North Carolina

[HenThymes]

Ok, I need yall words of wisdom....I found a lady that will sell me day old lavender chicks for $10 a piece...but this is a straight run...so I could end up with 4 roos. I am wanting hens only. Give me yalls words of wisdom..do I take a gamble for $10 a piece and get me 4 of them?

In my experience $10 each is very reasonable for unsexed chicks, or you can wait and buy sexed pullets for $20+ each?? Lavs just a short time ago were $50-$100 each. Just my two cents.

 

[HenThymes]

So sorry they were beautiful girls, I know your heart broken..

x2

 

[KristanB]

HT: thanks for the info. I think I will take my changes and get 5 for the $50. If I get roos I will let yall know on here cause I cant have them. Or maybe I could talk MissLydia or Vickifiveoh into being their adoptive/foster parents.....lol.

 

[Country Chickens]

Oops blank post.
What I was wondering is if anybody here uses sand in there coops and why they like it more than pine shavings? I'm curious because shavings are becoming expensive.

We love our sand.

I can give your the pros and cons, as I see them: Pros--not as expensive. When you're done with inside sand it can become dustbathing outside sand or be used to improve our NC clay. Helps to keep down disease by drying out their poop. Easier to maintain at a poop-free level. Chickens get all the grit they could want. Cooler in the summer. Less allergy trouble if you're allergic to trees/wood. Chickens love to dust bathe in it. Cons--I've heard that in small coops it can be dusty (not a problem for us in our big barn). If you want to keep the coop clean you'll be doing a lot of scooping (we pay our kids $5/five gallon bucket, and compost it). May be difficult to get inexpensively in small amounts. Doesn't provide a warm place for cold toes in super-freezing weather. But, on that last, I don't think it's much of a concern here in NC. In the end, it's all about what you want and what works for you, but we love our sand and would never go back to messy shavings!

ETA to add: Let me know how you like the pine needles if you go that route. Heaven knows we've got plenty around here! And anyone else, feel free to chime in about the pros of pine needles given my sand pros and cons, if you like!

 

[wildriverswolf90]

GA- I'm so sorry.

Thanks for the idea on pine needles, but I'm not sure if I could find any. I have a dirt floor coop and cleaning the pine shaving off up is a pain in the butt. I was thinking sand cause I could mix it with DE and it seems easier to rake around and shovel.
Thanks Country Chicken, I like that it will help keep them cool. My coop is 14x10ft so I don't think dust will be to bad plus I have 8ft long by 3ft wide window to help air out. The shavings are just so messy and I don't have the money to replace shaving every month.

What about straw?

 

[ramirezframing]

Sorry about your girls green, hope you don't have another attack. Good luck fixing the pen

 

[Miss Lydia]

HT: thanks for the info. I think I will take my changes and get 5 for the $50. If I get roos I will let yall know on here cause I cant have them. Or maybe I could talk MissLydia or Vickifiveoh into being their adoptive/foster parents.....lol.

 

[doubleatraining]

I use straw in my pens/runs. I shake it out and get it really fluffy. The chickens LOVE it. The scratch and play in it and when it gets compact and covered in poop I scrape it out and put in on the compost pile. Works out GREAT.

 

[linderfunefarm]

Hey y'all! Johnston County here! I'm sure someone here can help me. I'm searching for Bourbon Red turkey poults. Can anybody point me in the right direction? TSC was a bust and Donnie's Farm & Garden in Smithfield are getting white turkeys and Bronze. Thanks!

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

I use waste hay from the sheep for bedding the chicken house. The sheep pull it out of the hay feeder onto the ground, and I get it up and move it to the chickens. When I quit having sheep, I'll go to straw, I think.