Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[NotableNancy]

Is this the feeder for your new chicks that you are talking about? Maybe a heavy piece of wood? Our feeder is the top load kind from TSC. It has different levels to restrict to much feed being scratched out. I tried pellets with the girls and they scratch too much out, so I switched to crumbles. Mine is on their patio and not hung up and the feed does accumulate a little on the wood there, but I have a few that like to clean it up for me, so no mold there.

About the poo poo: Make yourself a compost bin and add in the chicken poo too. It'll turn into great garden soil if you mix in some kitchen scraps and leaves too.

No, this is the older girls. I have one of those feeders too. (yes, I have 3 that's why I don't want to buy another one... actually 4 cause there's one in the chick house too) They don't spill to much with that one. Maybe putting a piece of plywood under it would work? I guess I could just fill it less too.

I have 2 compost bins and after filling the one with poo and kitchen scraps and letting it sit 6 months or so it turned into beautiful soil for the bushes! But we actually have to much poo for even 2 composting bins. Just wondering what city folk do with all that poo. Never thought about it before!

 

[autumnhearth]

Ok - I have a definite breeder of cream legbars. The farm is 1,5 hrs from me, which isn't very far really since it takes 45 minutes to get to real "country". The price is competitive & the lineage is good. Not that I care about show birds, but I would like decent quality! 

So I think I'm going to just go for my local person & not worry about trying to fight over Meyer's limited supply. Now the REAL question...do I get 1 or 2   

I say two as well! While its very unlikely that you'll get a roo as the breed is autosexing, more blue eggs and goodness forbid something happens to one. We thought we were going to be down to 4 chickens out of our original 6 when Clara had a stroke and wasn't eating or drinking this weekend, she's bounced back but is still off balance and unable to perch which makes me worry for her. Then yesterday when the girls were free ranging they found a string of cranberries and my husband's Dorking got the floss stuck in her mouth, I was so scared, we couldn't pull it so we cut what we could and hoped for the best, she's been eating and drinking just fine. Long story short get the extra chicken. Has the breeder confirmed they will have chicks? They one near me only sells hatching eggs and juvenile pairs and trios.

Funny unrelated story, this morning after I put the girls in their pen/tractor I went to water the garden. I turn on the hose and adjust the nozzle, when I squeeze it sputters a bit and I hear this high pitched "Bawkbokbokbokbok bok baw cawk!" over and over coming from from the pen. It was Baby Buff our Orp (in my avatar) trying out her big girl voice. She had the chicken rhythm right but it was a bit honky and sounded like a goose! She's normal my soft trilling and peeping girl.

 

[christine9]

Nancy- since I switched to pellets, I've noticed so much less waste. I wonder if you switched completely to pellets if it would eliminate the molding. If they are eating it all up out of the sand, it can't mold, right?

 

[MamaShell]

Yea, especially here in CO where we can't really grow good pasture without irrigation. We don't plan to pasture for nutrition because it isn't feasible here without hundreds of acres. We have no choice to but to feed hay.
We do have 4 separate areas to rotate them through for fun and exercise more than nutrition. 1 area is small and will be their main area. We'll rotate them through the other 3 with limited time spent on each. Hopefully that will allow each area to not get trampled so bad it doesn't have a chance to recover. The land is pretty green right now and hasn't had horses on it for more than 6 months so at least we'll have a good start. 

Our appraisal came back fine. We close at the end of the week! e

Awesome news! I'm so excited for you!!!

Btw, Libelle is German for dragonfly.

 

[MamaShell]

MamaShell ... how are your new EE's doing? any sign of eggs? squatting?

Sorry I didn't respond earlier, busy weekend!
The EEs are doing well. No eggs yet. I just moved them from the brooder in the garage to their small temporary coop.

They are settling in well. I just have to figure out how to get my dogs to stop barking at them!

 

[MamaShell]

Don't anyone panic - I changed my avatar!

How will I recognize you?? Lol

 

[rnchick74]

I'm posting from work on mobile, so I'm not going to quote anyone. I'm going to get 2. They will both be female & cream legbars are auto sexing, so no surprise roos.

The breeder had confirmed he hatches chicks & will be hatching all summer. I'm going to put a deposit down, as he is a popular breeder.

I will be over my limit, but that's ok. I'm buying an urban coop company coop round top with 2nd hutch & run. They say it's enough sq ftg for 20 hens, but I'm sticking with 8

 

[autumnhearth]

I'm posting from work on mobile, so I'm not going to quote anyone. I'm going to get 2. They will both be female & cream legbars are auto sexing, so no surprise roos.

The breeder had confirmed he hatches chicks & will be hatching all summer. I'm going to put a deposit down, as he is a popular breeder.

I will be over my limit, but that's ok. I'm buying an urban coop company coop round top with 2nd hutch & run. They say it's enough sq ftg for 20 hens, but I'm sticking with 8

Very very smart! It seems like all the coop companies underestimate the sq ft requirement. My husband now wishes we had bought a coop, spending three precious work days attaching, dettaching, framing and reattaching the big door. Still need to finish the chicken door, put wire on the windows and build the roof. But the door hardware is really cool and we have a poop board! Yesterday morning I spent two hours (before breakfast) trimming and re-stapling the wire on our big moveable pen so it is now more chicken, human and lawn friendly, I have so many scrapes on my arms and hands from lifting it. Now it is able to be moved by just one person but it still needs a door.

 

[NanaLynn]

No, this is the older girls. I have one of those feeders too. (yes, I have 3 that's why I don't want to buy another one... actually 4 cause there's one in the chick house too) They don't spill to much with that one. Maybe putting a piece of plywood under it would work? I guess I could just fill it less too.

I have 2 compost bins and after filling the one with poo and kitchen scraps and letting it sit 6 months or so it turned into beautiful soil for the bushes! But we actually have to much poo for even 2 composting bins. Just wondering what city folk do with all that poo. Never thought about it before!

Poopy donation to the neighbors with gardens?

So far I have not had the problem of too much. I do have plenty of areas that need the fertilizer though, so I'll move the deep litter to the compost for awhile and then spread it around those areas. If you were closer I'd come by to collect yours too.

Seriously though, there may be an avid gardener that would appreciate it around you.

You do have a lot of feeders, I have 2 different sizes from TSC, plus the long red one for the chicks. I guess if you can just figure out a way for the feed not to spill into areas that they cannot clean up. I had that problem in my last coop too.

I'm posting from work on mobile, so I'm not going to quote anyone. I'm going to get 2. They will both be female & cream legbars are auto sexing, so no surprise roos.

The breeder had confirmed he hatches chicks & will be hatching all summer. I'm going to put a deposit down, as he is a popular breeder.

I will be over my limit, but that's ok. I'm buying an urban coop company coop round top with 2nd hutch & run. They say it's enough sq ftg for 20 hens, but I'm sticking with 8

I completely forgot about the auto sexing of the CL's, oops so sorry, still 2 blue eggs would be awesome!!

Congrats on making those decisions, sometimes that's the hardest thing to do. I look forward to seeing your new coop!

 

[rnchick74]

Very very smart! It seems like all the coop companies underestimate the sq ft requirement. My husband now wishes we had bought a coop, spending three precious work days attaching, dettaching, framing and reattaching the big door. Still need to finish the chicken door, put wire on the windows and build the roof. But the door hardware is really cool and we have a poop board! Yesterday morning I spent two hours (before breakfast) trimming and re-stapling the wire on our big moveable pen so it is now more chicken, human and lawn friendly, I have so many scrapes on my arms and hands from lifting it. Now it is able to be moved by just one person but it still needs a door.

I'm not sure if I ever posting a link...I'm sure I did, but here it is again http://urbancoopcompany.com/product/round-top-ranchette-coop-add/

I will have the 2 runs below the ranchettes & 1 additional run. So that's quite a bit of roosting & run area for choocks to choose from. It's a little $$$$, but it's also modular which is important when I move.