Maine

[MEMama3]

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?

we only got a dusting here in the mountains. I've never done the "chick thing" since I usually use a broody, but my broody has her running outside at 3 weeks old. Granted, mama is her heat source, but she is spending less and less time under her. She currently only as tail and wing feathers. She's so gawky looking lol.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

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

I'm south of Portland... that's southern, right? I'm a full-blooded introvert.

LG - you asked about Mt. Healthy a few pages back. My 8 birds came from Mt. Healthy. I lost one who never developed properly and am in the process of battling to keep another alive now. I'm not sure what's wrong with her. I don't know what the average death rate is, but 2 out of 8 birds who are all under a year old seems high. Very disheartening... makes me think I'm doing something wrong, but I don't know what.

 

[Widget]

I'm south of Portland... that's southern, right? I'm a full-blooded introvert.

It is.

 

[ashandvine]

I am about to be a chicken momma again. Seven chicks arriving any day. I am almost prepared.

 

[hoppy]

I am about to be a chicken momma again. Seven chicks arriving any day. I am almost prepared.

 

[malcom]

Any one around that runs with jersey giants?

 

[lazy gardener]

Izzy, thanks for the heads up. I'm nervous about Mt. Healthy, but they seem to be great prices, and have at least 2 of the breeds I want. The only place I can find RCBL listed is Ideal, with a wait list pushed out at least until May. Most hatcheries have dropped them. I fear that it's just one more breed headed towards extinction. An other option would be Perkco Feeds in Exeter, but I think they may be a 25 chick minimum, per breed. They do have excellent prices. Any one interested in splitting an order? I'd be interested in getting some SLW and some Ranger meat type birds from them if they have them. I'll get the details from them this week. Does anyone in Maine have RCBL?

Izzy, what kind of birds from Mt. Healthy did you get?

 

[buckabucka]

Izzy, thanks for the heads up.  I'm nervous about Mt. Healthy, but they seem to be great prices, and have at least 2 of the breeds I want.  The only place I can find RCBL listed is Ideal, with a wait list pushed out at least until May.  Most hatcheries have dropped them.  I fear that it's just one more breed headed towards extinction.  An other option would be Perkco Feeds in Exeter, but I think they may be a 25 chick minimum, per breed.  They do have excellent prices.  Any one interested in splitting an order?  I'd be interested in getting some SLW and some Ranger meat type birds from them if they have them.  I'll get the details from them this week.  Does anyone in Maine have RCBL? 

Izzy, what kind of birds from Mt. Healthy did you get?

Is RCBL rosecomb brown leghorn? I don't know anyone in Maine with them. It is a breed I considered once, and I was going to contact this guy:
http://standardbreedpoultry.com/breeder/Duane UrchUrch-Turnland Poultry/190

 

[CoopChick719]

I'm south of Portland... that's southern, right? I'm a full-blooded introvert.

LG - you asked about Mt. Healthy a few pages back. My 8 birds came from Mt. Healthy. I lost one who never developed properly and am in the process of battling to keep another alive now. I'm not sure what's wrong with her. I don't know what the average death rate is, but 2 out of 8 birds who are all under a year old seems high. Very disheartening... makes me think I'm doing something wrong, but I don't know what.

Hang in there Izzybella! I lost 11 chickens from July 4 to mid-November last year. 3 of them came from TSC who gets their chicks from Mt. Healthy. 4 to a predator--most likely a fox. 2 to mites & worms. 1 to mites & cocci. 2 I just found dead in the coop. 1 may have had enteritis. 1 from heat exhaustion. 4 fun-filled months

I was feeding fermented feed, veggies, free-ranging, ACV w/mother in the water--my DH said those birds were eating better than him. I had treated for worms, mites & cocci. I agree it is very disheartening when you are experiencing these difficulties. The Animal Health Lab told me to stop feeding fermented feed and just do dry. My girls just love to bill out the dry feed--wasting a lot. I started moistening the feed which did help.

I posted the same words that I didn't know what I was doing wrong. People on here were quick to point out that worms and mites will run down any animal regardless of what you're feeding them. They also said some animals just don't thrive.That being said, it doesn't hurt any less when you lose one or battling to heal another.

 

[lazy gardener]

Anybody had any dealings with Duane Urch@Turnland Poultry? He's got all of the breeds I'm interested in, available as chicks or eggs. Anyone got hatching eggs from him? Good hatches? I'm not able to access him via e-mail. If anyone has a valid e-mail address, I'd love to have it. Thanks.