Maine

[enggass]

12-15 years for Nigerian Dwarfs I'm told...

 

[superchemicalgirl]

What kind of feeder is that in the shed? Looks like a plastic tote. I'm getting 2 Nigerian Dearfs next Summer. A Doe and a Wether to start. Doing all of my research now... I digress. This is a chicken forum. Sorry.

It's just a plastic tote with holes cut out. With the traditional wire/metal feeders they waste soooooo much hay it isn't even funny. With these they have to work harder to waste hay (oh, they still do, the little turds).







I have to replace it once a year or so, they learn to break it to waste more hay. They also figured out how to get the top off, so there's 2 bricks on top of it, now. If they're really bored they'll move the bricks so they can get in it and throw hay all over the place. I picture it like those movies with people flinging and rolling around in money.

 

[lazy gardener]

What kind of feeder is that in the shed? Looks like a plastic tote. I'm getting 2 Nigerian Dearfs next Summer. A Doe and a Wether to start. Doing all of my research now... I digress. This is a chicken forum. Sorry.

No apology necessary. Chickens are merely a gate way animal. Who doesn't like goats?

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Stocky?





Checkmate.


(don't judge the state of affairs, this was during spring thaw last year, it was a disaster)

Love it! And those ears!!

Totally agree that chickens are a gateway animal. After the goats, you'll be getting bees.

 

[enggass]

Agreed... I did 2 guinea hogs for meat a few years back. Will probably do something like that again. Next goats. Am thinking Bees in the future.
Chickens are totally a gateway!

 

[lazy gardener]

Was discussing bees with hubby this morning. (Helpful that I got up at 5:30 and made him blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup... improves the reception) He hates goats. Thinks they have evil eyes. I love goats, and would have had them decades ago, if he was willing. But... I digress. Bees may eventually grace my little homestead. I have a friend who's up to 10 hives now.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

We've got goats, bees (2 hives), guinea hens, ducks, turkeys and chickens. I love the bees, chickens and ducks.

The goats drive me clinically insane. The guineas are clinically insane and the turkeys are bipolar.

 

[lazy gardener]

How would you compare the amount of work involved in the bees compared to the work with your chicken flock? For comparison, my winter flock is 16 birds, and my summer flock can go up to 40 birds. I've heard it's expensive. I've heard that top bar cuts the risk of mites, and the associated need to medicate the hive. And, if I got involved in it, I think I'd make my own hive. I have a friend who has an extractor.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

The work is different and really not comparable to other farm animals. There's no daily maintenance, cleaning poo, filling feeders and waterers, locking them up.
They're expensive - it's about 500$ to start with one hive (including tools and bees). I have langstroth hives and a friend has top bar. He's moving to langstroth next year because the top bar is very difficult to keep alive in our winters. It's difficult to keep the langstroth alive, too, but there's more products available for it.
The first year seems to be the most "labor intensive" with bees. All the assembly of the hive, and then inspections every 2 weeks or so because you're curious and because you need to know if they need another box. Plus they need feeding a lot the first year. I have the top feeder, so I don't have to really go into the hive. I can take the top off the hive, the lid off the feeder, refill, and close it up and not be exposed to bees. What takes the most time for me is when I have to get suited up, start the smoker, etc. With this type of feeder I mix the sugar water in a handled closed carrying bucket, walk it down to the hive and I'm done in 30 seconds.
I treat for nosema in fall and spring, and mites in fall. I put a candy board on in winter, along with a quilt box and some insulation and a mouse guard. Otherwise I leave my hives alone except to check a few times during spring/summer/fall and to get honey.
I had 100% of my hives die this year, before winter hit. It was a bad year on account of the drought, apparently. I even got honey this year and my one hive looked great, full of honey and strong with bees, but the bees just up and left around thanksgiving. The other hive was weak going into spring and didn't survive.

 

[lazy gardener]

TY.

Good news everyone! My walk in freezer is functioning very well. I keep a cooler on the deck throughout the winter for overflow items from fridge and freezer.