like it, I think we can find it in our hearts to forgive you. Lol.

You do like red Sox right???

 

[lazy gardener]

The fat would be a nice addition. Maybe once or twice a year when the temperatures are sooooo cold, I throw a quarter of a square of suet out there for them to eat some fat. We've put bacon grease in their food, instead, and mine get the organ meat and fat when we process the roosters/make stock. It's not often, but they love it.

We had our wood stove doors re-lined this summer, and last night was the first night that the stove was still going the next morning! In the past it was totally burnt out after a few hours. I admit I did get up at 4, per usual, to check it and start my chores, but it was STILL GOING!

I get better at this Maine winter thing every year.

Anya: what's to be embarrassed about where you're from? We're all from somewhere!

Dowgirl ~ Congratulations! I am so jealous! I just went out to check the nest boxes, couldn't see into them because my birdies have decided to stay in today, they don't like the snow! My girls still have not started laying. They are about six months old now. If they don't start laying soon, will I have to wait until spring? I hate buying eggs.

So, yesterday I bought a bag of scratch.I decided they need to eat something besides pellets. I also just switched over from grower pellets to layer pellets. Maybe the layer will get them to start laying!

Superchemical girl~ You are not from Maine? How long have you been up here? I'm not from Maine either! I don't want to say where I hail from. lol. It's embarrassing.

Welcome back Jerseychix. I highly recommend EE. They're a lot of fun. My EE are not the friendliest chickens, but they are always milling around my feet, and I couldn't imagine giving up a single one in my flock. I also recommend Dominiques. I lean toward pea or rose combed (for winter hardiness) and naked footed birds (just because I like naked feet). Check craigs list re: getting chickens this time of year. My recommendation if you're getting started birds is to get them all from the same source, so you don't have to deal with quarantine issues. My preference is not to bring any thing into my flock except for eggs and day old chicks. That doesn't ensure that you're not bringing any disease into the flock, but it helps cut the risk some.

The coop holds a max of 8. And I spent some time looking at cold hardy breeds, can't say naked necks were on there! I've had Orps and RIR before, and they were perfectly lovely chickens. I kind of want some Easter Eggers for the kids, and then something cute, reasonably friendly, and a good layer. And something we could get soon would be awesome. Though, I don't know where to get chickens this time of year!

And, if you can't tell from my handle, I'm not from here either. Moved up from Jersey to Cumberland County last year. Though, in my defense, I am not from Jersey either! Grew up in CT. But my mom is from Maine, and I LOVE it up here.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Ok, ok you fessed up, so will I, I grew up in Pennsylvania and New Jersey! We first moved to limington (2006) and then bought land up north of Bangor. I now live in a very small town and know all of my neighbors. I have a relative that lives outside of d.c. It is nuts down there! When I go down to NJ it's even more nuts. I refuse to drive around those areas. LOL I also lived in NYC even more nuts!

I always say now that I would rather live in a large city or the country than the suburbs. The suburbs are the worse! The city is exciting the country is peaceful and suburbs just seem too cookie cutter and boring! Like step ford.

I agree with fast internet!

My parents are from PA... Nescopeck and other areas in and around Luzerne County. I liked the small towns of PA back in the 80s - they weren't quite as desolate as they seem now, to me. I like the small towns nestled in the mountains, looks neat when driving through. I was recently in West Virginia, and that place reminds me of home, too. I could certainly live there.

But I'm happy I'm here.
With my internet.

Bucka... hopefully you'll find some room for some naked necks

 

[buckabucka]

Congrats on moving your new shed into place, MEMama. (Wish we had a movie of that!).

I no longer drive like a crazy person, but I did when I first arrived here. I came to Maine for college. One day I was driving in downtown Waterville (keep in mind this was more than 30 years ago and Waterville was much less developed). I had other passengers in the car and we were stopped at a traffic light. When the light turned green, the car in front of me did not zoom away instantaneously at lightening speed, so I leaned on the horn. The look of horror on my passengers faces was enough to teach me that my driving style was inappropriate!

I am not the biggest sports fan, but if I had to root for a baseball team it would be the Red Sox. And I like Fenway Park.

 

[buckabucka]

Maybe someday on the naked necks.... Right now, I have some temporary naked necks.

Maybe 75 birds is a better number to shoot for.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Yes, the little cylinder gaskets around the door and the glass in the door were replaced. Ours were old and kinda crunchy and definitely not giving a good seal. There were times when we'd have to poke it back into the glass while the fire was burning. It let more air in than we'd like and burned hotter and faster than we'd have liked. We lifted the doors off this summer and brought them to Rocky's Stove Shoppe in Augusta. It was less than 100$ to do it, and well worth it. Once we got them back we had to keep the stove sealed and not in use for a few days to squish the new gaskets to ensure it would seal later, but that was the only downside.


Stir and wait.

 

[lazy gardener]

I am woman hear me roar! I have an ice house/shed being delivered to me some time in the next week. Everyone said I should just stick it in the side yard and move it into place (where the current coop is) some time in the spring since the hoop "atrium" is frozen into the ground. With the atrium where it is, the new shed would overlap the driveway giving me no room to park. I love my golden girls coop, but it is not winter friendly and I want to use the new coop asap. Anyways, through sheer determination I managed on yanking and heaving that darn coop the two feet back that I needed it to go. Now when the new shed gets delivered all I need is some strong backs to move the old coop into the run (so the birds have somewhere to stay while I remodel) and the new shed can go in its place. Woo hoo!

Congrats on that fine snag MeMama3. I also wish I had a more winter friendly coop. I have dreams of selling mine in the spring, re-cooping (pun intended) the costs of that, and building a (larger... of course...) stick built coop. Insert husband's rolling eyes here! Luckily, he tolerates my farmer mentality, doesn't understand it, but tolerates it... fortunately, he knew what he was getting when he married me! Might I suggest 2 - 3" PVC for moving the buildings around. 2 - 3 pieces should make it easy to roll the buildings where you need them, then a car jack or 2 to get the corners lifted to level the new coop. Hopefully the snow won't be an issue for you.

 

[buckabucka]

I second the PVC pipe rollers! We could not move the hoop coop without them. In fact, we stole all the scrap PVC that our neighbors put out with their trash.

I have a different kind of Jack for lifting (DH). Give him a long enough steel pipe for a lever and he'll try to lift anything (which is how we manage to lift the very heavy hoop coop enough to get the rollers underneath).