Maine

[Widget]

The fun of today. Got up at 330. Went to the airport where the gate we go through is still broken. Can we say security issues? They have been waiting for a part to fix it for over two weeks. Did my truck check. No good. Had to take it to maintenance. The guy on has has no clue as to why the the nozzle on the front will not spray de-icing fluid. Switch to another truck that does work but I realy hate to be in. Spray some planes. Take the trucks to fill them with diesel. The second truck I drove had no fuel key so I had to wait for someone to bring one over to me. Took over 30 minutes to fuel just two trucks. Everyone else was back in the de-ice trailer chowing down on pancakes.

Got out around 11. Home by noon. Opened the front door. Three dogs greeted me instead of the two I expected. Bennett, my foster, had escaped from his crate. He ripped apart two cardboard boxes and started on their contents. One was a brand new never used horse blanket. The other a brand new never worn pair of work boots. Cleaned up the mess. Then went outside to snow blow the part of the driveway that I had not done with the storm on Thursday. Cleaned off the horse shelter. Gave them a bale of hay since I could not stop and pick up a round bale today. Had someone drive by really slowly in a minivan. They turned around just beyond my driveway and then stopped in front of the house and watched me feed the horses. No idea who they are but they can go pound sand. Unless they had kids in the car who wanted to see the horsies.

Have one chicken with a bloody comb. Either frostbite and argument or a combination of both. And one of the geese lost a blood feather so there are droplets of blood splattered on the side of the house. The ducks had a party in the horse water bucket since that had thawed enough for a swim.

And the best part was when I got home I also had three goats waiting for me on the front porch. The snow was level with the top of their pen and they just walked out. Spent over and hour with a shovel trying to dig a snow trench so they can not get out.

 

[ashandvine]

Goats on the front porch makes me laugh! Thanks. That might be the high light of the day

Hoppy and the CMBF are great options for finding breeds, including Heritage Doms. Hoppy is in the thick of the club and very helpful. It IS nice to have you back in here. FWIW I always recommend a breeder. Many of the ones in Maine have been at this a while and they are good old farmers. You'll get much better quality Doms out of them than any hatchery.

I just realized I am going to be over run with chicks sooner than I realized. One has pipped as of today out of seven, many more are coming in March and I am drooling over an auction for Brahmas. I have always loved that breed from afar. I finally have gotten a real jump on my Orloffs and Marans.

AND for those of you who were good enough to share your opinions and feedback regarding pea comb Marans... I think I am going to try it. Its so much more complicated than most of the genetics I have learned so far. Skin and feet and colors linking with this and that plus recessive and dominant and how to retain egg colors. MAN! It looks like it will be at least a two or three year project in an effort to consistently get the small combs, proper shank, skin and eye color PLUS retain that dark dark egg. I am going to try so be prepared to buy culls from me lol They'll never be APA but they will be winter friendly dark layers, right?

Got buckets of water ready for outages. Woods in and birds are fed. Now... rest?

 

[MEMama3]

Hi!  Just wanted to introduce myself.  (Hopefully I have this in the right place...)  I am in Auburn Maine, and since the ordinance passed for having backyard chickens a few years back, I am very much enjoying having them.

I love BYC.    I have learned a ton and used the various posts and photos in the designing and building of our coop and brooders.  I just ordered an incubator and thus can start trying out hatching.  Yay!

Welcome!

  to all the new peeps. Seems like everyone is from central and more northern Maine. Or the southern folks are just quiet.

I'm pretty "southern Maine". I'm in fryeburg. I think there are a few of my neighboring towns on here as well.

 

[malcom]

I'm in caribou any others from around here

 

[CoopChick719]

Coop Chick: Let me know if you do find a local source of Doms or eggs.

Does any one have experience ordering from Paris Farmer's Union (Mt. Healthy)? I'm just now finding out that 2 of the breeds I've ordered from MMc are not available. Nice to find out early enough to do something about it. So, I may end up cancelling my Mc order. Anybody in Central Maine ordering from any hatcheries this spring?

Hi LG, One of therapist at my chiropractor's office said she knows someone with Doms. Next time I see her, I'll get some info. I think MaineChick has ordered from Paris Farmer's Union in the past.

I just started a new thread for the Augusta Maine swaps if anyone is interested
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/855645/augusta-maine-poultry-swap-farm-days-thread-2014

and if anyone has swaps to add, see my siggy for the new site of swaps around the state.

Thanks for the new thread, hoppy! Nice to see you!!

Thanks for the info striperon!

TSC in this area get their chicks from Mt Healthy. Last year Mt Healthy had salmonella problems again- it was on the cdc website. I guess this could happen with any hatchery but the "assorted bantams" looked like white silkie chicks-I bought some for the kids and this is what we ended up with: standard size single comb chickens that resembled silkies in that the feathers were silkie feathers and the skin was black. The single comb cockerel was as mean as the RIR roo I had at the time! Before selling them I had collected a few eggs and hatched them. Yeah, not a good idea...now have small standard size pullet, walnut comb standard size cockerel with the double "beak" toe and a toe that has been 'funky' since hatching. The single comb cockerel also has huge feet. I'd use caution but I guess getting production layers may be alright. I used Welp Hatchery back in October and highly recommend them. Very happy with the breeds ordered and health if the chicks. Not to mention I ordered about 40 but received over 50

I was not aware of this, Cknldy. That may explain why I lost 3 of my chickens that I got from TSC.

If it were you, would you go with the more open, easier to fence area or the shaded, more susceptible to predators area?

Originally Posted by Branch Chickens
We have a coop! At least we've bought it. We still need to get hold of a tractor to move it where it needs to be, but the coop was in great shape and just a little bigger than we need it to be. 5 sq. ft. per hen, and that's if all chicks make it to henhood. Roosts are great, 4 nest boxes with access outside the coop, 2 storm windows with screens. It's pretty much exactly what we would have built, and my husband won't have to give up his weekends to build it!

My girls always head for the woods when I let them out rather than my wide open green lawn. BTW when we bought our coop, we loaded it on a friend's ramp truck. We fell into a sweet coop like yours. DH was happy he didn't have to build something as well!

Hi! Just wanted to introduce myself. (Hopefully I have this in the right place...) I am in Auburn Maine, and since the ordinance passed for having backyard chickens a few years back, I am very much enjoying having them. I love BYC. I have learned a ton and used the various posts and photos in the designing and building of our coop and brooders. I just ordered an incubator and thus can start trying out hatching. Yay!

kebby!

The fun of today. Got up at 330. Went to the airport where the gate we go through is still broken. Can we say security issues? They have been waiting for a part to fix it for over two weeks. Did my truck check. No good. Had to take it to maintenance. The guy on has has no clue as to why the the nozzle on the front will not spray de-icing fluid. Switch to another truck that does work but I realy hate to be in. Spray some planes. Take the trucks to fill them with diesel. The second truck I drove had no fuel key so I had to wait for someone to bring one over to me. Took over 30 minutes to fuel just two trucks. Everyone else was back in the de-ice trailer chowing down on pancakes.

Got out around 11. Home by noon. Opened the front door. Three dogs greeted me instead of the two I expected. Bennett, my foster, had escaped from his crate. He ripped apart two cardboard boxes and started on their contents. One was a brand new never used horse blanket. The other a brand new never worn pair of work boots. Cleaned up the mess. Then went outside to snow blow the part of the driveway that I had not done with the storm on Thursday. Cleaned off the horse shelter. Gave them a bale of hay since I could not stop and pick up a round bale today. Had someone drive by really slowly in a minivan. They turned around just beyond my driveway and then stopped in front of the house and watched me feed the horses. No idea who they are but they can go pound sand. Unless they had kids in the car who wanted to see the horsies.

Have one chicken with a bloody comb. Either frostbite and argument or a combination of both. And one of the geese lost a blood feather so there are droplets of blood splattered on the side of the house. The ducks had a party in the horse water bucket since that had thawed enough for a swim.

And the best part was when I got home I also had three goats waiting for me on the front porch. The snow was level with the top of their pen and they just walked out. Spent over and hour with a shovel trying to dig a snow trench so they can not get out.

Always an adventure, Widget! I, too, have one with a bloody comb. She's broody so has claimed a nesting box. Some of the girls have been picking on her. I'm thinking of making the entrance hole smaller so the bigger girls can't get in

 

[MustardTiger]

Widget - some of your neighbours sound like people I do not think I would like very much. :/

Right about now I am wondering WHY DID I GET A PUPPY!?!? I feel a little crazy from sleep deprivation. She is very good at house training for being only 13 weeks. A few accidents here and there but they are becoming fewer as we learn her signals. Ahhh I know I know - this is nothing compared to a human baby. Good preparation and reality check for us, I suppose!

It will become really interesting once the 25+ chicks arrive and are making a racket in the utility room too.

This should make for an interesting spring

Now to start thinking about planting some seeds! Last year I didnt sprout anything until March and for certain things I felt that was too late. I also think we planted out some stuff too early and this year I swear I will NOT be found out in the garden at midnight tucking in my tomatoes with old sheets in order to avoid the frost. I may not put much out before memorial day this time around - except the really cold hardy stuff. I hope I get some spinach and Kale this year. Last year they were a flop for me.

 

[NorthChicken]

I'm in caribou any others from around here

I am from Caribou, ME as well! Hello, neighbor!

 

[Branch Chickens]

Happy Sunday everyone! How much snow did you all get from last night's storm? In some places here, it looks like we got 5-6 inches, but in others it looks like next to nothing. I'm guessing the wind was really blowing last night.

I have another chicken question this morning. How early in the year do you feel comfortable moving your feathered chicks out into the coop, with no additional heat source? Our chicks won't be arriving until late April, and I'm wondering how long I will need to keep them in the house/on the porch in their brooder. It seems like June would be safe, but we are still having some cool nights at that point. Is that okay?

 

[Widget]

We had maybe 2 inches here.

Thank goodness. I just could not handle another 6 or more. And only two panes made it into Portland last night so de-icing was very easy this morning. One US Air (actually an American Airlines painted plane) at 745 and the other scheduled to leave at 1125. I was able to sneak out just before 9 since I really had to get some things done today. Anyone trying to leave, such as my sister going to FL, were probably not happy but I was,

Picked up a round bale of hay and spent 20 minutes shoveling out from around the gate so I could back the truck into the pasture. The horses decided that they could stand right where I needed to shovel. I tried to explain that if they continued to do that then the hay would stay in the back of the truck out of their reach. Took a couple minutes but they finally moved.

And yet again one of the goats, the smallest, came over to see what was going on. So I had to shovel some more in their pen to keep her from escaping. For anyone interested in getting some goats Sunflower Farm in Cumberland was, or was a day or so ago, taking deposits on three pairs of wethers to be born April/May. No room on their doe list though.

 

[MustardTiger]

The chicks are hardier than you think! I put mine out in a tractor in may last year but I am sure I could have done so earlier.