NY chicken lover!!!!

[Tab's chicken obsession]

There is a feed mill in Boonville, too. They sell mash which my chickens waste. I believe the $ is 9.50/50lbs.. So I go to TSC for the crumbles.

The feed mill in vernon center also carries Nutrena feed. I'm tempted to try a bag of mash again now that we have mostly bucket feeders.

Are you coming to our event?

 

[Framac]

We get ours at the same place. Prices are going to get worse on a lot of things because of the drought out west. Meat prices are going to drop as farmers sell off their herds because they can't feed them and then they will sky rocket after that initial flooding of the market.

We decided to get a pig at the county fair (support 4-H and put 140 lbs of pork in the freezer to boot) which I think is going to be a good thing. A lot of farmers are talking of getting rid of their dairy herds around here and just keeping their heifers and starting over in 12 months with a smaller amount of animals. The price of meat, milk and related products is going to get bad. We burn corn to heat our house, and I just ordered a ton a the same price as last year. Hopefully the will not raise it before I pick it up.

I do find my hens waste a little of the mash, but not 20% which is the price difference right now between the mill and TSC. My hens seem to lay better on the mash.

Framac

 

[stonykill]

I'm sick of broodies. I gave the Sussex some eggs last night and candled the maran hens eggs. I think there may be five good eggs our of 12.

I don't know what's going on the but Dels don't seem to be fertile. I only have three hens in there with a rir and a frizzle and two roosters, you'd think things would be better.


I want to ask, is there anyone here who plucks their own birds? And is there anyone here with a "Chicken Plucker" set up?

I was hoping to have a plucker this year but the money went towards things like fixing my collapsing workshop in which I earn my living. I have always hand plucked. Growing up we hand plucked 30 turkeys every year. It isn't a big deal. Scald, cool slightly, pluck. there are a few good you tube video's onit if you have never done it

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Some of my hens have started to molt. The bantams are in that group, from broody to molting.

 

[featherz]

Some of my hens have started to molt. The bantams are in that group, from broody to molting.

My poor gorgeous rooster just started molting - he has one limp tail feather sticking up. ROFL.

 

[JayLyn07]

Thinking out loud here but any good recomendations on incubatorers?

 

[stonykill]

Thinking out loud here but any good recomendations on incubatorers?

Sumatra hens

 

[Framac]

Thinking out loud here but any good recomendations on incubatorers?

Price?

 

[armorfirelady]

My girls are starting to molt.....their little grey feathers are coming loose. I gave them watermelon yesterday and while they ignored it for a little while once one tasted it and continued to eat it the others decided to try it & they went to town on it.

I let them out to free range yesterday while I raked up the coop and put some hay down. Well I had to scoot them out of the run but once they got out and ventured around the garden they had a field day in the grass finding bugs. They are silly tho as soon as they heard a car door they ran back to the run. I am hopeful that with letting them out every day for an hour or so they will get more used to coming out. They were free ranged when I bought them but they know we have 2 dogs so I think they are little leary until they realize the dogs are in the house carrying on. I am hopeful the newness of the chickens will wear off with the dogs. I feel bad for the hens since Bear just stares at them intently for hours. I finally put a fence across so he cant get right up to the run and stare at them in the hopes he will get bored with it.

I have one hen that is noticebly larger than her sisters. The previous owner said she sexed them but I am wondering if the she is maybe a he? Her comb is redder than the other hens also. The previous owner said the hatch date was May 7th for them all. Guess I will have to wait & see. Our laws prevent me from having a rooster but I figured if he was quiet no one would be the wiser lol

 

[Sachasmom]

Anyone going to the auction tomorrow? (At the fingerlakes auction place just past Canandaigua...) Starts at nine I think?

I'm going to get rid of some extra Roosters and thin out my Quail pen, darn things are getting aggresive for some reason, they killed one hen last night. I tried to put a young hen in with my white pair and the Roo darn near killed the poor thing.

Bringing a couple bunnies too.

Prices will probably be bad, But I can't see feeding all this extra stuff I know I don't want until the Bath auction!