New Englanders! Much ado about New England!
- Thread starter ticks
- Start date
I have a couple that are around 16 - 20 wks. One is a white leghorn x barred rock and the others are Ameraucana's or EE's.
Come and take your pick.
Come and take your pick.
Well its still raining here and I hear it is suppose to rain all weekend too.
Looks like we finished the yard in the nick of time, finished the clean up just as the rain started.
My girls don't care, they are running around the yard anyway.
I have to head off to school conferences now, spent the morning running from school to school bringing my kids' bunnies in for show and tell.
Gotta come home and do some painting too. Wow, I am having a fun day.
Looks like we finished the yard in the nick of time, finished the clean up just as the rain started.
My girls don't care, they are running around the yard anyway.
I have to head off to school conferences now, spent the morning running from school to school bringing my kids' bunnies in for show and tell.
Gotta come home and do some painting too. Wow, I am having a fun day.
Found a handsome roo just an hour north of where I am.
It has been very rainy here too. My girls went in and out of the coop all day long. Except for one....she decided she would rather take a rest outside in the pouring rain! My daughter went and rescued her and wanted to bring her in and dry her off. I told her no...put her in the coop and the heat lamp will do her just fine! lol
It has been very rainy here too. My girls went in and out of the coop all day long. Except for one....she decided she would rather take a rest outside in the pouring rain! My daughter went and rescued her and wanted to bring her in and dry her off. I told her no...put her in the coop and the heat lamp will do her just fine! lol
I just did the chicken shuffle today.
I moved the 14 younguns out of the grower pen along with two new hens that I had given to me to one of the regular coops.
I had been wanting to get them out of there before the winter but was nervous how they would get along with the bigger girls.
They use to chase them around the yard during free ranging to show them who is boss, but I noticed that the past couple of weeks they had been coexisting nicely so I figured it was time.
This way I was able to move my 4 babies out of the brooder in my living room and into the growerpen.
I left my two silkies in there with them but will eventually move them into a coop as well.
So now I have my last hatch suppose to happen this week. They will go through the brooder and grower pen and all that and then I am done.
I get tired of having them in the house and garage.
I don't plan on hatching anymore unless I get some coveted eggs that I have my eye on.
There are a couple of breeds I want to get but it seems like no one does the chicks or pullets, you have to get hatching eggs.
I know some people love to hatch and hatch but for me it gets old.
I hate trying to integrate new chicks into the flock.
I also gave away 4 roosters this week to make my neighbors happy. I do still have a few roosters but they are very young still so I have some time before they crow and annoy my neighbor.
I have one neighbor who is mad that I got rid of the chickens because she liked to be woken up by them but the other one who was complaining and I didn't want him to file a complaint.
That is the other thing about hatching I don't like, all the roosters you end up with.
Anyway, I feel good about getting them where they all belong and getting everyone settled.
Now, where to put those 3 rabbits I got the kids last week......
I moved the 14 younguns out of the grower pen along with two new hens that I had given to me to one of the regular coops.
I had been wanting to get them out of there before the winter but was nervous how they would get along with the bigger girls.
They use to chase them around the yard during free ranging to show them who is boss, but I noticed that the past couple of weeks they had been coexisting nicely so I figured it was time.
This way I was able to move my 4 babies out of the brooder in my living room and into the growerpen.
I left my two silkies in there with them but will eventually move them into a coop as well.
So now I have my last hatch suppose to happen this week. They will go through the brooder and grower pen and all that and then I am done.
I get tired of having them in the house and garage.
I don't plan on hatching anymore unless I get some coveted eggs that I have my eye on.
There are a couple of breeds I want to get but it seems like no one does the chicks or pullets, you have to get hatching eggs.
I know some people love to hatch and hatch but for me it gets old.
I hate trying to integrate new chicks into the flock.
I also gave away 4 roosters this week to make my neighbors happy. I do still have a few roosters but they are very young still so I have some time before they crow and annoy my neighbor.
I have one neighbor who is mad that I got rid of the chickens because she liked to be woken up by them but the other one who was complaining and I didn't want him to file a complaint.
That is the other thing about hatching I don't like, all the roosters you end up with.
Anyway, I feel good about getting them where they all belong and getting everyone settled.
Now, where to put those 3 rabbits I got the kids last week......
hey if anyone of you Mainers are looking for mutt baby chicks this Spring, my dad and I will hopefully be hatching some! They will be either Red Star/RIR mixed, buff orp/splash cochin mixed, black amauracana/splash cochin mixed, depending on if the black amauracana will be laying by then? But unless anything happens through winter, we will be hatching mostly RIR/red star mixed chicks. should be fun! oh and we are gonna sell eggs hopefully.
PM me if you are interested!
we will probably be going to lots of community swap meetings to sell/swap baby chicks.
Can't wait to get the bator fired up this Spring!
and I sure hope this nasty weather dies down.
It's been raining, misting, and cold all weekend! not fun. 
un
hopefully it gets better!
Can't wait to get the bator fired up this Spring!
and I sure hope this nasty weather dies down.
un hopefully it gets better!
Quote:
Perhaps your to young 77horses, but don't count your chicks until they hatch! (LOL I'm just teasing you). Last year I had high hopes of a broody hen...through this past summer, I prayed I'd get struck with the broody stick that so many told about. Nope, not one of my girls desired to sit on anything but their hind ends! Bummer, no new pullets this fall and with the moult and season, those ladies aren't even paying for their Kibble! UGH.
But, I do hope you have lots of luck hatching this spring, its really fun to see what you come up with !
(The man who gave me the eggs to hatch into layers said I would have a terrible time keeping them laying and not going broody- pffft, right.)
Perhaps your to young 77horses, but don't count your chicks until they hatch! (LOL I'm just teasing you). Last year I had high hopes of a broody hen...through this past summer, I prayed I'd get struck with the broody stick that so many told about. Nope, not one of my girls desired to sit on anything but their hind ends! Bummer, no new pullets this fall and with the moult and season, those ladies aren't even paying for their Kibble! UGH.
But, I do hope you have lots of luck hatching this spring, its really fun to see what you come up with !
(The man who gave me the eggs to hatch into layers said I would have a terrible time keeping them laying and not going broody- pffft, right.)
I'm from north central ma.
Future chicken keeper in Uxbridge, MA
I just joined...family thinking about raising chickens in the spring of 2010.
At this point I'm trying to learn everything I can.
I'll be taking over my son's bunker (shed) as he's getting too old to care.
Any help in the do's and don't; please don't hesitate to put your two cents in!!!!!
Questions I have:
How many should I get to start off with?
What egg breed is best for New England?
Where can I purchase chickens?
I just joined...family thinking about raising chickens in the spring of 2010.
At this point I'm trying to learn everything I can.
I'll be taking over my son's bunker (shed) as he's getting too old to care.
Any help in the do's and don't; please don't hesitate to put your two cents in!!!!!
Questions I have:
How many should I get to start off with?
What egg breed is best for New England?
Where can I purchase chickens?
Hello and welcome.
Well, usually the breeds that do well in New England are the heartier larger type I believe.
I have orpingtons, rhode island reds, speckled sussex, marans, wyandottes,easter eggers and sex links to name a few.
You can order day old chicks from hatcheries online, the minimum order is usually like 25 though.
If you don't want that many you can split the order with someone you know or someone on this forum who lives in your area may want to do that.
There are usually farms around that sell them as well though.
We have a buy sell and trade section on this forum as well.
You also have the option of buying hatching eggs and incubating them yourself.
Depends how long you want to wait for your chickens to lay eggs.
If you are in a hurry then you could buy pullets or hens that are already laying.
There are also alot of chicken swaps and meets happening all the time.
I just went to one last weekend, they had chickens and rabbits for sale or trade.
There is a swap once a month in Westford, mass.
The first sunday of the month at the sportsmans club.
If you are interested I will send you the info.
Also, feed stores around here sell chicks in the spring.
Now how many to start off with. hmm.
Well I will tell you that it is no fun to intergrate your flocks.
Once you already have chickens and you decide to add more it does take time to get the older ones to accept the new ones. Even if the older ones are only a month older. Can you tell I have done this before?
So my advice would be to get as many as you think you can handle.
If you think you are going to want to end up with 25 someday, then buy 25 at once.
Then you won't be feeding them different food for different ages and intergrating them and all that.
How big is your shed? Are you going to have a run for them or let them free range?
The guideline is that a chicken needs 4 square feet, per chicken.
So if your shed is say 8x10 then you could have 20 chickens.
If they are bantams then I think they only need 3 square feet.
I personally sold most of my bantams but thats a personal choice. I like the standard for our area.
Also, if you let them free range all day then you can get away with a few more chickens for that space since they are only basically sleeping in the coop and not living in it all day, as long as they all have a place to roost they are happy.
Overcrowding though can cause alot of behavioral issues that you will not want to deal with.
You need to find out if you can have roosters in your area before you end up with them, or if you even want them.
If you don't want roosters them you may not want to do the hatching eggs because you will end up with roosters that you have need to find homes for.
If you buy sexed chicks from hatchery then you would be okay, or sex links from a feed store.
Otherwise, I would go with pullets so you know what you are getting and there is no hassle on finding homes.
Since you have alot of time I would suggest making a list of all the breeds you like and try to get them all around the same time come spring.
If its not that big a deal to you then you can just take what the feed store has to offer.
One thing about buying from the feed store or tsc is that those breeds are hatched here on farms and they obviously do well in our climate.
You can also check out some online hatcheries just to look at the breed descriptions. I think Murray McMurray has some good descriptions,there are others too.
Feathersite does a good break down on breeds too.
Make sure your coop is predator proof. There are so many things that will go after your chickens its not even funny.
If you free range you do need to be aware of hawks.
I lost one to a hawk a few weeks ago.
I don't want to keep them locked up all day though either, I leave the coop doors open and have shrubs for them to hide in and I tipped a canoe on its side for them to hide under.
It does help since I have seen them run for cover during a hawk visit.
You will enjoy your chickens and all those eggs, I just cooked a dozen for breakfast this morning, including the ones that were laid only a few minutes before. Now that is cool.
There is alot you will learn on this site and feel free to ask questions.
The New Englanders on this thread are very nice and helpful, just stay away from that hippie Jim, he is trouble.
Well, usually the breeds that do well in New England are the heartier larger type I believe.
I have orpingtons, rhode island reds, speckled sussex, marans, wyandottes,easter eggers and sex links to name a few.
You can order day old chicks from hatcheries online, the minimum order is usually like 25 though.
If you don't want that many you can split the order with someone you know or someone on this forum who lives in your area may want to do that.
There are usually farms around that sell them as well though.
We have a buy sell and trade section on this forum as well.
You also have the option of buying hatching eggs and incubating them yourself.
Depends how long you want to wait for your chickens to lay eggs.
If you are in a hurry then you could buy pullets or hens that are already laying.
There are also alot of chicken swaps and meets happening all the time.
I just went to one last weekend, they had chickens and rabbits for sale or trade.
There is a swap once a month in Westford, mass.
The first sunday of the month at the sportsmans club.
If you are interested I will send you the info.
Also, feed stores around here sell chicks in the spring.
Now how many to start off with. hmm.
Well I will tell you that it is no fun to intergrate your flocks.
Once you already have chickens and you decide to add more it does take time to get the older ones to accept the new ones. Even if the older ones are only a month older. Can you tell I have done this before?
So my advice would be to get as many as you think you can handle.
If you think you are going to want to end up with 25 someday, then buy 25 at once.
Then you won't be feeding them different food for different ages and intergrating them and all that.
How big is your shed? Are you going to have a run for them or let them free range?
The guideline is that a chicken needs 4 square feet, per chicken.
So if your shed is say 8x10 then you could have 20 chickens.
If they are bantams then I think they only need 3 square feet.
I personally sold most of my bantams but thats a personal choice. I like the standard for our area.
Also, if you let them free range all day then you can get away with a few more chickens for that space since they are only basically sleeping in the coop and not living in it all day, as long as they all have a place to roost they are happy.
Overcrowding though can cause alot of behavioral issues that you will not want to deal with.
You need to find out if you can have roosters in your area before you end up with them, or if you even want them.
If you don't want roosters them you may not want to do the hatching eggs because you will end up with roosters that you have need to find homes for.
If you buy sexed chicks from hatchery then you would be okay, or sex links from a feed store.
Otherwise, I would go with pullets so you know what you are getting and there is no hassle on finding homes.
Since you have alot of time I would suggest making a list of all the breeds you like and try to get them all around the same time come spring.
If its not that big a deal to you then you can just take what the feed store has to offer.
One thing about buying from the feed store or tsc is that those breeds are hatched here on farms and they obviously do well in our climate.
You can also check out some online hatcheries just to look at the breed descriptions. I think Murray McMurray has some good descriptions,there are others too.
Feathersite does a good break down on breeds too.
Make sure your coop is predator proof. There are so many things that will go after your chickens its not even funny.
If you free range you do need to be aware of hawks.
I lost one to a hawk a few weeks ago.
I don't want to keep them locked up all day though either, I leave the coop doors open and have shrubs for them to hide in and I tipped a canoe on its side for them to hide under.
It does help since I have seen them run for cover during a hawk visit.
You will enjoy your chickens and all those eggs, I just cooked a dozen for breakfast this morning, including the ones that were laid only a few minutes before. Now that is cool.
There is alot you will learn on this site and feel free to ask questions.
The New Englanders on this thread are very nice and helpful, just stay away from that hippie Jim, he is trouble.
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Latest threads
-
-
-
-
-
Weird black spot on hen’s wattle
- Started by Poah
- Replies: 0
-
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
-
Open Contest Cutest Couples Photo Contest—Poultry Edition- Started by Lacy Duckwing
- Replies: 138
-
BYC's 52-week Photography Challenge. Week 2: (Jan 12-18, 2026). Theme: Flock Star
- Started by Lacy Duckwing
- Replies: 95
-
-
-
