MARYLAND THREAD!

[ThatFarmerChick]

Hey MDers! What is everyone's favorite breed. Picking one is hard, but try to pick the fav of your flock/best ever.

 

[wermnmnmnm]

In Severna Park and loving my Black Australorp... beautiful black feathers with a lovely green sheen, snuggly and lays a beautiful brown egg with a pinkish tint everyday. I just Love my Edna.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

Is anyone using anything other than hardware cloth to keep mice and digging predators?

 

[hbhoffman]

I am successfully using 1/4" Hardware cloth all the way around - even bottom and windows and ventilation holes. I have seen evidence of critters trying to get in unsuccessfully. Just not worth the risk.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

I am successfully using 1/4" Hardware cloth all the way around - even bottom and windows and ventilation holes. I have seen evidence of critters trying to get in unsuccessfully. Just not worth the risk.

Is yours in the ground or on top? I think the windows and ventilation areas make complete sense of its usage as well. I was just seeing if there was an alternative option. Thanks a mil!

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

Hello all, We're (Lil Bizzy and myself) are in Salisbury.

Are you still raising chickens and active on BYC? I dont see many ES chicken people. We just moved to Snow Hill. Thought we had only 69 acres. We have 169. We are using 2.5 to start. Glad to meet you.

 

[hbhoffman]

My pen is not that big 3' high x 4' deep by 6' wide. And I did put the HWC on the bottom with lathe Tek screws every 3" or so. So very glad I did! If I built again, I would still do the same just to 8' wide instead of 6'! I did have to piece a little and used wire to "sew" the HWC pieces together even though I bought 4' wide HWC it was not straight- thus the need to piece it.
We have dealt with mice and rats. Both are able to compress their bodies into tiny crevasses! So in building I always kept that in mind. When I put my spring latches on the pen, which is on the ground, I put 2 sets for each door. One set went higher up and the other low so that rats could not get through the doors. ( I will try to post a photo later. )

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

My pen is not that big 3' high x 4' deep by 6' wide. And I did put the HWC on the bottom with lathe Tek screws every 3" or so. So very glad I did! If I built again, I would still do the same just to 8' wide instead of 6'! I did have to piece a little and used wire to "sew" the HWC pieces together even though I bought 4' wide HWC it was not straight- thus the need to piece it.
We have dealt with mice and rats. Both are able to compress their bodies into tiny crevasses! So in building I always kept that in mind. When I put my spring latches on the pen, which is on the ground, I put 2 sets for each door. One set went higher up and the other low so that rats could not get through the doors. ( I will try to post a photo later. )

Thank you so much. I just convinced my husband to make our new coop the same way. There have not been cooped birds on this farm in over 20 years. In the past twenty years the birds free ranged and roosted in the trees. Even the Orpingtons used small pine trees or bushes to get to taller trees. We have plenty of snakes, fox, raccoons, wild dogs,mice, and rats to stay away from.

 

[goldfinches]

Hey! Any of my gorgeous people on the Eastern Shore of MD getting rid of coops or runs? This spring my family is going to being raising chicks. We are on a large farm, but are looking to only occupy 2.5 acres. We will be looking for local birds as well. Just throwing it out there. March will be here before we know it.

Hello, I don't have any coops or runs, but I may be hatching some chicks in the spring, depending on if my girls are laying. I have pure Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucana and a bunch of mutts

 

[goldfinches]

Hello. I am a new kid. I am a 4Her in Worcester County MD. Snow Hill exactly. I will be raising my first flock of Ameraucanas, a Dark Brahma, and a Golden Polish. I really want a Cream Legbar, but I have not found one.

Welcome! I'm near Worcester, right on the line of Wicomico. I raise Ameraucana also, what color are you going to raise?