Maine

[lazy gardener]

Thanks for sharing those! Especially the contrast between the good... and not so good. But, even your not so good is way better than the best that a lot of folks have. I cringe when I see a dozen chicks crammed into a little plastic tote. I do have a little tote, but only use it for the first 24 hours. Then they go into the big brooder/tractor.

 

[buckabucka]

I like seeing all these brooder boxes. i wish mine had the windows on the side.

I did the cardboard box system, but with a giant 3' x 7' screen door balanced over the top. Every time I removed it for maintenance, the chicks would be running in terror, and the screen would fling dust all over the place.

Now we have a 2' x 6' box, with two hinged screen sections on the top for access, but no side viewing. Ours is assembled with screws, so we take it apart for storage. Maybe DH could cut some holes in the front panel and I could put hardware cloth over the openings....

 

[lazy gardener]

Any one else going to be setting eggs this spring? I'll be planning to set some of my eggs for a 4/11 hatch. I want to be sure that I don't have chicks hatching before Easter. That will assure me of missing the "Easter chick to decorate the Easter egg basket" crowd. I've had several people express an interest in some of my chicks. They should all be green/blue egg layers, with a combination of pea and walnut combs, and some of them will have those attributes, AND be black sex links. Of course, all of this is going on the assumption that Jack doesn't have any surprises in his gene pool. That shouldn't be much of an issue, as I knew both his Mama and Papa! Depending on interest, I may do that hatch, and follow up with a second one right after that one.

Any one ordering or hatching Dominiques, or Silver Spangled Hamburgs?

Cleaning up the office the other day, and found a 2013 order form from Perkco Supply. They had a decent assortment of chicks available. 11 varieties of layers, CXR, turkeys, bantams, guineas, and pheasants. Minimum order 25 chicks. Prices can't be beat. If any one was looking for that number of chicks, or wanted to split an order, it may be a viable option for you.

 

[sparrowsnest]

I like these! Going to show them to dh!! Here's what we've done. Our neighbors falling down barn has been the source of most of our projects. Large 2 hole speaker boxes work great as nesting boxes. Going to see what to do about covering the holes for the brooders like you did. We made our large grow out box out of old window and door screens. We put two screens on the top with a hinged door because, like yours, everyone liked to poop on it! But, everyone can see everyone else and we really didn't have any issue when we integrated last year. Here's our grow out box-

Here's where the babies are now-

 

[lazy gardener]

Love the little chicklets.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Cleaning up the office the other day, and found a 2013 order form from Perkco Supply. They had a decent assortment of chicks available. 11 varieties of layers, CXR, turkeys, bantams, guineas, and pheasants. Minimum order 25 chicks. Prices can't be beat. If any one was looking for that number of chicks, or wanted to split an order, it may be a viable option for you.

If anyone is ordering chicks in the Augusta/Waterville area I'd love 2 white leghorns. Otherwise I'm going to have to buy 6 at TSC or the feed store.

 

[Tnic]

I can say that when I brooded in my garage last spring (early april) I needed 2 x 250W lamps for a 3 x 6 brooder. I kept it very tightly wrapped with cardboard, quilts, styrofoam, cardboard. They needed those 2 lamps b/c it got very cold at night. I was constantly fiddling with the temp due to the wild swings. I'm planning to set eggs to hatch around 4/11, and will be brooding in the old coop. That should be a challenge. I'd love to see one of my gals hunker down on a clutch of eggs.

You gonna brood some Doms LG?

Me n the Missus still don't know when we'll be heading for the homestead and we might need some pullets close to laying.

Bought some land in Dixmont, btw. Can't wait to get after it and order some chicks.

 

[buckabucka]

Cleaning up the office the other day, and found a 2013 order form from Perkco Supply.  They had a decent assortment of chicks available.  11 varieties of layers, CXR, turkeys, bantams, guineas, and pheasants.  Minimum order 25 chicks.  Prices can't be beat.  If any one was looking for that number of chicks, or wanted to split an order, it may be a viable option for you.   

If anyone is ordering chicks in the Augusta/Waterville area I'd love 2 white leghorns. Otherwise I'm going to have to buy 6 at TSC or the feed store.

Your leghorns didn't hatch? I would like a white egg layer or two also, but haven't quite figured out what I am going to do:

Option 1: get over my obsession with having eggs every color of the rainbow and stop at what I can hatch myself.
Option 2: get some leghorns at TSC or a feed store (I don't want 6 though)
Option 3: place an order with Longhorn's (you can order just a few). If I do this, I would be ordering for an April 24th pick up, so maybe that is too late for you? I picked that date for timing with my April hatch. Let me know if that interests you, perhaps it will push me into option 3, since I can't seem to make up my mind.

I know Longhorn is a really long way to travel for a few chicks, but you don't have to get 6, and we have a Trader Joe's/Micucci's/Thai Market habit that we can fulfill prior to pickup. Chicks are from Cackle.

Now if anyone is placing an order with Meyer hatchery, I could be talked into ordering a couple Exchequer Leghorns instead.....

 

[lazy gardener]

I'd jump at the chance to incubate a dozen or so Trader Joe's eggs, just to say I'd done it. I hear that their fertile eggs are producing some nice leghorns. Have you gals considered rose combed leghorns? or Hamburgs (rose comb) for those white eggs? Exchequer sounds like fun. What do they have for a comb? I bet they'd produce a black sex link when paired with the right roo.

Tnic: you're practically a neighbor. Dixmont is several towns away from me. I'd hatch a few Doms if I could get some good eggs locally.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Your leghorns didn't hatch? I would like a white egg layer or two also, but haven't quite figured out what I am going to do:

Option 1: get over my obsession with having eggs every color of the rainbow and stop at what I can hatch myself.
Option 2: get some leghorns at TSC or a feed store (I don't want 6 though)
Option 3: place an order with Longhorn's (you can order just a few). If I do this, I would be ordering for an April 24th pick up, so maybe that is too late for you? I picked that date for timing with my April hatch. Let me know if that interests you, perhaps it will push me into option 3, since I can't seem to make up my mind.

I know Longhorn is a really long way to travel for a few chicks, but you don't have to get 6, and we have a Trader Joe's/Micucci's/Thai Market habit that we can fulfill prior to pickup. Chicks are from Cackle.

Now if anyone is placing an order with Meyer hatchery, I could be talked into ordering a couple Exchequer Leghorns instead.....

Nope most of the leghorns didn't even start to develop and none hatched. I have also had bad legs with 2 out of the 3 isbars and had to put them both down (different breeder) last night. I think the 3rd isbar is coming down with the leg issue too, but is subclinical at this point (I've caught it favoring its right leg twice today). 'No known leg problems' says the person I bought them from. I call shenanigans.

I'd be game for all the options... with 1 being the least favorable. I'd split a 3-3 TSC order if you'd like or take 2 if you're picking up from Longhorns. I'd assume the min of 6 state law still applies there.

April 24th would be late for me, but I could handle just 2 chicks instead of a brooder full.