NY chicken lover!!!!

[happyhensny]

I agree, but at the same time, it's my fault and I need to start putting my foot down more often LOL Instead, I sat there at the register and just dealt with the price and paid it. I SHOULD have said "$23 bucks?!? I'm going down the road to TS and getting 50lbs for almost $10 less! Sorry!" I guess having two little monsters tagging along does that to me. Well, now I know to just stick with TS and next time I'll be getting a 50lb bag. Feed shouldn't be that big expense for me anyway, I only have the 5, plan on sticking with just 5 and eventually they will free range. I'm trying to get them to free range now but they're still a bit skiddish when they do take a few steps outside the run. The minute one of us comes up the hill they all run for the coop. LOL This morning my daughter and I went up and threw some bits of bread to them all around the coop/run. So they were outside of it for a bit eating it up. That was funny to watch!

Oh, now I see. I have 3 "biggish" ones and sometimes I really don't care what it costs just PLEASE let me get out of here! (wherever that may be

) If I have to go to the mall I am the one that has the "meltdown", with teenagers they always want to go to the mall.

ETA : I have 8 D'Uccles and 2 Australorp chicks available, almost 2 weeks old. Make me an offer!

 

[Henicillin]

I wanted to start with six. Currently, I have 27 counting the Peeps, and thirteen eggs in various stages of development under broodies. I can stop at any time, though. Really. No, I can. Stop laughing.

As though the 18-day eggs being crushed yesterday weren't enough, I also have a Salmon Faverolle with a vent prolapse I noticed that her backside was poopy, and grabbed her to examine her, only to find that. It was out about 1/2 inch, and looked ugly. So, I schlepped the poor thing into the bathroom and managed to reduce it using cool water. I also applied raw honey (I have a jar around I use as a treatment), which did help. I then sent Alan to the supermarket to get Preparation H. It had popped out a little bit again, but I slathered it with the Preparation H and reduced it again. She seems to be holding in there now, and is now a guest in the Sick Hen Hotel (big nylon pet kennel lined with towels) in the garage so she can recuperate in peace. Poor little thing.

She's the one who had all sorts of problems with pasty butt and sometimes appearing to strain to eliminate as a chick, so I'm not surprised, unfortunately. I'll do my best to save her, but I'll cull her if need be. She doesn't appear to be in too much pain at the moment, fortunately - more confused, like "why am I in here?" I'm going to give her a bit of chewable aspirin in her water, though. Lousy chicken weekend, this.

 

[Lapeerian]

We got the chicken hoop-coop tractor done enough for the littles to move in!

Tonight is their first night in. Just lacks a few finishing touches, but they are all together in a coop with a real roost. They were very unhappy being split into two groups each night and would squawk about it. After they get adjusted, I'll start slowly adding some of the bigger kids in. Next up: a framed run to drag along behind the new coop. After that: nesting boxes, because someday the little peepers will start reimbursing me for their room and board with eggs. Of course, next weekend is traditionally our garden planting time. Beds haven't even been tilled yet. No rest for the wicked... or the crazy person with too much land, too many ideas, and too little time to do it all!

 

[Cass]

, I only have the 5, plan on sticking with just 5 and eventually they will free range.

I had 6 in mind. I got a 4 piece insta-flock while I waited for my 6 to hatch. Which took longer than I expected, so someone gave me 4 chicks....Do you see where this is going?

I currently have 32 birds on the property. And 3 chicks. And 5 eggs under a broody.

It's a sickness. Morehens disease. I'm sure many will join me in wishing you luck at maintaining your flock at the level it is now.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Well, all my cockerels will go in the freezer in the fall, so I will get rid of a bunch then and if there are no takers for excess hens, they will go too!! I do not want 34 chickens come December.

 

[stonykill]

Well, all my cockerels will go in the freezer in the fall, so I will get rid of a bunch then and if there are no takers for excess hens, they will go too!! I do not want 34 chickens come December.

in my experience young hens, just born now will lay through the winter while your others aren't. I really like that!

 

[Lynzi777]

You all have me laughing! Ok I get it's addicting! However if you knew my case you'd probably believe me when I say I have 5 and will stick to 5. If I end up with more than one roo, he will have to go and I will get another hen. If any hen eventually has chicks, they will have to be sold/given away. I don't own the house we are living in up in Syracuse. We are renting. Although we do have the land to add more chickens, I did tell my landlord I would only want to raise a few and that 5-6 would be my limit. I am very grateful that he allowed us to start this little hobby and I don't want to take advantage. Trust me if I owned the land, there's a lot
more than chickens I'd be adding! LOL I'd have goats, pigs, a horse or two, some ducks perhaps? I'm dying to get in touch with someone with horses locally so I could get some weekly trail riding in on the days my husband is off! I love farm country, don't ever want leave!

 

[Henicillin]

My patient's vent looks about a thousand times better - the Prep H has shrunk the tissues, and the vent looks normal and pink. She'll be spending a few days in lockup, though, just to make sure things stay that way and to keep the others from pecking at her. Poor little muff-face.

The extra cockerels I'm hatching are destined for freezer camp unless one looks exceptionally cool, so that will cut back on my numbers. I may also be giving a couple of the pullets away to the kid who lives next door to my in-laws in our old apartment. He tried to raise four chicks last year, but made the mistake of putting them in a non-raccoon-proof pen (that house has a LOT of raccoons), so he lost them all. He has learned his lesson, and has built a miniature Fort Knox, but still doesn't have any birds. Alan is going to talk to him and see if he'd like a few of the newbies. My sister is also rapidly succumbing to Morehens. She has seven pullets and a cockerel (supposed to be eight pullets, but SURPRISE!) who aren't even of laying age yet, and she's considering more.

Check out our bee deck. Yes, the bees have their own deck, covered in Astroturf. They're stylin'. The ramp can be put up to complete the fence to keep curious animals and kids out. We seriously overdo things here.

 

[Henicillin]

I am very grateful that he allowed us to start this little hobby and I don't want to take advantage. Trust me if I owned the land, there's a lot
more than chickens I'd be adding! LOL I'd have goats, pigs, a horse or two, some ducks perhaps?

I have just under two acres, and am thinking about a couple of goats and possibly a pair of pigs. I haven't pulled the trigger on getting the bigger animals yet, but it's coming, I'm sure.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Whoa Hen! Nice deck for those bees! Obviously someone there is loving beekeeping! lol I only have an acre so more other animals is out of the question. My dh would kill me.

So I counted the boys last night and there are 8. Freezer camp registration opens in 6 weeks and I am taking all aplicants from said group of terrorists. A couple of the boys are very agressive and bite when you pick them up so they are on top of the list of applications. I have informed all of them that only the nicest, best looking and most respectful young cockeral will get to stay with the ladies and enjoy all the priveledges of being the head rooster among 20 pullets/hens. I am not sure if they really got that but hey, it was worth a try. DD and Dh got the steps and landing built yesterday for their coop so I dont have to climb a ladder to get in. I built a bucket feeder for them and it is soooo much better. No more mess and it holds plenty of feed.

Back to work today. No rest for the weary. Another 6 day stretch. Rancher must be busy as I havent seen him on here in a while. Drop us a line if you are still here Rancher.