NY chicken lover!!!!

[Sachasmom]

Where did you find welded wire for the roof? Just the normal fence wire? We have like plastic netting, which is an upgrade from the twine, lol The twine kept the Hawks out tho, not so much anything else. I had poultry netting, and it would sag everytime it rained or snowed! The plastic netting has done better.

My coons must not care for cat food. I want to get a bunch of Guineas to use as an alarm system and bait, not that they ever get the crappy stuff I don't want! Sure, go after the Lav hen, not the gazillion extra Roosters! And the Rooster like ran for his life when his hen was being attacked, My Silkie Roo took on the coon (and lost, so apparently the Ameraucana is smarter then I thought?)

I saw a pheasant (or a funky colored chicken, lol) out the window chilling with my chickens this am, but it was gone by the time I went outside. My husband said I was imagining things, I'm like no, really, I saw it! So now people are apparently dumping their pheasants here too? Great, they'll probably be dumping their unwanted Easter bunnies next (I have some, umm, escapees running amok!)

 

[happycountryhens]

Sachasmom: Sounds like you really have your hands full there. Nothing ruins a week faster than unwanted predetors eating your carefully bred and raised flock. Have you considered a free range type of bird like the Samantras? From reading on this thread, they seem wiley, self maintaining and lay well. I cannot free range because of close neighbors and the road, but sure wish I could. Can't even have roosters here because they seem to love to crow at 4:30am and wake up adults and children from multiple households. (It's only funny the first time it happens. I like my neighbors, so no roos.)

Tabs: Happy hatching. I am drooling over one of your Silver Wyandottes that JB/LB has. Wish there was a way to talk him into whispering. Hope your new bater works well.

Anybody have Russian Orloffs? Thinking about trying a few hens to see how they lay. Can't do too many as they are reported to lay only medium eggs and I do not have a big market base for medium eggs yet. Large and X-large are most popular. Oh yeah...need to go make more egg salad now.

Moved the temporary chicken fence this morning. Definately 100 feet is not enough room. It will have to do for this year though. Maybe we can plan electric netting for next year. We will have more birds then and it will make them very happy (and cut down on the feed bill).

Eprinex dewormer is two drops on LF and one drop on small birds?

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Tabs: Happy hatching. I am drooling over one of your Silver Wyandottes that JB/LB has. Wish there was a way to talk him into whispering. Hope your new bater works well.

They were BLRW. My silver roo isn't doing his job so I've had no babies this spring from the SLW. I should hopefully have some extra wyandottes in August. We'll see how the next few hatches go. If you're interested I can PM you after my hatches are done and let you know what I have.

 

[java girl 2]

does anyone here want to join in my mother's day hatch-a-long?? the set eggs date is April 21st or the 22nd.

 

[Lynzi777]

Awww how cute! Are those baby mini rex bunnies? That's another pet we'll be adding - but definitely not until July/August sometime. Baby bunnies! Not sure what kind yet. I've always been a fan of Holland Lops.

 

[Lynzi777]

Lynzi, add to your list for sure, hawks, coyotes and fox. I've see them all right here. Possum, I've seen in the road. That's enough for me to worry about.

Oh yes, I've seen the hawks flying around! And Coyotes - thats what I was afraid of running into that day we took a hike up the mountain! LOL

 

[happycountryhens]

Tabs: Not adding any more chickens this year as we have chicks on the way in May. I do love Wyandottes be they BLR or Silver Laced or Golden Laced. The Silvers are real eye candy tho. I'm sure I was told BLR and remembered wrong. We currently have Golden lace girls.

 

[happyhensny]

Where did you find welded wire for the roof? Just the normal fence wire? We have like plastic netting, which is an upgrade from the twine, lol The twine kept the Hawks out tho, not so much anything else. I had poultry netting, and it would sag everytime it rained or snowed! The plastic netting has done better.

My coons must not care for cat food. I want to get a bunch of Guineas to use as an alarm system and bait, not that they ever get the crappy stuff I don't want! Sure, go after the Lav hen, not the gazillion extra Roosters! And the Rooster like ran for his life when his hen was being attacked, My Silkie Roo took on the coon (and lost, so apparently the Ameraucana is smarter then I thought?)

I saw a pheasant (or a funky colored chicken, lol) out the window chilling with my chickens this am, but it was gone by the time I went outside. My husband said I was imagining things, I'm like no, really, I saw it! So now people are apparently dumping their pheasants here too? Great, they'll probably be dumping their unwanted Easter bunnies next (I have some, umm, escapees running amok!)

I used 2 x 4 welded wire fencing, snipped off the end and hand twisted it to the next row or used a spool of wire and wound it around the kennel panels. I will try to take some pics later. Took tons of time but I can be relatively sure about predators getting in-at least ones that are bigger than 2 x 4".

does anyone here want to join in my mother's day hatch-a-long?? the set eggs date is April 21st or the 22nd.

I will be setting some Pheasant eggs this week so we should be due around the same time!

 

[Henicillin]

DH and I are building our bee hive kit we found new in box someone had ordered and was too overwhelmed to put together. Which, after looking at all the pieces can certainly see why. Apparently it comes with 4 medium supers. Is this what people normally set up the first year?

Alan, who is the household's experienced beekeeper, said you'll be good with that, as medium supers can be used as hive bodies. You start with one hive body and let them draw out some comb and add some brood. Then put a second hive body/medium super on top of that once they have a nice setup going in the first section. They'll put honey in there, but that's their "personal" supply. Just before the second level is filled, then you slap on a super - that honey pays their rent.

Why, yes, I am yelling to him in the kitchen. "So, it's one hive body, then two, then a super, right?"

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

does anyone here want to join in my mother's day hatch-a-long?? the set eggs date is April 21st or the 22nd.

Collecting from my silkies this week so I'm in. Hoping for a good hatch.

Happy--I have glw too. Love my girls and such nice large brown eggs.

Happy--Its .05 mls on large fowl and .025 on bantys. I work where I can get small syringes with those markings and it worked great this winter when I treated my birds. Ginny did the same thing.

Okay so the weekend was a busy one. Dh and I got 3 walls framed and the fourth started before the black clouds rolled in. Figures, we put everything away and no rain. However, we are moving along which is good because the terrorists are getting antsy in their brooder box and they are only 2 weeks old! My tiny silkie chicks (or tiny yetis as someone called them) are doing well. One is very fiesty and pecks and kicks at me when I pick it up. Must be a boy!!! lol

Lynzi--do not fear what lives around you. Learn about them and learn to live with them. I grew up in the real upstate ny and the adirondacks. Bears and coyotes were not an uncommon sight as we lived in the middle of nowhere. If you educate yourself through reading and observaton of your environment and the animals you see in it, you will be much more relaxed about whats out there that you cant see. Cant tell you how many times we walked up on a bear or one came into the yard. No problems because we understood what to do and how to act around one. You will never see the yote that sees you. Same way with most animals. We humans fear that which we cannot understand or comprehend. Most problems and/or conflicts can be avoided through educating and understanding the animals we fear most.