Maine

[buckabucka]

Coyotes & foxes

I got my first olive egg today!!!!

Congrats!
I don't know how accurate the photo is, but I have one that lays that exact same color. Sort of grayish-greenish. I love the variety you can get from olive eggers.

 

[Jazor]

I've seen a lot of road kill foxes the last few days.

Good. People running them over saves me from using ammunition.


In egg-related news, one of mine must have thought it'd be a cool idea to lay an egg on the roost this morning. Which turned out to be an awful idea, because the fat rooster squashed it when he jumped down. I had a mess to clean up.

The only good thing about this, is that I found an in-tact egg as well. This means two of mine are now laying. I'm giving credit to the red stars, seeing as how I'd witnessed some squatting from them--and they are known for laying early. This would be around lets see...19 weeks old? I think. Which considering the extremely cold winter (-38 below being my recorded low) I think this is decent. I've heard of the Red Star laying at 16 weeks, but I would doubt that was in similar conditions.

Soon to be swimming in eggs.

QUESTION: About fermented feed (often seen as "FF" on here). Who does it? There are half a dozen extremely long thread on here about it. There's very little clear information on it aside from someone saying "I use ___ and ___" and that's pretty basic. I'd love to try doing this, but I don't know if there are any grain mills in my area. I've been poking around the net, but finding little local/useful mill literature. It sounds like ideally using grain mill feed at $.30/lbs and fermenting is an ideal choice that a lot of chicken keepers are making. I'd love to try something like this, but I don't think I will be finding anything for $.30/lbs in this area. I'd consider other methods if someone has some better intel on it. Ideas? Go!

 

[MEMama3]

Good.  People running them over saves me from using ammunition.


In egg-related news, one of mine must have thought it'd be a cool idea to lay an egg on the roost this morning.  Which turned out to be an awful idea, because the fat rooster squashed it when he jumped down.  I had a mess to clean up.

The only good thing about this, is that I found an in-tact egg as well.  This means two of mine are now laying.  I'm giving credit to the red stars, seeing as how I'd witnessed some squatting from them--and they are known for laying early.  This would be around lets see...19 weeks old?  I think.  Which considering the extremely cold winter (-38 below being my recorded low) I think this is decent.  I've heard of the Red Star laying at 16 weeks, but I would doubt that was in similar conditions.  

Soon to be swimming in eggs.

QUESTION: About fermented feed (often seen as "FF" on here).  Who does it?  There are half a dozen extremely long thread on here about it.  There's very little clear information on it aside from someone saying "I use ___ and ___" and that's pretty basic.  I'd love to try doing this, but I don't know if there are any grain mills in my area.  I've been poking around the net, but finding little local/useful mill literature.  It sounds like ideally using grain mill feed at $.30/lbs and fermenting is an ideal choice that a lot of chicken keepers are making.  I'd love to try something like this, but I don't think I will be finding anything for $.30/lbs in this area.  I'd consider other methods if someone has some better intel on it.  Ideas? Go!

I do FF during the months it's warm enough to keep it in the garage (April to October). What I do is take two 5 gallon buckets, drill some tiny holes in the bottom and 1" up on one bucket, fill the holey bucket 1/3 full with regular layer pellets, put the holey bucket with feed in the other bucket, add water until the feed is submerged and then put in maybe a tablespoon of the separated liquid from the top of a yogurt. The first day you need to check it throughout the day to keep adding water. You want the feed under a layer of water and it absorbs a lot of fluid that first day. After you've got it going, just pull the holey bucket up (I have a hook on the wall so I can hanging it over the regular bucket), scoop out the feed you need, put it back in and add water as needed.

Was that even the least bit clear? Lol

 

[suzMEchicks]

I live in southern Maine. I remember the first time I saw a coyote. At night - headlights and I said to myself "that is not a dog!" So we have those and foxes galore!!! I ' m hoping the foxes will cut down in the **** chipmunk population. Destructive little .......! I hope everyone is safe and warm today with the smow. It's 34 degrees in the coop today. 5/6 eggs yesterday.

 

[anyasmifya]

My newly reinforced coop knox held strong last night in battle fox. A stupid fox was yipping it's stupid little head off right in my yard! I went out to scare it away around 11:30. It wouldn't leave! It was right on the edge of my woods. I couldn't see it because my batteries were dying in my headlamp! I was screaming "get out of here, you little bas***d!" and he was replying"grrrr, yip, yip, yeeeeep!" He wasn't scared of me! Eventually he did leave.

So, tonight I will make sure to have new batteries in my headlamp and load-up my fox exterminator.

 

[Jazor]

I do FF during the months it's warm enough to keep it in the garage (April to October). What I do is take two 5 gallon buckets, drill some tiny holes in the bottom and 1" up on one bucket, fill the holey bucket 1/3 full with regular layer pellets, put the holey bucket with feed in the other bucket, add water until the feed is submerged and then put in maybe a tablespoon of the separated liquid from the top of a yogurt. The first day you need to check it throughout the day to keep adding water. You want the feed under a layer of water and it absorbs a lot of fluid that first day. After you've got it going, just pull the holey bucket up (I have a hook on the wall so I can hanging it over the regular bucket), scoop out the feed you need, put it back in and add water as needed.

Was that even the least bit clear? Lol

Yes! Thank you. This is more valuable than what I was able to draw from the other threads. I understood the process of the bucket-sieve system, just not necessarily the finer points. How much feed is going in the sieve-bucket when you do this? The entire back of pellets is to be submerged in the cultures? I plan to use some raw ACV for my first run through with some layer pellets this spring.

My newly reinforced coop knox held strong last night in battle fox. A stupid fox was yipping it's stupid little head off right in my yard! I went out to scare it away around 11:30. It wouldn't leave! It was right on the edge of my woods. I couldn't see it because my batteries were dying in my headlamp! I was screaming "get out of here, you little bas***d!" and he was replying"grrrr, yip, yip, yeeeeep!" He wasn't scared of me! Eventually he did leave.

So, tonight I will make sure to have new batteries in my headlamp and load-up my fox exterminator.

Yes, the fox exterminator is the only way--in my experience. Once they get to the point of coming to your property repeatedly for food, you'll need to remove them manually. Scaring them off just doesn't work at that point. You'll probably notice fox droppings around your yard--which is how they mark territory. Once they "claim" an area, they tend not to move until the food is gone, or they are manually removed.

 

[MustardTiger]

Okay here is the first heads up. I will be ordering chicks for delivery in late April/march. I will be ordering mid morning tomorrow from McMurray. Price will be whatever they charge for a chick plus whatever the % of shipping is for the number of chicks you want. Hope that sounds fair. I am in Cumberland and I am happy to have flexible pick up dates if you cant come get them the second they arrive.

Do any of you know if they mark the breeds so they can be told apart when the chicks arrive? If someone wants chicks that are not easily identifiable this might be tricky!

 

[Jazor]

Okay here is the first heads up. I will be ordering chicks for delivery in late April/march. I will be ordering mid morning tomorrow from McMurray. Price will be whatever they charge for a chick plus whatever the % of shipping is for the number of chicks you want. Hope that sounds fair. I am in Cumberland and I am happy to have flexible pick up dates if you cant come get them the second they arrive.

Do any of you know if they mark the breeds so they can be told apart when the chicks arrive? If someone wants chicks that are not easily identifiable this might be tricky!

PM sent to you! Thanks

 

[lazy gardener]

I need to do some more target practice.

Re: FF. MeMama3's system would probably be just what you need Jazor b/c your flock is bigger. My system is super small and super easy. I use a 1 qt yogurt container, fill about 1/3 - 1/2 full of feed or feed/scratch mix, add about a tbsp. of ACV with the mother, and water to turn it into a slurry. I stir several times/day and keep enough water to cover. When it starts bubbling, it's ready to feed. I pour it into a bowl, nuke for a bit (to give them a warm tummy and give the FF a head start on freezing) Add extra feed if needed to make it cooked oatmeal consistency. I've found that once the culture is going, I can pour out the entire quart to feed, and there'll be enough still clinging to the sides of the container to have a new batch ready for the next morning. My yogurt dish is small enough that if the weather gets too cold to feed it without it freezing, or if the FF starts getting too ripe, I just cover it and stick it in the fridge. It's kind of like keeping a sour dough culture going. 2 notes: once your culture is going, you no longer have to inoculate it with ACV or yogurt. Some folks use butter milk. Also, be sure not to stir it with metal, and obviously don't feed in a metal dish. It will discolor even stainless steel. My hubby has asked me why some of our spoons have a blue luster now!!!

 

[striperon]

One of our neighbors here in Kennebunkport has one of the game cameras that takes pictures when there is motion in front of the lens. His camera took a picture of a bobcat, .... yes, a bobcat in Kennebunkport. A big surprise to all of us. The picture was taken last Spring. Hope he moved to better hunting grounds.