Maine

[mlowen]

New article in Natural Chicken Keeping at Blogspot on "chicken entertainment" for those of us who must keep them confined.

 

[buckabucka]

Welcome, Marcy!

SanCarlos, I used to be seeking Welsummers, so I did some research once. I had three from Meyer hatchery. Two of them were very nice looking birds with really nice dark eggs. I just gave them away this spring, as they were 4 years old and not very productive. You could always order some hatchery birds, if the eggs don't do well. There was a breeder in NY who sold very nice, but pricey shipped chicks. I just looked for his website, but it appears to be gone. :/
Good luck with your hatch!

 

[islandgirl82]

Welsummers, don't know why, but I have wanted them for awhile. This is the second batch I am trying. The first batch I got from a different seller had 0% success rate. Hoping this attempt works out better. Shipped eggs have been my nemesis... My eggs hatch out usually around 85%...

Again, if anyone in Maine has fertile Welsummer eggs, I will come and pick them up!

There's a Welsummer cockerel listed on craigslist in Rumford (along with a few other breeds). The ad doesn't say anything about hatching eggs but if they have some, they may be willing to sell or direct you to someone else who raises Welsummers.

 

[lazy gardener]

Welcome Marcy. Enjoy your new venture. If you're looking for some extra homework (

): You might want to check the threads on the following topics:

Fermented feed, coop design, predator proofing, sprouts for fodder, deep litter.

Also, my un-asked for advice: Start small, be sure to have extra space in your coop, run and on your perches. Winter is tough on birds, and they get cabin fever, can get into all sorts of inappropriate behaviors. So, extra room will help in that area. Also, to make the process easier, and prevent problems down the road, I recommend that you get all of your birds from the same place so you won't have to deal with quarantine issues, check out Henderson's chicken breeds chart to become aware of the many possibilities and get an idea about which breeds will best meet your flock plan. Not a complete list, but a good place to start. If you absolutely don't want to deal with the possibility of a rooster or two, get sex linked birds, or started pullets. Even when buying sexed day old chicks, slip up's are common, and folks end up with unplanned roosters in their brooders. Not the end of the world, but you'll need a plan in place to deal with that if it happens!!!

I've found my little (growing) flock to be the perfect addition to my yard. Interactive eye candy, insect and weed control, free fertilizer, with a side benefit of eggs! They're the perfect pet. They don't shed on the furniture, no costly vet bills, and you can eat them when their productive days are over.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Hello my fellow mainahs quick ? What does everyone do during the winter to keep you waterers from freezing.

Hi there. Unlike so many on here, neither my husband nor I are very handy. So, I bought a water heater. It works great and made life so much easier.

Hi, I am new on here, I am from Shapleigh, I just got a coop the other day, we are thinking of putting a heating light in it come winter. We got our coop from Coops of Hazard. He said people usually just wrap their coops. I am going to do research. Trying to locate chickens now, want to get about six juveniles maybe 15 plus weeks old. I found a place in Poland that sells them. Anyone know anywhere else?

I'm in the minority here, but I do turn on a heating lamp when it is under 15-20 degrees at night. Last year my girls were 6 months old when winter arrived and they started getting very lethargic in the cold. They perked up when I started using the heater. I know most people do not heat and have success with it, though. There are definitely risks with the heating lamp - fire, losing electricity, etc. Maybe see how they do without it, but add electricity to your coop so you can add it (and a heated bowl) if necessary.

___
In other news, I'm in the process of trying to integrate teenagers with my existing flock of four hens. It is brutal. I have put a chicken wire fence down the middle of the run, so they can't get at each other, but they still peck through the fence. Am beginning to understand why I had several people tell me to just start over fresh instead of trying to integrate... :-/

 

[lazy gardener]

I am also one of the few who provide some extra heat. Mine was in the form of a 100W light bulb under a clay plant pot. It added just a bit of extra heat to their loft. They looked more comfortable, and actually ate BETTER when they had the heat.

 

[buckabucka]

I can't heat the hoop coop, but wished I could when it was 30 below. They all survived fine though.

I am integrating now too, Izzybella. First I sectioned off an area for the young ones. There was a little pecking through the fence, but the young ones quickly learned to stay out of reach. I throw treats (moistened feed, mostly) on both sides of the fence to get the flock to eat together. They've been in there for two weeks and are now almost 14 weeks old. Just today I made a few exits for them. They younger ones come out, but run back to their pen frequently. Two of the big hens are being a little rough and grabbing and chasing them, but so far no one has been harmed. It helps if you have a rooster. Mine is breaking up the fights.

 

[Chyatt24]

Hi, I'm new on here and I'm glad I found this thread because we are also located in Maine I'm getting 3 chicks soon, but because it's a little later in the year and they'll be going in the coop when it's fairly cold, are there any tips you have about keeping younger birds warm? This is our first time getting chickens so I'm a bit anxious about being able to keep them warm!

 

[suzMEchicks]

I have news about my injured chicken. She is already growing back her tail feathers. It seems she'll have feathers on her butt by winter. I thought she might literally freeze her butt off!

 

[lazy gardener]

Checking my flock today. It looks like one of my sex links is developing a wry tail. She's still a pretty girl, just won't make it in a breeding program.