Maine

[redneckchickens]

I must be crazy I have 59 eggs in the incubator!!!

 

[MustardTiger]

Thanks for the garden hints all. My soil is very clay ish so I think some raised beds will help for next year. I cannot complain about my cukes. SO MANY!!

As far as chicken breeds for our climate.....I have a mixed flock and everyone did well through the winter. I had easter eggers, buff orpintons and partiridge rocks through last winter. I dont heat the coop and none of them had any cold or frostbite issues. I did put in a light on a timer to keep them laying though.



This morning when I went out to the tractor I could see something had tried to dig under it!!! this is the first trace of anything like that around here and I do not like it.

Ok back to cleaning and getting ready for my moms visit. I have a glorious 5 days off!

Here are a few random pics to share:

The garden a while ago - before the weeds totally took over


The silly garden destroyers


My constant helper Etta.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks for the garden hints all. My soil is very clay ish so I think some raised beds will help for next year. I cannot complain about my cukes. SO MANY!!

As far as chicken breeds for our climate.....I have a mixed flock and everyone did well through the winter. I had easter eggers, buff orpintons and partiridge rocks through last winter. I dont heat the coop and none of them had any cold or frostbite issues. I did put in a light on a timer to keep them laying though.



This morning when I went out to the tractor I could see something had tried to dig under it!!! this is the first trace of anything like that around here and I do not like it.

Ok back to cleaning and getting ready for my moms visit. I have a glorious 5 days off!

Here are a few random pics to share:

The garden a while ago - before the weeds totally took over


The silly garden destroyers


My constant helper Etta.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR PICTURES. I LOVE SEEING WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING WITH THEIR YARDS, GARDENS, COOPS... AND WHAT THEY HAVE FOR ANIMALS. WHAT ARE THE YOUNG BIRDS IN YOUR PIC?

 

[echosrevenge]

MustardTiger, your dog is adorable. Looks like a happy little troublemaker.

 

[MustardTiger]

Thank you

She is a little trouble maker! shes a lab/coonhound/pit/beagle mix from Tennessee.



Lazy Gardener: Those are Bronze Broad Breast Turkeys! The are so friendly and silly. If I ever get turkeys again I will not be making friends with them. These guys have trampled everything!

 

[quailtrail]

Speaking of swaps, there is one tomorrow at the Bangor TSC.  See Facebook, "Bangor Chicken Swap", just added the 400th member.  

I like a mixed flock; enjoy the different looks, personalities and egg colors.  So, it doesn't have to be a choice of one breed. If you want to go into breeding, that is a different matter but a big undertakeng for a beginner.  Even many serious breeders seem to have a separate laying flock (their show bird's eggs are too valuable to eat!)  

If you want to raise some for meat, the dual purpose breeds will serve two purposes. If you don't want to rise meat, some of the light weight large fowl and even bantams are good layers (and eat less). Of 11 hens, I have 5 who lay small eggs. The bantam eggs are small but large in proportion to the birds size and feed consumption. The yolk tends to be proportionally larger than for LF.

If you like the idea of raising a few chicks from time to time, a couple of broody hens ( mine are a couple of Silkies and a bantam Wyndotte) will set on eggs and raise the chicks. They are great fun to watch, esp for the children. 

The breeds with small combs (ie not large straight combs) are less prone to frost bite. I've had great luck with Wyandotte, Easter Egger and Hamberg. The hens have been laying daily since last September. I do not heat the coop, but do use supplemental light and a heated water bowl.

Thanks!!!

 

[anyasmifya]

Mustard Tiger your garden looks similar to mine. The weeds have taken over this year! Name a weed, and I have it growing in my garden. I also have japanese beetles this year! I've had some luck catching them and feeding them to the chickens. I want to let my pullets/cockerels free range but I am very wary of the foxes around. I vowed to keep these birds fenced in, but I am so tempted to let them out! I also have an issues with grasshoppers! Last year the chickens took care of them.




This photo is also before the weeds have completely taken over!




Back of the coop. This is their temporary fenced in area. In the fall we will be expanding the area. All my new birdies are doing well, I have golden-laced polish, white-crested polish, silver-laced wyandottes, barred rocks and RIRs. The polish are very funny but flighty, the barred rocks seem the most friendly, wyandottes seem standoffish and some are bossy to the other birds, RIRs are pretty calm and friendly. I miss having easter eggers and will miss the colorful eggs. I'm pretty sure we have multiple roosters. I'm not a fan of roosters maybe we'll get lucky and actually have a non-aggressive roo but I doubt it. We'll have plenty of chicken dinners come fall.

 

[echosrevenge]

I'm a bit fed up with the rain...i need to finish my bachelor pen, it digging post holes doesn't work so well in the mud.

Its getting a bit like this out there:

Except, there are six of them and they're not bantams! Like the man says, not even the water pump is safe!

 

[MKandtheforce]

Hi, everyone! I hate how I never post regularly... maybe I'll have an excuse now, as I'm officially becoming a chicken-mom tomorrow!! I'm buying at least three at the swap in Augusta, and have four reserved to buy next month. They have a big ol' coop that I got for free from one of my dad's acquaintances. It's perfect for summer, but I'll be building something better for this winter.

On a sadder note, the beautiful dog on my icon, Bella, passed away yesterday at 10 1/2. My heart is still so broken. I'm eating pizza, and just the thought of only having three pugs beg for pizza instead of four... it hurts. She was our first, and we had a close bond. She was so special to me. I'm just relieved now that she's in a place where she won't hurt.

Back to the happy... I've learned how to make jam and pesto, and I'll be learning how to pickle later on in the season. Does anyone know anyone who's selling peaches or other fruits? The thought of buying grocery store ones makes me cringe, heh. I want to put more goop in jars!

 

[mlowen]

I just got my chickens! 5 pullets...2 Barred Rocks, 2 White Leghorns & one Golden Laced Wyandotte. They are all around 3 months old. SO excited. I've just been leaning in the dutch door, watching them all afternoon.

They seem to like the fermented feed.