North Carolina

[starlingdaly]

Hi everyone! I am new to chickens (as an adult anyway) and new to BYC! We have two rescued Ross hens that came to us about two months ago, who are adjusting nicely and as sweet as can be. We also have ten chicks (3 buff orpington, 2 black australorp, 2 americauna, 2 barred rock, and 1 brahma). We live in north Chatham County between Jordan Lake and Apex. I am very excited about this new adventure and wanted to see if there is anyone else in our area on here. Thanks for having me, and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

I'm not too far from you! Jordan Lake is about a 30 minute drive. Apex is probably around 35-40 minutes
I have a diverse flock with focus on Exchequer Leghorns, French Black Copper Marans and Olive Eggers. 25 birds total right now.

 

[starlingdaly]

[COLOR=0000FF]Just an early heads up for some early December family fun. Come on out and see some birds, there will also be a concession stand and raffles. My kids and I went last year and had fun and learned a few things too.[/COLOR]



A GREAT POULTRY SHOW


DECEMBER 13, 2014


 



JOHNSTON COUNTY LIVESTOCK ARENA 
SMITHFIELD, NORTH CAROLINA 
APA/ABA SANCTIONED OPEN AND JUNIOR SHOW 
APA/ABA SANCTIONED SHOWMANSHIP PROGRAM 

JUDGES 
TOM ROEBUCK, PAUL GILROY, JACKIE KOEDATICH 
ACCEPTING: BANTAMS, LARGE FOWL, WATERFOWL, TURKEYS AND GUINEAS 
ENTRY DEADLINE – DECEMBER 8, 2014 

FOR SHOW INFORMATION 

SHOW CATALOG AND ENTRY FORM ON WEBSITE 
 www.capefearpoultryassociation.embarqspace.com 

I am considering going to this! It's an hour drive (the Morganton one is 2.5 hours!)
Anyone else planning to attend? I know it's far in the future.

 

[gopackgirl]

Howdy neighbor! Thanks for your response! I bet your egg basket is beautiful with all those different color eggs!

 

[starlingdaly]

Howdy neighbor! Thanks for your response! I bet your egg basket is beautiful with all those different color eggs!

That was my plan. of course right now most of my girls are molting (really hard molts too!) so the egg basket is a lot more simple

 

[farmraised86]

Just putting this out there for anyone looking for free lumber and such for they're farms or homesteads I have a stable, gazebo, storage building, pallets fence and post and pasture gates and other things I need taken down and removed pm for email, number and address

 

[Tikkijane]

Tikkijane-I've never had guineas that would go in the coop. I've had them for about 13 years but wasn't able to have them while living in Mesa the past 10 years.
Man, my chicks are growing fast! I have 9 Red Broilers, a few Banties and layers and 6 Guineas. The guineas and broilers are especially big. I've had the Red Broilers before but i don't think I've ever seen them grow this fast. I think they arrived on Sept 10 so about 3 1/2 weeks old. I've been opening their giant dog crate during the day to let them run around and after 3-4 days of hiding next to the "mommy lamp" tonight they didn't want to go to bed!
My Doberman and Papillon do a decent job of babysitting. Not all the time, since they're indoor dogs but they have a doggy door and spend quite a bit of time outdoors now.
I thought I lost a duck yesterday, he was missing from early morning until almost dark. He showed up last night as I was locking up the baby chicks. Where did he go? They've recently learned to fly and last week, they all disappeared for most of the day. I have a 3 acre pond but they're afraid of it. Will only go in to wading depth. I have turtles but no snapping turtles. Ducks that won't swim!
I am really enjoying my first ducks. I had no idea that they were so personable! They follow me to the pond when I call them. I have 7 domestic mallards, one has a little crest.
I'm really hoping to find some Red Dorkings early next year. Also, hoping to find a pair of peafowl, just plain old blue ones.i would consider hatching eggs since I'm planning to get an incubator this winter.

Keets can be coop trained. I leave mine in for arpund 12 weeks, then let one out for a few hours in the evening; then increase hours out and number out. Some use herding sticks.

What I've found that helps the most is using a few low light solar lights in the coop or shine a light through the pop door. They are basically blind at night, and the light really helps get them herded inside. Right now, my guineas go right in wuth the chickens and then we open their inside door. Fwiw.

Adults are a lot more difficult to coop train, I've heard, because they keep trying to find their original home.

 

[Coop Scoop Boogie]

I am considering going to this! It's an hour drive (the Morganton one is 2.5 hours!)
Anyone else planning to attend? I know it's far in the future.

I'll be going to this one. I have been to it before and it's a nice show.
I love their raffle table too.

 

[Tracydr]

Keets can be coop trained. I leave mine in for arpund 12 weeks, then let one out for a few hours in the evening; then increase hours out and number out. Some use herding sticks.

What I've found that helps the most is using a few low light solar lights in the coop or shine a light through the pop door. They are basically blind at night, and the light really helps get them herded inside. Right now, my guineas go right in wuth the chickens and then we open their inside door. Fwiw.

Adults are a lot more difficult to coop train, I've heard, because they keep trying to find their original home.

I'll give this a try. Going to try making a coop out of a huge old steel swingset that is concreted into the ground. I'll make sure to include some very high roosts for the guineas and also the Banties.
I usually have a light going in the winter on a timer to help with laying, although since this is a fall batch we'll see. Hopefully, they'll round themselves up a little before dark once I set them loose because we have a lot of night time predators. Actually, we seem to have a bunch of daytime predators, too. A few days ago I noticed I didn't have as many chicks as I should. I have a bunch of meat chicks, Banties, a few layers and the six guineas. Should have 24 total and now I only have 21. They've been running around very close to the house in a small, open area with plenty of bushes to lay under. They are all natural colors ( red meat chickens) and the only white is a tiny bantam, who isn't missing. I'm wondering if a fox, coyote or bobcat had one a day for a few days?
Oh, well. It happens. I'm surprised, though, since my dogs roam around that area most of the day and the chicks are locked in their dog crate at night before dark.

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Quote: That's because you win half of it!

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Quote: A hawk might be making off with them, particularly if they are small.