new from Maine

[sayyadina]

Hello.

I just joined, and I'm very eager to learn more about chickens. I have a new alpaca farm that just started last August. We're trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible, and I thought it would be a good idea to look into chickens & ducks. I have a place picked out to build them a house, but haven't started working on it yet.

I've never had chickens or ducks before, but I've had some kind of pet for my entire life. Started with fish. Had a gerbil for a little while. Then a couple toads I found. Family had dogs & cats, which I liked but am allergic to. Have had 3 parrots for about 12 years. Also 2 ponies. And now a herd of alpacas, 11 girls & 6 boys, including a newborn girl.

We have a large area of fenced in pastures, 6 strand high tensile electric and no-climb, and the birds would be out in the fenced areas during the day. Their house would be in there too. And we plan to fence in more pasture this year.

We have seen a fox around periodically, though not for a while. And we have a family of Bald Eagles in the area, though we're right on a river with plenty of fish.

Think that's it for now.
Erin

 

[JenEric Farms]

Greetings from Maine! Sounds like you live in a great area! There is a chickenstock at the Tractor Supply Company in Oxford, ME on May 30th starting at 9:00 in the morning. People will be there with chicks and hatching eggs and all sorts of crafts. Might be a good place for you to learn more and get to know some fellow Maine Chicken people.

 

[Imp]

from Washington

Good luck getting chickens

Imp

 

[FlashPointFarm]

Welcome! Owning chickens is a great way to go green! Have fun, they are addicting!

here's a tip for your chicken house, build it twice as big as you think you're gonna need. If you purchase or make an incubator, build it 4 times as big!

 

[Redsquirrel]

Welcome to BYC's. You will get a lot of help on here for your start with chickens. Sounds like you will need to make your coop predator proof for sure, with all those critters around. Chickens are tasty, unfortunately.

 

[JenEric Farms]

Quote:
You're not kidding. I wish i had built something much much bigger.

 

[nhnanna]

 

[b.hromada]

and

from S. Florida.

 

[klf73]

 

[sayyadina]

Thank you!

jlove, unfortunately that TSC is 2 hours each way from me, and that's the day before we're shearing the alpacas, so I'll be busy getting ready for that.