NY chicken lover!!!!

[happyhensny]

They are and I have some of those eggs in the bator now! Woot!! =) Thanks county boy!!

Lucky chick! I really have no more room for another breed. 5 pens and way too many as it is. Eye candy!

 

[Cass]

Imay be off little on the times or am including my need to stop for coffee on any road trip no matter how short

. Mapquest has Southington at 2 hours 6 minutes from my house. Renting a country house can be tough but isn't impossible

Lately it seems that people are trying to move closer to work, so renting a country house is easier than you might think. I know there are 3 for rent close to me (which doesn't help you AT ALL) but it does speak to your fear of not finding another place where you can have your animals.

 

[happyhensny]

Lately it seems that people are trying to move closer to work, so renting a country house is easier than you might think. I know there are 3 for rent close to me (which doesn't help you AT ALL) but it does speak to your fear of not finding another place where you can have your animals.

We actually rent 2 and soon 3 houses on our property. Yup, slightly rural but very convenient location. You will find something, I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[rancher hicks]

What is a "safe" age to use those eggs for hatching?

I have read to wait til they are 2 to 3 years old. Of course there are always exceptions I suppose. My concern is to be sure they are hardy. I too have had young hens just up and die as is being described.

I only make the statement out of person preference and based on what I've read.

As for the ACV, that too is based on what I've read in Practical Poultry. The point being to not put them off the water. Loose stool can be from what they've eaten much like if humans ate too many prunes.

I notice my hens might lay eggs with funny shapes after I feed them too much bread. Mine will pass up pellets for scratch and pass up scratch for left over pasta. They are funny that way. They just love bread. Free ranged birds don't always get the balanced diet of commercial feed. But if you're like me, I like them out to range if it means having to buy less pellets.

As always I say what works for you. Lord knows there are many opinions on these things. If you're happy and your chickens are happy, who's to claim other wise?

 

[Lynzi777]

Imay be off little on the times or am including my need to stop for coffee on any road trip no matter how short

. Mapquest has Southington at 2 hours 6 minutes from my house. Renting a country house can be tough but isn't impossible

LOL, idk what to tell ya. It never took us more than 2 hrs from Albany. But I drive straight thru-absolutely NO stopping! My kids have learned if we want to go visit Grandma, there is no stopping.

 

[rancher hicks]

Here are my big guys!!!!!!!!




And thanksfor everybody's kind words on the other 2 pics.

Those boots they're wearing must keep their feet warm. Nice looking guys. What ever your doing you must be doing it right.

 

[rancher hicks]

I have an odd thing happening in my coop and I'm not sure if it's something to worry about, or typical flock behavior. Our alpha roo, Oscar, has for 2 days now, been chasing my BO hen. She runs from him, petrified and gets up on the roost. Once she's up high, he leaves her alone, but she fluffs all her feathers, flares up her butt feathers, and growls.
I don't know if he's trying to mate with her and she won't let him? I've never seen this kind of behavior. He doesn't do this with any other girls... just Blondie.
Anyone have any ideas why? Or what to do? There hasn't been any blood involved, thankfully.

Well he is a guy and she is a blond, what can you expect. Blonds have more fun.

 

[brahmapapa]

I came home to a hawk or falcon eating one of my chickens.....what the chicken was doing OUT I don't know, cuz everyone was inside the coop, except the dead one. It was one of my Lav Ameruacanas too. Grrrr.... I hate birds of prey near my house. Now everyone is out and the bird of prey is no where to be seen....must not like the roosters parading around looking for a fight.

On a more happy note I listened to Rancher (I know he thinks no one is listening to him) and started giving my chickens Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in their water at least once a week. (more if I remember to add it) It has firmed up their poo and it isn't as stinky. However it IS expensive to get ACV with "mother" in it (which is what it needs to have to do what I need it to do) SOoooo (again listening to Rancher) I bought two 32 ounce bottles of regular ACV for $1.79 each and one bottle of Braggs ACV with Mother for $6.19. (ouch) Then I poured out some out of each of the cheap bottles into a ACV bottle I had saved and added some of the Braggs ACV to each of the 3 bottles of regular (read MUCH CHEAPER) ACV. Now I am going to let it sit for about a month and see if it develops into the same cloudiness of the store bought Braggs Mother ACV (read VERY expensive). I did this on a very limited scale with a small bottle of ACV I had in the cupboard, when I first got my first bottle of Braggs. It seemed to have worked. The small bottle got very cloudy. I used it in the chicken's water instead of using it to start more ACV with mother in it. I do plan to "reseed" other bottles with one I just started today, when it is "ripe". If this works it will save me about $5 a month and/or allow me to put ACV in their water more often at no more additional cost.

I'll try and remember to let you know how it goes. But that's a month from now, so don't count on it.

please do keep us posted on this, i for one am very interested.

 

[Gramma Chick]

I came home to a hawk or falcon eating one of my chickens.....what the chicken was doing OUT I don't know, cuz everyone was inside the coop, except the dead one. It was one of my Lav Ameruacanas too. Grrrr.... I hate birds of prey near my house. Now everyone is out and the bird of prey is no where to be seen....must not like the roosters parading around looking for a fight.

On a more happy note I listened to Rancher (I know he thinks no one is listening to him) and started giving my chickens Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in their water at least once a week. (more if I remember to add it) It has firmed up their poo and it isn't as stinky. However it IS expensive to get ACV with "mother" in it (which is what it needs to have to do what I need it to do) SOoooo (again listening to Rancher) I bought two 32 ounce bottles of regular ACV for $1.79 each and one bottle of Braggs ACV with Mother for $6.19. (ouch) Then I poured out some out of each of the cheap bottles into a ACV bottle I had saved and added some of the Braggs ACV to each of the 3 bottles of regular (read MUCH CHEAPER) ACV. Now I am going to let it sit for about a month and see if it develops into the same cloudiness of the store bought Braggs Mother ACV (read VERY expensive). I did this on a very limited scale with a small bottle of ACV I had in the cupboard, when I first got my first bottle of Braggs. It seemed to have worked. The small bottle got very cloudy. I used it in the chicken's water instead of using it to start more ACV with mother in it. I do plan to "reseed" other bottles with one I just started today, when it is "ripe". If this works it will save me about $5 a month and/or allow me to put ACV in their water more often at no more additional cost.

I'll try and remember to let you know how it goes. But that's a month from now, so don't count on it.

Sorry to hear that ..Ouch ! maybe she got left out somehow ? or there is a hole somewhere ?
Boy I would be mad ...I would pick up the nearest thing & swing .

Sorry about everyones hens dieing I guess it will happen to all of us eventually .

I Went to Farm & Tractor auburn to look at chicks ..Was So tempted... they had Too many ..So some where Buy one get one free ..
One of the bins that MAY have had some of the tetra tint (one of the ones listed in the pellet description )
Husband said Too Early ...for chicks ...We came home chickless ..*^*

Ours have been drinking ACV since they were a couple months old .they will be a year in April .
The ACV is supposed to help them be less apt to have parasites & worms ..

ChickPrincess - is she at the bottom of the pecking order ? or are the hens picking on her ?
My white hen after she was attacked by the hens so she started bleeding ..Wouldnt let the roo near hear for a while ..
Im sure it hurt ...coz he would bite her where the hens attacked on her head .
he would chase her & attack her ...if he could catch her ...it stopped mostly after she submitted to him ...He still pecks her sometimes .

Saw something strange today ...The roo was on my white hen Goldie ...for the usual ..
One of the older hens went over to them & started attacking her ..first time I have seen this .

 

[Cass]

Ouch ! maybe it got left out somehow ?

Yup. I don't count my birds when I put them away, cuz I have some that jump coops depending on their mood. They all free range together from both sides of the coop. They put themselves to bed. Apparently on of them didn't bother to go to bed in the coop, but slept somewhere else and was out by herself in the morning. Hawks just can't resist a lone chicken. Fortunately it wasn't laying yet so I won't miss the egg.