Maine

[lazy gardener]

Perhaps I will later on this fall. Right now, I have plenty of stuff for the girls with garden season gearing up. I'm not so sure how much they'd benefit from bread products... lots of fluff with minimal nutrition... but if anybody is using breads as a part of their feed rations with good results, please chime in. Sometimes, I'm like a bull dog with a bone when it comes to unreasonable people. Otherwise, I choose my arguments carefully, and choose not to "throw my pearls before swine".

 

[VardoChicken]

Welcome Vardo. This is a good place to learn! Nice looking chicks. How did you manage to get just 3 chicks? Most places won't sell less than 6. Wondering if the standards are being relaxed a bit. Nice looking chicks.

Thanks for the welcome...
I found these cuties through Craigslist. The man had only three left and they were being housed with ducklings. Outnumbered and far smaller, they seemed happy to see us. Today everyone seems thrilled with their big, dry and warm digs. Yesterday, I was a bit worried that one of them might be breathing a bit hard but today everyone is looking great. Now hopefully we have all ladies and no boys. My new neighbors might not appreciate a rooster moving in!

 

[BirdsOfAnarchy]

The crew at the Brewer Hannaford is great, too!  I actually find grocery shopping fun, when I go there.  It's like a big social event for me (pretty sad, I know).  Where do you go BOA-Brewer or Ellsworth?  I've heard the Ellsworth crew is good, too.

I go to Ellsworth. I've befriended lots of ppl there.

At the store I only get produce scraps for my birds, they very occasionally get a piece of stale bread from me. But bread is good for other live stock like pigs.

Today my girls got a great treat. Winter Rye seeds! I'm sprinkling them around my pond to retain the bank. They got a few nice handfuls-They loved it! Hopefully they will spread the seeds around with their poo, not quite sure how that works though. Lol

 

[anyasmifya]

I go to Ellsworth. I've befriended lots of ppl there.

At the store I only get produce scraps for my birds, they very occasionally get a piece of stale bread from me. But bread is good for other live stock like pigs.

Today my girls got a great treat. Winter Rye seeds! I'm sprinkling them around my pond to retain the bank. They got a few nice handfuls-They loved it! Hopefully they will spread the seeds around with their poo, not quite sure how that works though. Lol

Be careful with the winter rye, it is a very tough plant and will spread a lot! Don't let it go to seed unless you want rye everywhere!

So, my husband and I built this huge chicken run. About an 85 foot circle and 8 feet high. I am calling it chickcatraz. Well, this morning I go to let them out of the coop and into their new jail. About half an hour later I see a bleeping bird balancing on the top of the fence! The stupid jerks fly up and then kind of climb the rest of the way to the top! Arghhhhh. I suppose we'll have to put bird netting over the top or I'll have to learn how to clip wings, which I really don't want to do.

I put out some seedlings in the ground this morning! Went well except for the bleeping black flies! I knew they would come back eventually but it was nice not having them around.

My wattle fence is slowly progressing. I will try to get a photo soon.

In response to the person with the salmonella chickens. I have no idea about how chickens carry salmonella. When I was a kid maybe 4 or 5 I almost died from salmonella poisoning though. All I remember from that time is being in the hospital. We didn't have chickens but we did have ducks now that I think of it. Not sure, if during that time we had the ducks, I was always told I got it from a barbecue we went to, anyway, if you have children I'd be super careful.

 

[BirdsOfAnarchy]

Birds Are Anarchists! They always find a way to do whatever it is they want. You might be better off having a not so tall fence but instead have fencing across the top, which also keeps out flying predators.

As for the rye I hope it spreads! It's a clay dessert around my pond and building site for my cabin. Clover did well, but it's super patchy.

 

[ashandvine]

Just a reminder that this weekend there is the bird show. Its inside, rain or shine and free to attend. Some of the best breeders of some breeds [and thereby their birds] will be on show. I implore you to come see what a REAL Plymouth Barred Rock looks like -- or a RIR for that matter. Amazing to see these birds that we all think we know in their regal state.
There are sales as well so if you are looking for guineas, ducks, chickens... oh yes, its all there Easy to find too.

 

[BirdsOfAnarchy]

I have plans this weekend but you should probably say when and where it is.

 

[buckabucka]

I have plans this weekend but you should probably say when and where it is.

Windsor Fairgrounds starting at 9.

I have company this weekend, but I think they may be taking off on Sunday, so maybe....
I wish someone was selling golden cuckoo Marans pullets to go along with my large gang of cockerels

 

[suzMEchicks]

I just "built" a nice little run for my 6 girls a couple weeks ago. Approx 10x25 ft but only 5 feet high. I keep thinking they will just fly over it but they haven't yet. There are some nice maple tree branches for shade and they haven't flown up into those either. I'm happy but Im pretty sure they are just lulling me into a false sense of security! I'm sure I will have to put something across the top too. It kinda makes me sad though. I loved letting them free range and I hope I can find a way to let them for a few hours every day. The dog next door is loose way too often. Oh well, I'm enjoying this weather and time out in the gardens. Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

I took the chance and let the chicks out into the run. No casualties so far, everyone was accounted for when I put them to bed. I sectioned off a part of the electronet run. Only a few went over the top, and a couple squeezed through the netting. (of course it would be the Doms and the RCBL... the very ones that I would be most upset to loose.) Plan to do some wing clipping on the smaller birds this weekend. Will also have the charger hooked up this weekend. I hate for them to get that wake up call when they contact a charged fence... but they will learn quickly!