Maine

[cyndischicks]

Hooray one of my 7 week old BO rooster just tried crowing!! So cute! Hopefully he won't get to be too loud cause I don't want the neighbors complaining! Had a huge broad winged or red tailed hawk in a tree above my hen house yesterday eyeing it and screeching. Will have to keep my eye on the hawks out here.

I have tried to catch up on everyones posts I was away in Jackman for a few days and am on vacation so have been trying to get work done here.

I love your coop Mlowen, smart idea building before you get chickens. We need to build a good sturdy run hopefully this week end.

Awesome on your eggs everyone! Great weight loss Grace!!
I know there were alot more posts, sounds like everyone is busy! Headed out to check my babies.
Have a great day everyone!

 

[lazy gardener]

I have a 6 week old chick who is not walking well. This started while I was at camp last week. Will walk a few steps then plop down. Is sleeping a lot. Poops are runny. No one else is acting off. I feed FF, BOSS, and dry crumbles. NO medicated feed! After doing some research here on BYC, could it be a Vitamin B deficiency? I have cut one of my B Complex vitamins in half, crushed it and added to scrambled egg. All of it was eaten. I've added electrolytes to the water and am changing it daily. Fed other half of Vitamin B in applesauce. Chick ate heartily. It perched on the side of the box for a little bit but was wobbily. Is now sleeping snuggled between two stuffed animals in the dog crate, in the house. Any suggestions?

If it's a vitamin deficiency related thing, you might want to add some Vit E and Selenium. Beware that especially with Vit E being "fat absorbed" it's easy to over dose as it hangs around in the body and builds up. When my chick had Vit E encephalopathy, it presented with a lot of neurological issues. You might want to check out the thread re: "crazy chick disease" it shows a clip of what the syndrome looks like.

 

[MEMama3]

Sorry to derail all current conversations, but I just met someone on another board who is vegan (no animals or animal byproducts aka:eggs) and was commenting on how keeping pets goes against nature. I don't want to come across rude, so I didn't ask, but if she isn't eating the chicken or its eggs and she's not keeping it as a pet, why is she a chicken owner?

 

[Jazor]

You'll have a blast! How many eggs does your family eat/week. Do you want to have extra to sell to help cover your feed costs, and if so, do you think you have a ready market? How big a coop do you plan to build? How much space for a run? Are you mostly interested in having an abundance of eggs, or are you looking for an assortment of hens that will be pleasing to YOUR eye? Do you have young children who will be interacting with your chickens? Will you allow the birds to free range? or keep them confined? Will you in the future want to hatch your own eggs with a broody? With an incubator? Would you be happy with a barnyard mix of chickens, or would you prefer heritage pure bred birds, or hybrids that lay like crazy but burn out sooner. Do you want a dual purpose bird that will be useful on the kitchen table when her laying days are done? Would a rooster be an asset or a pain in the neck?? Are you going to be set up to provide supplemental heat in the winter? All of the answers to these questions will help you to decide what kind of birds to get. Every body has their own opinion about what kind of bird is the best one to have. If you ask a dozen BYC people what is the best chicken to have, you'll probably get 20 different answers!!

On a side note: Japanese beetles are coming on strong in my yard. I dug out last years trap with last years bait and hung it in the chicken's run. Before I even go it hung, beetles were stacking up on the bait disk. I've been enjoying watching the pullets hanging out under the trap snagging the beetles out of the air. This in addition to the several handfuls of beetles they've already had today. And I was worried that my pullets were bored! I predict that the girls won't be eating as much FF during the next few weeks! Lately, bu the time they're ready for bed, their crops are quite distended.

Thanks for the reply. I'll answer as many of your bullets as I can.

I go through anywhere from 8-14 eggs a week, but have friends and family that I would supply with eggs (if possible) as well. I suppose in terms of quantity I'm looking to have a surplus on hand so I can I'm not (at this time) worried about trying to sell eggs, nor do I think it's a feasible endeavor just yet.

The chickens would able to free range, but I also have a section of my barn that will be devoted to their coop--and will be fencing in a run for them as well. I intend to have the coop provide warmth for them in the winter as well--keeping in mind that they will be in a barn that's not insulated. I will do what I can do insulate their immediate area, and also provide light bulbs (not heat lamps due to fire risk).

At this point I'm not concerned with hatching any chicks, or raising birds for meat--but open to the idea. No need for a rooster, also I don't particularly want one.

My research is pointing me towards R.I. Reds, or hybrids of them due to their heartiness and ability to withstand these cold winters we have. Hopefully something along these lines makes itself available to me in the near future!

Cheers,
Jazor

 

[Mainechick168]

Thanks for the reply. I'll answer as many of your bullets as I can.

I go through anywhere from 8-14 eggs a week, but have friends and family that I would supply with eggs (if possible) as well. I suppose in terms of quantity I'm looking to have a surplus on hand so I can I'm not (at this time) worried about trying to sell eggs, nor do I think it's a feasible endeavor just yet.

The chickens would able to free range, but I also have a section of my barn that will be devoted to their coop--and will be fencing in a run for them as well. I intend to have the coop provide warmth for them in the winter as well--keeping in mind that they will be in a barn that's not insulated. I will do what I can do insulate their immediate area, and also provide light bulbs (not heat lamps due to fire risk).

At this point I'm not concerned with hatching any chicks, or raising birds for meat--but open to the idea. No need for a rooster, also I don't particularly want one.

My research is pointing me towards R.I. Reds, or hybrids of them due to their heartiness and ability to withstand these cold winters we have. Hopefully something along these lines makes itself available to me in the near future!

Cheers,
Jazor

Jazor- welcome! As far as breeds go, and keeping egg production in mind, I found that my Plymouth rocks were the most productive last winter- both the white rocks and barred rocks continued to lay all winter- Also, one of my easter eggers did as well. I find it really fun to have a good mix of chickens, they are fun to watch....good luck!!

 

[MEMama3]

Thanks for the reply.  I'll answer as many of your bullets as I can.  

I go through anywhere from 8-14 eggs a week, but have friends and family that I would supply with eggs (if possible) as well.  I suppose in terms of quantity I'm looking to have a surplus on hand so I can   I'm not (at this time) worried about trying to sell eggs, nor do I think it's a feasible endeavor just yet.  

The chickens would able to free range, but I also have a section of my barn that will be devoted to their coop--and will be fencing in a run for them as well.  I intend to have the coop provide warmth for them in the winter as well--keeping in mind that they will be in a barn that's not insulated.  I will do what I can do insulate their immediate area, and also provide light bulbs (not heat lamps due to fire risk).  

At this point I'm not concerned with hatching any chicks, or raising birds for meat--but open to the idea.  No need for a rooster, also I don't particularly want one.

My research is pointing me towards R.I. Reds, or hybrids of them due to their heartiness and ability to withstand these cold winters we have.  Hopefully something along these lines makes itself available to me in the near future!

Cheers,
Jazor

I personally think it's wise to start out with 2 or 3 breeds to get a feel for which suits your needs best. I have 6 birds, each of a different breed because I wanted variety in my basket as far as color, shape and size. I already have favorites and ones that are just okay.

 

[mlowen]

The chickens would able to free range, but I also have a section of my barn that will be devoted to their coop--and will be fencing in a run for them as well. I intend to have the coop provide warmth for them in the winter as well--keeping in mind that they will be in a barn that's not insulated. I will do what I can do insulate their immediate area, and also provide light bulbs (not heat lamps due to fire risk).

My research is pointing me towards R.I. Reds, or hybrids of them due to their heartiness and ability to withstand these cold winters we have. Hopefully something along these lines makes itself available to me in the near future!

Cheers,
Jazor

Welcome to the tread! Many people do not insulate nor add heat (even my Canadian "friends" on the Natural Chicken Keeping thread.) The breeds that were developed and raised here do just fine. They are birds--lots of down for warmth. Frost bite is usually a moisture issue, not cold--so the more ventilation, without a direct draft, the better. See Woods Open Air Coop for example. There is also a really good article somewhere on BYC called something like "The big coop ventilation page." My coop is very open & airy and not insulated at all.

 

[Mainechick168]

Welcome to the tread! Many people do not insulate nor add heat (even my Canadian "friends" on the Natural Chicken Keeping thread.) The breeds that were developed and raised here do just fine. They are birds--lots of down for warmth. Frost bite is usually a moisture issue, not cold--so the more ventilation, without a direct draft, the better. See Woods Open Air Coop for example. There is also a really good article somewhere on BYC called something like "The big coop ventilation page." My coop is very open & airy and not insulated at all.

My coop is also no insulated. We have ventilation at the top, along with 2 large windows that open- screened with hardware mesh. Last winter the girls did fine. The rooster I had at the time had a very large comb, and got a few tiny spots of frostbite, but nothing more. We also did not add any heat or light, and had plenty lay through the winter.

 

[ashandvine]

RE Honey: There is a man with a small stand, like a lemonade stand but with honey and a few veggies, in Springvale I think. He sells it by the gallon-- literally. Old man. Reasonable for prices... but I am not sure if he sells unfiltered either. Most of it looked clear.

I almost forgot-- my new Ams are hatching! The first Orloffs are due any day and I got my last shipment of Orloffs! Yes, I know its late in the year, but YEY anyway.

Oh and regarding the wobbly chick: If you have a concern that its vitamins one of the easiest things is to add molasses to their water. You could also try crushing a brewers yeast tab into their water to dissolve. We have them for our dog so they are already here. Are you using ACV? If you aren't using any medicated feed the truth is that it could be cocci. Things have been SO wet everywhere and that is a great environment for it to thrive. The solution to that is get Corrid powder from TCS. Put a teaspoon in a gallon of water every day for five days. I would add the molasses as well to counteract the vitamin issue. If you have town water ie chlorinated/floridated then you would want to put some powdered milk in the water as well to counteract those chemicals. I can't recall how much but I have it archived. Got this info from a long time chicken keeper with a vet hubby.

 

[MustardTiger]

congrats on all the new eggs!

Jazor: My coop is not insulated. This was my first year with chickens and I got a selection of breeds. I found that my Buff Orpingtons laid most consistently but I also have EEs, partridge rocks, Ameraucanas and BCMs that I added this year. I started with 6 chickens and thinking back that was a good number to start with BUT I did loose a few this first year to sickness and predators so you may want to get a couple extra if that is a concern. In the winter I added one 40 watt light to the coop and that is it. I had it on a time to make sure to keep them laying. There is one screened window that I kept open all the time for ventilation, even in winter. None of my chickens had any issues with the cold weather at all. They didnt want to go outside but they were fine in the coop. I also use deep litter method. I only clean out the coop completely once a year. Otherwise I just keep adding pine shavings, unless I spill a bunch of water in there, then I scoop out the wet stuff.