MARYLAND THREAD!

[hbhoffman]

Welcome to all the new BYC Maryland members! Enjoy all the good reading, chicken math, and new friends!

 

[ChickityChina]

they are here hopefully they will chime in

Welcome to all the new BYC Maryland members! Enjoy all the good reading, chicken math, and new friends!

Thanks!!

 

[hbhoffman]

You are welcome! Let us know if you have any questions. Someone is usually able to answer them or point you in a good direction.

 

[kbella]

Hi, we are in Rockville, MD and we are looking for hatching eggs so we can get started keeping backyard chickens for eggs and friendship/pets. I've heard that Rhode Island Reds are beautiful with great personalities, but, really, any good breeds to help get us get started. Ideally, nice tempered and prolific egg layers. We're going to start off with no more than ten chickens. If you have hatching eggs for sale and you are near to Rockville, please contact us.

 

[RattleCan]

Hi! nice to hear that -- I drive up that way about once a week going to my booth at the Queen's City Flea Market. I am looking for Hens and ducks and geese. Just bought an incubator but have also just moved and I have been to disorganized to set it up properly.

Hi Starry, I am in LaVale near the Country Club Mall.

What is this? Western MD peeps? I thought I was alone out here! I live in Finzel, about halfway between the both of you. Nice to meet you neighbors!

 

[SoMDChick]

Hello Marylanders! I am new to Backyard Chickens, currently researching coop designs. I would like to know if anyone has advice on breeds of fowl that are good for the Southern MD climate and are "must haves" as ticks and snakes seem to be an issue here. I have seen a few black snakes, and recently Eagles, but not many other predators. Any advice would be helpful and I am still researching. Thanks.

 

[SoMdChicken]

Hello Marylanders!  I am new to Backyard Chickens, currently researching coop designs.  I would like to know if anyone has advice on breeds of fowl that are good for the Southern MD climate and are "must haves" as ticks and snakes seem to be an issue here.  I have seen a few black snakes, and recently Eagles, but not many other predators.  Any advice would be helpful and I am still researching.  Thanks.

Hi SoMDChick, really you'll find most dual purpose breeds are optimal for Southern Maryland (as in cold hardy and heat tolerant); check out meyerhatchery.com and browse the breed profiles... Gives great information on tolerance as well as quantity of eggs layed per year

 

[sarahandjay]

Hello Marylanders!  I am new to Backyard Chickens, currently researching coop designs.  I would like to know if anyone has advice on breeds of fowl that are good for the Southern MD climate and are "must haves" as ticks and snakes seem to be an issue here.  I have seen a few black snakes, and recently Eagles, but not many other predators.  Any advice would be helpful and I am still researching.  Thanks.

Dual purpose birds and guinea fowl do a pretty good job for ticks and snake control. Guineas are loud but they do sound the alarm if something or someone is around. And after a year of having birds ticks on oir property and the neighbors have declined alot. Good luck with your birds

 

[napdognewfie]

What is this? Western MD peeps? I thought I was alone out here! I live in Finzel, about halfway between the both of you. Nice to meet you neighbors!

Oh I am so happy to see someone close!

What do you have?

 

[RattleCan]

Oh I am so happy to see someone close!

What do you have?

Likewise! We're practically neighbors ^_^

I started with two red sex link hens that lived in a small coop behind my apartment while I was renting in the city of Frostburg. Chickens aren't welcome in the city limits (they are actually in the process of changing this rule now... maybe I started something!). We bought our house in Finzel last january and my two cooped up hens became free-rangers for the first time in their lives. They loved it! Then, back in fall we had a weekend of bad weather when the hurricane was moving through and something snagged them during daylight hours since it was so cloudy-- I believe the culprit is a big male gray fox I've been watching on a game camera since we moved here. Heartbroken from their loss, I fell victim to chicken math.

We ended up getting a mixed box of hens at the Grantsville stockyard auction to replace my sex links as pets. They're an oddball bunch, a barred rock, a dark red hen that I suppose could be sex link, one that looks like a dark barred rock which I guess is a cuckoo maran, and then a solid black one with feathered legs and a white chest. They don't lay eggs, I'm guessing that's why they were sold, but they have commandeered my little coop and my next door neighbor's backyard. I think he might love them more than I do!

We also ended up building a turkey coop which is currently housing my 8-month old Royal Palm tom, and 7 SLW/GLW chicks I hatched out in december. I also have EE eggs coming in the mail this week for the Easter hatch-along. We're currently in the process of building the chickens their own coop, a 6x12 building that will be divided in half and have a divided run. Wyandottes on one side, EEs on the other What do you have?