Maine

[lazy gardener]

Wow! It almost felt like spring outside for a couple of hours today! Jack and his harem were out side for their meals today. What a glorious day. I'm thankful.

 

[country chick13]

There is a place on Craigslist that has them listed available the end of March. They are in Poland, ME. I got birds from them last year, they were all hens and all are thriving. I ordered six last night, and he still had more. I have a Roo if you are interested. He just started crowing this week.

Thanks, I'm hoping to start the roo as a chick though with the littles I hatch. I looked on Craigslist like you suggested but I can't find one in Poland that sells Ameraucanas, do you have a link by any chance? Thanks again!!

 

[Marcy54]

I don't see their ad anymore but if you PM me, I can give you their contact info. I got my first chicks in July last year from them so assuming they do chicks year round.

 

[LadyCluck77]

Hi Everyone,

Just curious if anyone knows of any true Ameraucana breeders that sell chicks in the Maine or New Hampshire area? I would love to have a blue roo, and a few females (wouldn't mind a few black or lavender females too). All I have been able to find online for breeders are either sold out, or only sell straight run and most require a min of 25 chicks (I already have 44 chickens and plan on hatching some in April, I don't really need 25 more on top of that!) Getting a bad case of spring fever

I appreciate any help! Thanks!!

I'll be hatching (hopefully) some lavender Ameraucanas (from shipped eggs) for the Easter Hatch a Long. If they hatch, I'd give you a rooster if you don't mind waiting for me to sex them. I always wind up with way too many and I'd rather avoid butchering them. (I'm not a breeder- I just wanted a few true Ameracaunas for my backyard laying flock so I ordered some eggs from a breeder.)

There is also someone from New Hampshire who sells hatching eggs, I'm not sure about chicks. Hers are blue/ black/splash. Her BYC name is Kara1015.

 

[striperon]

Run design

My group of 5 (4 pullets and a rooster) make quite a mess in my garage and on my paved driveway. After this winter, I know I must make some changes. There are so many "land mines," and they get tracked into the house. They cannot wait to be set free in the morning and venture forth now over the "poison white stuff" to make their way to the garage. I have no idea why, but they love the garage during the day then make their way to the coop as daylight wanes.

So I need a larger run, I think, and it needs to be roofed. After the last two winters. I am convinced that the climate has not changed to the point that our snowfall amounts will be small. Shoveling the run is not an option, and I am not going to run the snowblower in there either. Covering the roof and adding hardware cloth to the sides will keep out predators, I would hope. I would like to see and hear about run designs that work for you in Maine. Thanks.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Why don't you want to snow blow it?

I have a ton of birds and a large open run area. Snowblowing mine is a pain, but worth it. What works in my situation (with over 50 birds) would not work for you with your few birds.

Things I don't recommend: Tarps. Tried that in the duck pen with wire ties at an incline so the snow could fall off it. The first heavy wet storm we had it came down and entombed the duck house. Luckily the tarp was full of holes and they survived.

 

[mlowen]

Run design

So I need a larger run, I think, and it needs to be roofed.  After the last two winters. I am convinced that the climate has not changed to the point that our snowfall amounts will be small.  Shoveling the run is not an option, and I am not going to run the snowblower in there either. Covering the roof and adding hardware cloth to the sides will keep out predators, I would hope. I would like to see and hear about run designs that work for you in Maine.  Thanks.

You can look at the "my coop" link on my signature. I built the coop and run together, total 10x20 feet. All of it is roofed and wrapped in hardware cloth. The size seems to be plenty for my hens. I have four, now, but had five for their first year. I use deep litter, almost exclusively oak and maple leaves. I covered the south side with clear heavy plastic from Home Depot and the other sides with white plastic tarps and some days I've come home from work and although the temps are below freezing, they still have liquid water in their bowl. It's all wide open as soon as it stays in the high twenties or warmer every night. The only thing I don't like is how very dusty it gets until it's warm enough to spray it down with the hose.

 

[LadyCluck77]

Run design

My group of 5 (4 pullets and a rooster) make quite a mess in my garage and on my paved driveway.  After this winter, I know I must make some changes.  There are so many "land mines," and they get tracked into the house.  They cannot wait to be set free in the morning and venture forth now over the "poison white stuff" to make their way to the garage.  I have no idea why, but they love the garage during the day then make their way to the coop as daylight wanes.

So I need a larger run, I think, and it needs to be roofed.  After the last two winters. I am convinced that the climate has not changed to the point that our snowfall amounts will be small.  Shoveling the run is not an option, and I am not going to run the snowblower in there either. Covering the roof and adding hardware cloth to the sides will keep out predators, I would hope. I would like to see and hear about run designs that work for you in Maine.  Thanks.

Some of the coop and run pages show creative ways to roof your run. Every set up is different, so finding what works for you and your needs is all about working with your existing structure. If you can expand the size, it usually helps keep everyone happy. Roofing your run is very worth it.
Search uncle Henry's for free lumber and building materials.
What I did was I used four concrete deck supports, and built a frame of 2x4s and anchored that frame to the back of a shed. I roofed it with durable plastic roofing from Home Depot, held with many mid way supports. Aim for an angle, somewhat steep, so that the snow will slide off. I use my roof rake in heavy storms yielding more than a foot, but it has held with over two feet accumulated on it.
The covered roofing goes about ten feet by about twelve feet. My flock is currently thirteen. I also have my coop up on a frame so they can use the space underneath as shelter as well.
I place plastic around the fence when winter is coming to prevent snowdrift.

The other issue is the poo on paved surfaces, like your garage and driveway.
In this case, the natural soil is your friend. Poo will decompose faster and smell far less if it decomposes with the natural good bacteria found in our ground soil.
Some people do have paved or concrete chicken runs, and they scrape it off with a flat shovel, but I find that my dirt run is helpful because it allows for dust bathing, which prevents mites and lice, it helps groom and file the chickens nails as they scratch the soil, and the ground also helps with decomposing. If you have a non dirt floor that is getting a lot of poo action, The odor can be absorbed using horse stall refresher, sold as sweet PDZ. It is perfectly safe to use around all pets and humans, and neutralizes the funky odor.

 

[striperon]

Why not snowblow the run? My snowblower is 4' wide on my tractor, so I would need a gate of 5' to enter. I would have to shovel the area for the gate to open. Also, the snowblower needs to stay away from fences and walls so the auger doesn't get tangled up or shear pins broken. So a roof is necessary for me. It might not be for others, but it is for me. My few birds do not require as much room as 50 birds. I think a roof is a better investment than a walk-behind snowblower.

I have a dirt floor under the coop and in the run. I have been lucky so far with no mice or rats digging under. On the run and area under the coop, I put hardware cloth down 12" to deter digging from vermin or predators. I don't think I will pave or concrete the run unless I have to deal with rats and/or mice. I like the idea of having the manure easily shoveled, though. I will pave it rather than lay down hardware cloth. Too hard to shovel it clean with the wire underneath. Growing up on a farm gave me ample experience shoveling all kinds of manure.

mlowen, I like your design. It is nice and simple. However, DW is enamored with Williamsburg, VA and Sturbridge Village, so a single pitched roof is a hard sell. She would like either a gabled roof or mansard.

LadyCluck, you did a nice job with your run. Is it large enough so the chicks aren't forever begging to escape? I swear that my birds, even though they don't want me to handle them, would come inside the house with me if I let them. They are so funny making their way, single file, across the driveway to the garage like I was the pied piper, carrying their water dish to refill.

scg, I once tried a tarp over an 8' x 10' dog kennel, so I know what you mean. It was a disaster in heavy rain, and worse in snow.

I attached a photo of the current setup. The "privy" is for storage of grain, straw, and other items.

I am also interested in how large an area satisfies them. Or maybe they are never satisfied and I can accept that. I know the laws of "chicken math" dictate that it needs to be larger than currently needed because the flock grows in number somehow. Current run is about 4' x'6'. I am also getting old enough so I would like to stand rather than kneel to attend to the run. It needs to be raised. I first thought that I would just move the thing around, but then, I needed to heat the water pail and light the privy. That meant electrical wire underground and I attached it to the run and privy. Portability is compromised because moving the wiring is not something I want to do often.

 

[lazy gardener]

I like seeing what you all have done for runs, especially with winter accommodations. This year has been difficult for me with the new coop. we got it just finished enough for the girls to move in at the end of November. But, there's still some outside work to be done. And, we have not yet addressed a winter time run for them. I've been kicking my self that I have the roof pitch oriented the wrong way, but, there's no fixing that now. So, I have to adapt to what it is. I definitely want to have a covered run/solarium for them before next winter gets here. The coop floor is about 18'' above ground level on the east side, with a full sized door in the middle. Currently, that's the only entrance, as I have yet to cut in the East side pop door, and the nest box door(s). The ideal would be a pitched roof, with center peak to allow door swing, clear corrugated roofing, and sides of hardware cloth, with clear tarps/heavy poly to cover on south. North wall could be anything, and heavily bermed in the winter with hay bales. It would mean that I'd have to walk through the sun room to get into the coop, but with DL, and outside access nest box, that wouldn't be too bad.