North Dakota

[marvun22]

Hello everyone. I just found this thread and I just thought I would stop in and say hi. Also, what predators do you know of? Have any of you had hawk problems? I have seen (and mostly killed) foxes, raccoons, weasels, and skunks. And LeviS, did you write a review about McMurray Hatchery on Dave's Garden. I noticed someone from Gladstone wrote a negative review about it. Because of that review (and many others), I changed my order from Murray to Ideal Poultry and I am very happy with Ideal. You probably still have some of these birds? Are you sure they are cross breeds? I was thinking about getting White Orpingtons, because I am an Orpington addict. I will not order from them if there are these problems. If the cross breed stuff is true, I'll just substitute the White Orpingtons for something like a White Rock, Wyandotte, etc.

 

[Tuhmu]

Guilty . As far as lively healthy chicks went, the ones from mcmurry were great. They just didn't look anything like they are supposed to, which is expected from a hatchery I've learned. I have most of them still, my red stars recently started laying which is great. I ordered chickens from mcmurry, MyPetChicken, efowl, and a breeder on this forum. So far the chickens from the breeder and efowl are by far the best looking.

The worst predators we North Dakotans face are skunks and raccoons, with hawks and coyotes/foxes being a close runner up.

 

[marvun22]

Foxes are my worst enemy for one reason. They attack when my chickens (used to) free range during the day. My coon hasn't been a problem because I have a secure night shelter. I stopped letting my chickens free range about a month ago because my favorite chicken (an EE rooster) was killed (along with one of my favorite hens). I have never ordered from efowl because of my love of assortments. They make you have at least 5 of a breed. My last order was 3 Buff Orps (my favorite breed), 2 White Leghorns, 2 Barred Rocks, 2 EE, 2 Blue Cochin, 1 GL Cochin, 1 Black Australorp, 1 RIR Rooster, and 1 New Hampshire rooster. You can see I like variety. If you look at my signature, you will see I have lots of different breeds of chickens and ducks. I'm thinking now that my next order could just be an assorted pullet. I think that would be really fun, guessing all my breeds.

 

[Loghousemom]

I have an assortment too, but have been hoping to get my hands on some lavender and buff orpingtons. My only buff orp "Elvis" was murdered by my naughty roo. BCMs are on my wish list as well. Right now I have a crazy mix of 39 chickens, 1 Peking, I Roene, and 2 Toulouse geese.

 

[kodster]

I have an assortment too, but have been hoping to get my hands on some lavender and buff orpingtons. My only buff orp "Elvis" was murdered by my naughty roo. BCMs are on my wish list as well. Right now I have a crazy mix of 39 chickens, 1 Peking, I Roene, and 2 Toulouse geese.

Loghousemom, I just got 5 buff orp pullets and 1 buff orp cockerel from McMurray, they're 3 weeks old now (day-old chicks) and they're doing great. Funny you should mention the lavenders... I received 14 eggs from PapaBrooder but none of them hatched (too damaged by USPS, I suspect). I have 6 new eggs in the 'bator now from a breeder in TN, plus just won an auction for 12 more off eBay last night, from another breeder in FL. I also just got in 11 blue orp eggs in, today, out of WA. We'll see what happens with the hatches of these eggs, and maybe we can work something out. I do have an English Lemon Cuckoo Barred Orp that has pipped today, out of the 10 that PapaBrooder sent me with the lavenders. None of the others made it, either, for the same reason as the lavenders from him. I'm surprised, and overjoyed that the one Lemon is hatching, because when I priced chicks for that variety, they started at $55 a chick! I also have 6 more of those from the breeder in TN in the 'bator, too.

I'm going to make a recommendation for BCMs for you... Marans2XL.com. Go check out the show quality birds they have. I got 12 eggs from them through eBay auction, and then just got another 15 (1 arrived broken, which is not bad out of 27 eggs!). If you go through eBay, you might be able to win the auction for less money than buying direct ($30/dozen, plus shipping), whereas I got mine for less than $30 both times, plus shipping (which is only $15). Just so you know, if the auction gets crazy and goes for more than $30, drop the auction and just buy direct... Ernie will ship out on Tuesdays for direct. They go under xlboergoats on eBay. (BTW, the first 12, 10 are developing and today is Day 10... the second 14 I just got in today, too.)

 

[Loghousemom]

Loghousemom, I just got 5 buff orp pullets and 1 buff orp cockerel from McMurray, they're 3 weeks old now (day-old chicks) and they're doing great.  Funny you should mention the lavenders... I received 14 eggs from PapaBrooder but none of them hatched (too damaged by USPS, I suspect).  I have 6 new eggs in the 'bator now from a breeder in TN, plus just won an auction for 12 more off eBay last night, from another breeder in FL.  I also just got in 11 blue orp eggs in, today, out of WA.  We'll see what happens with the hatches of these eggs, and maybe we can work something out.  I do have an English Lemon Cuckoo Barred Orp that has pipped today, out of the 10 that PapaBrooder sent me with the lavenders.  None of the others made it, either, for the same reason as the lavenders from him.  I'm surprised, and overjoyed that the one Lemon is hatching, because when I priced chicks for that variety, they started at $55 a chick!  I also have 6 more of those from the breeder in TN in the 'bator, too.

I'm going to make a recommendation for BCMs for you... Marans2XL.com.  Go check out the show quality birds they have.  I got 12 eggs from them through eBay auction, and then just got another 15 (1 arrived broken, which is not bad out of 27 eggs!).  If you go through eBay, you might be able to win the auction for less money than buying direct ($30/dozen, plus shipping), whereas I got mine for less than $30 both times, plus shipping (which is only $15).  Just so you know, if the auction gets crazy and goes for more than $30, drop the auction and just buy direct... Ernie will ship out on Tuesdays for direct.  They go under xlboergoats on eBay.  (BTW, the first 12, 10 are developing and today is Day 10... the second 14 I just got in today, too.)

Thanks for the info! I am going to go check them out! I will probably wait to do more hatching until after winter since I am nearing my limit on the number of birds I want to house through the winter. :/. I do have a lot of butchering to do once some of these other Roos grow out a bit. I would like to thin them down to 2 or 3. I've got a quite a few non- aggressive ones now and they should do fine together through the winter.

I've got 2 other sheds I would like to move and renovate into houses for the chickens and then I could get a few turkeys too. I just don't want to have to trudge through waist deep snow to reach them in the winter. I am a bit lazy in that regard I suppose.

I did a few orders of shipped eggs this spring, and had the only one egg hatch in the second batch.( Naked necks for the husband. ). So dissapointing when that happens.

Good luck with your hatches!

 

[kodster]

Thanks for the info! I am going to go check them out! I will probably wait to do more hatching until after winter since I am nearing my limit on the number of birds I want to house through the winter.

. I do have a lot of butchering to do once some of these other Roos grow out a bit. I would like to thin them down to 2 or 3. I've got a quite a few non- aggressive ones now and they should do fine together through the winter.

I've got 2 other sheds I would like to move and renovate into houses for the chickens and then I could get a few turkeys too. I just don't want to have to trudge through waist deep snow to reach them in the winter. I am a bit lazy in that regard I suppose.

I did a few orders of shipped eggs this spring, and had the only one egg hatch in the second batch.( Naked necks for the husband. ). So dissapointing when that happens.

Good luck with your hatches!

I hear ya, about the "waist-high" snow. Hopefully, we won't have a repeat of the '10 winter. 2011 was mild compared to that one, and except for the late start to spring this year, this past winter was about average. I would be grateful to the Lord if winter would delay her start, due to the late start of spring, to compensate!

Well, I definitely have 9 BCMs that will be going into lockdown on Thursday night, plus the 14 that are in their first week of incubation yet. If you want any, instead of trying to hatch them, let me know. I'll deliver some to you out of the 2nd batch, if you're interested.

 

[marvun22]

Have any of you had many chickens die during the winter? This past winter was my first with chickens/ducks. I had 1 Buff die and I had 1 New Hampshire (not fully mature because they didn't come till late July). I am going to have to really pile the straw in my coop this winter. I scavenged a duck pen for the winter last winter that now is wrecked. My coop floor is cement so I will have to make sure the ducks can rest without their feet freezing. I have no electricity in my coop. A word of advice. If you have any ducks, the best defense you can have is 1 male and 1 female African Geese. They have fended off foxes, coons, and a naughty older drake.

 

[Loghousemom]

Kodster. Be sure to message me when your second batch hatches. Depending on where I sit with numbers I could take a few. What part of the state are you at? I am about smack dab in the middle!

Marvun22, I have kept them the last couple of winters, and luckily have had no losses.... (Knock on wood). My coop is pretty big. At least 20 x 30 and it was split into 3 sections. I've never kept more than 10 chickens through the winter so this will be an interesting one since I am planning to keep 20-30 this year. One section of my building has a cement floor and I run a heater there. The cats and dogs come and go from there to stay warm. I separate that section from the chicken side with a screen frame for a door. I also have two ducks and two geese this year that I have not had before. They have been staying in a smaller shed, and I am hoping to keep them there since the ducks stink so bad. (If I can sneak it past my daughters, I would love to be rid of the ducks.). For some reason the geese are not nearly as smelly. But I am hoping to just keep a good layer of hay in there and not have to heat that shed for them. All my birds free range together right now wish is probably a good thing for that big Peking duck. . I am hoping to get breeding pens up before winter starts so I am ready for the spring. I have big plans for next year too. Just hope I can convince the husband to go along with my crazy fowl plans!

 

[kodster]

Kodster. Be sure to message me when your second batch hatches. Depending on where I sit with numbers I could take a few. What part of the state are you at? I am about smack dab in the middle!

Marvun22, I have kept them the last couple of winters, and luckily have had no losses.... (Knock on wood). My coop is pretty big. At least 20 x 30 and it was split into 3 sections. I've never kept more than 10 chickens through the winter so this will be an interesting one since I am planning to keep 20-30 this year. One section of my building has a cement floor and I run a heater there. The cats and dogs come and go from there to stay warm. I separate that section from the chicken side with a screen frame for a door. I also have two ducks and two geese this year that I have not had before. They have been staying in a smaller shed, and I am hoping to keep them there since the ducks stink so bad. (If I can sneak it past my daughters, I would love to be rid of the ducks.). For some reason the geese are not nearly as smelly. But I am hoping to just keep a good layer of hay in there and not have to heat that shed for them. All my birds free range together right now wish is probably a good thing for that big Peking duck.

. I am hoping to get breeding pens up before winter starts so I am ready for the spring. I have big plans for next year too. Just hope I can convince the husband to go along with my crazy fowl plans!

Loghousemom, I'm west of Minot, on Hwy 2, in Ross (about an hour west). I know you're outside of Drake, which is southeast of Minot. Great thing about me is that I travel about the state due to my contractor job with an agency that contracts with USDA (SNAP program), so it's no big deal to meet you somewhere between... whatever is convenient for you. I'll let you know what I get out of the hatch. You want hens, right?