Maine

[lazy gardener]

My poor poor RIR is in a severe molt. She looks absolutely miserable. She stands around shivering. Doesn't have an extra ounce of meat on her bones. When I checked on her tonight, she was hunkered down in the nest box. At least she has enough sense to try to get warm in the box. I think tomorrow, as much as I don't want to, that I'll work out some heat in the coop for them, at least long enough to get her feathered out. I gave them some warm moistened feed tonight, and they seemed to prefer that to the dry that they've been eating. Will also offer them warm feed several times/day for the next week or so. Would I be overdoing it if I drizzled a bit of turkey fat on their rations daily? I'm also giving BOSS or BOSS sprouts and wheat/barley/lentil sprouts, though not every day.

 

[buckabucka]

Congratulations, dowgirl!

 

[buckabucka]

My poor poor RIR is in a severe molt.  She looks absolutely miserable.  She stands around shivering.  Doesn't have an extra ounce of meat on her bones.  When I checked on her tonight, she was hunkered down in the nest box.  At least she has enough sense to try to get warm in the box.  I think tomorrow, as much as I don't want to, that I'll work out some heat in the coop for them, at least long enough to get her feathered out.  I gave them some warm moistened feed tonight, and they seemed to prefer that to the dry that they've been eating.  Will also offer them warm feed several times/day for the next week or so.  Would I be overdoing it if I drizzled a bit of turkey fat on their rations daily?  I'm also giving BOSS or BOSS sprouts and wheat/barley/lentil sprouts, though not every day.

I have one like that too, lazy gardener, although mine finally has some feathers starting. I hated seeing her out there shivering. Mine also hung out in the nest box. I actually bought a flat of commercial eggs and scrambled it up with flock raiser for them, making sure the bald chicken got to eat. I did that two weekends in a row. I threw scratch and BOSS twice a day. She finally has enough small feathers coming in that I am less worried about her. Fortunately, we are not supposed to have single digit temperatures this week

 

[superchemicalgirl]

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.

 

[anyasmifya]

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.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

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.

Don't be embarrassed.

I moved to Maine in May, 2006 from good old downtown Baltimore, Maryland (I went to school there). Grew up in Southern Maryland with all the Amish and tobacco, soy and corn farmers. It was a peaceful life. Unfortunately in the mid-90s the area started to change and farming wasn't as lucrative, and the farmers were being paid not to grow tobacco. Many sold their farms to developers and the farms were turned into Stepford McMansion Developments as a "suburb of DC" type thing. That brought things like the big box stores out to that area which shut the Mom and Pop stores down. Now it's no different than any other suburb of a large city in the nation. There's traffic, it's not relaxing, no one knows each other anymore. I don't understand why every town has to have a CVS, Walgreens, Starbucks, Home Depot, Lowes, Target and Walmart along with the same ten restaurants. It's boring. This section of Maine still reminds me of Southern Maryland when I grew up but it, too, is changing. I suspect that I will continue to move north as this place changes to fulfill some desire I have for peace and quiet.

...But no matter where I go it has to have high speed internet.

The funny part is when I moved to Maine from Baltimore, I moved to Lewiston. Compared to Baltimore, Lewiston was paradise. I only stayed there about a year, moved when I bought my house. I haven't been down to Lewiston much since moving, but I went there a few weeks ago for dinner with a friend. I couldn't believe that I used to think that was paradise!

 

[jerseychix]

Well hey there (again)! I am coming back out of lukerdom as we finally got a coop yesterday. Hurrah! Chickens in my near future! So, umm, hi again!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Well hey there (again)! I am coming back out of lukerdom as we finally got a coop yesterday. Hurrah! Chickens in my near future! So, umm, hi again!

Do you know what kind and how many chickens you're getting? I highhhhhly recommend naked necks if you're on the fence.

 

[anyasmifya]

Don't be embarrassed.

I moved to Maine in May, 2006 from good old downtown Baltimore, Maryland (I went to school there). Grew up in Southern Maryland with all the Amish and tobacco, soy and corn farmers. It was a peaceful life. Unfortunately in the mid-90s the area started to change and farming wasn't as lucrative, and the farmers were being paid not to grow tobacco. Many sold their farms to developers and the farms were turned into Stepford McMansion Developments as a "suburb of DC" type thing. That brought things like the big box stores out to that area which shut the Mom and Pop stores down. Now it's no different than any other suburb of a large city in the nation. There's traffic, it's not relaxing, no one knows each other anymore. I don't understand why every town has to have a CVS, Walgreens, Starbucks, Home Depot, Lowes, Target and Walmart along with the same ten restaurants. It's boring. This section of Maine still reminds me of Southern Maryland when I grew up but it, too, is changing. I suspect that I will continue to move north as this place changes to fulfill some desire I have for peace and quiet.

...But no matter where I go it has to have high speed internet.

The funny part is when I moved to Maine from Baltimore, I moved to Lewiston. Compared to Baltimore, Lewiston was paradise. I only stayed there about a year, moved when I bought my house. I haven't been down to Lewiston much since moving, but I went there a few weeks ago for dinner with a friend. I couldn't believe that I used to think that was paradise!

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!

 

[jerseychix]

Do you know what kind and how many chickens you're getting? I highhhhhly recommend naked necks if you're on the fence.

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.