NY chicken lover!!!!

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Me I like Haagen dazs strawberry ice cream for comfort. That sweet rich creaminess!

When I was pregnant for my oldest that's what I wanted. Well that , slushies, heavy on ice drinks, and tacobell. DH kept saying we were going to have a mexican snowman for a child.

 

[Lynzi777]

Everyone! Back up in Syrcause. I really wanted to get my chicks out this weekend but doesn't look like that's happening! My coop isn't due to come until Monday. And by then I'll be back in Albany so my DH will be taking care of the chicks for me for 3 days. Lets hope he can handle it.

I guess it's too cold anyway to put them out there, although I keep getting mixed reviews on that whole issue!


Went to TSC today - that totally ticked me off. Since it's still too cold to put the chicks outside permanently I was going to purchase this rabbit cage to put them in for the next week. Right now they're in a rubbermaid bin for a brooder and they're running out of room. I figured I would purchase this cage - http://www.tractorsupply.com/home-rig-house-trade-complete-hutch-kit-24-in--2179457 use it for a week or so and put it away because my son has been asking for a rabbit. So why not buy something that would be put to use later anyway? Well as you can see the price online for the "complete kit" is $44.99. Well I get to the store, just the cage sides, top and bottom was $24.99. Then you have the buy the "kit" if you don't want the cage resting on the floor that was $14.99. The drop pan? another 10 bucks or so, plus the cage clips to hold everything together, I think those were $3.99 and then their little "tool" which I would have bought because knowing my luck I would have gotten all the way home and wouldn't have been able to get this thing together with out them - those were $8.99. So that would have been a total of what? $63 bucks not including tax?? Where are they getting this $44.99 from? So I leave there buying a chicken magazine for my son and a rabbit magazine for my daughter. Who are 5 and 2 by the way. You can only imagine how the rest of my shopping adventures went today!

Got home and brought the chicks outside for a good amount of time. They love it out there and I'm surprised at all the flying around they do to get away my from dog! LOL My dog loves to play mother hen out there and follows them around everywhere!

So anyone have any suggestions for a larger brooder to get me thru the next week or so that won't cost a fortune?

 

[Cass]

AAAAKKkk...no chocolate in the house. OMG what AM I TO DO?????

I see a ROAD TRIP in my future.

 

[Cass]

Everyone! Back up in Syrcause. I really wanted to get my chicks out this weekend but doesn't look like that's happening! My coop isn't due to come until Monday. And by then I'll be back in Albany so my DH will be taking care of the chicks for me for 3 days. Lets hope he can handle it.

I guess it's too cold anyway to put them out there, although I keep getting mixed reviews on that whole issue!


Went to TSC today - that totally ticked me off. Since it's still too cold to put the chicks outside permanently I was going to purchase this rabbit cage to put them in for the next week. Right now they're in a rubbermaid bin for a brooder and they're running out of room. I figured I would purchase this cage - http://www.tractorsupply.com/home-rig-house-trade-complete-hutch-kit-24-in--2179457 use it for a week or so and put it away because my son has been asking for a rabbit. So why not buy something that would be put to use later anyway? Well as you can see the price online for the "complete kit" is $44.99. Well I get to the store, just the cage sides, top and bottom was $24.99. Then you have the buy the "kit" if you don't want the cage resting on the floor that was $14.99. The drop pan? another 10 bucks or so, plus the cage clips to hold everything together, I think those were $3.99 and then their little "tool" which I would have bought because knowing my luck I would have gotten all the way home and wouldn't have been able to get this thing together with out them - those were $8.99. So that would have been a total of what? $63 bucks not including tax?? Where are they getting this $44.99 from? So I leave there buying a chicken magazine for my son and a rabbit magazine for my daughter. Who are 5 and 2 by the way. You can only imagine how the rest of my shopping adventures went today!

Got home and brought the chicks outside for a good amount of time. They love it out there and I'm surprised at all the flying around they do to get away my from dog! LOL My dog loves to play mother hen out there and follows them around everywhere!

So anyone have any suggestions for a larger brooder to get me thru the next week or so that won't cost a fortune?

Someone suggested a piece of peg board held together with zip ties. Said that Home Depot and/or Lowes will cut it for you....so design a brooder from an 4'x8' piece of wood and figure out the number of cuts you need and buy a package of zip ties. Some assembly required, but an inexpensive, collaspeable brooder box. I'm planning to doing that myself, but I already own the peg board and saw....Just have to get the zip ties. I have an old screen window around so I am going to design mine the size of the window screen and put my broodies in it. I am tired of losing chicks.

 

[Glasshen]

Lynzi, I needed temporary housing for my "teenagers" and got the TSC chicken coop which was on sale for $100. they had it set up in the store nee the chicks, and it had a little run which was also 100$. I only bought the coop. I set that up outside my real coop and made a run for them with some old chicken wire. Every so often they get carried away and fly out of their private pen into the general pen. Then the big girls chase them around and they wish they had their privacy. Kids. But for temporary that might work. I put it together myself, so you don't have to be a master carpenter. They had a rabbit hutch that looked about the same, but the coop has a roost bar and a little door that can be sort of a ramp, sort of...it's fine for temporary, has a tray underneath...

 

[vmdanielsen]

Thought I should take a second to say hi to everyone. I've been lurking and reading as much as I can and I love it here so far.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Thank You! I'm anxiously awaiting the delivery of my first chicks. I'm going to start working on the coop (workshop renovation) as soon as it warms up a bit and stops snowing! I'm still trying to decide if I should or shouldn't insulate the coop. I've read about every thread I can find and am still on the fence teetering.

You want well ventilated, but not drafty. Try going the first year w/o insulating and see how they do and decide in the meantime.

PS more chickens means that it will be warmer in the winter. Time to start thinking....chicken math!!!!!

 

[vmdanielsen]

I'm right there with Tab. Started with 7 now have around 100 chickens counting this years hatches so far. and Welcome

Aren't you up to 125 yet? or don't you count the new hatchlings?

 

[stonykill]

Aren't you up to 125 yet? or don't you count the new hatchlings?

I'm practicing birth control with my broodys. Limiting the number of eggs they have

there are 7 lil fuzzy butts with 3 mama's. About 2 weeks old. Another broody started her hatch today. I saw 1 black Sumatra chick. Yesterday a broody Sumatra on 2 eggs hatched 1. So there are at least 9 more in 2 weeks. And broody season has just started.
But the number will change as roo's go to freezer camp. I think with newborns, keeping mainly hens this year, the number will pretty much stay at 100.

Hard to count them all. You ever try to get chickens to stand still to count them?

 

[vmdanielsen]

Now I am really really bumming. The one surviving chick was pecked to death by the other birds. Momma didn't come defend it cuz she wouldn't get off the lone remaining egg. Cripes. Now what do I do to break her broodiness? Hurry up and hatch D'uccles. I have a momma waiting for you.

And I have a D'uccle broody in the sand on the floor. SHE is getting covered with the basket when I give her eggs. Right now she is trying to hatch some moth balls from the golf balls she keeps turning and moving around her corner of the coop. To tell you how weirded out I am over the chick losses of the past 2 days , I put a golf ball in the nest box she is nesting BEHIND just to see her try and roll it over the lip of the box. She did it, but not without difficulty. And I just stood there and laughed at her. Poor Hen. She deserves a sane Chicken Momma.....

OH, and we lost 1/2 hour pay cuz the in-service training was done a 1/2 hour early. Sheesh....I got up, I got dressed, I showed up before the appointed hour and *I* get shafted $5? How is that fair? (and yes, I make that little an hour.....)

At work we have a 24 hour cancellation policy. A woman cancels her appointment for 10 AM @ 4PM the previous day, I come in to do it, then get told that I won't get paid. MY boss didn't even have the B%@*s(sorry I am angry), to tell me, but had the assistant spa director email me. I empathize with you Cass. You do what you are supposed to do and voila! you get it, where you don't want it!!! I am so sorry for your chick losses. I hope things get better soon.......