NY chicken lover!!!!

[horsekeeper]

Muscovies seem to take forever to feather out and then suddenly they are complete. Unlike chickens they feather from the bottom up so they are waterproof for swimming at an earlier age. I have four ducklings at 2-weeks old right now that I bought to add new blood to my flock. They grow so fast it is almost creepy. Already learned to scream when they run out of water and mom brings more .

 

[Cass]

Muscovies seem to take forever to feather out and then suddenly they are complete. Unlike chickens they feather from the bottom up so they are waterproof for swimming at an earlier age. I have four ducklings at 2-weeks old right now that I bought to add new blood to my flock. They grow so fast it is almost creepy. Already learned to scream when they run out of water and mom brings more .

Mine are over 4 weeks old and I am used to chickens, who are almost totally feathered by that age. It's kinda creepy how they lose their down and then feathers come in. Or maybe mine are plucking each other. , but their little winglets are totally pink, not a piece of fluff to be seen, with feathers on the shoulders.

Mine never run out of water cuz there are 35-40 chickens around. I have 6 places they can get water with 4 of them being big open dishes that they think are swimming pools. LOL With all this hot weather I don't want the chickens to run out of water while I am at work, so I put some around the yard. Makes "chores" a little more time consuming, but lessens my worry throughout the day.

 

[Lapeerian]

Cass - seeing how I keep losing chickens, I'd be interested but we live a little far away.
Hope your brother is ok. My brother had a small stroke 1.5 years ago when he was 27. Result of electrocution in 2010. That was from a strong windstorm knocked down trees on power lines that lead to the tool shed. Big steel Morton building tool shed was electrified when he grabbed the front door handle. Had nerve damage in his hand and arm, which has recovered. Never a dull moment.

 

[vmdanielsen]

My thought on bent toes are as follows: If it is genetic or incubator related or nutritional....I will tolerate it in a bird but never in their offspring(should one choose to use it for breeding). if it does show up in offspring, then cull the parent along with off spring. If bird is a pet and it seems fine and you like it, do nothing. Well feed it and stuff.

Stoney, love the gypsy camper!!!!.

Welcome newbies!! This thread is growing by leaps and bounds!!!


I have been researching doing a day trip with my niece(5) and nephew(7) and was thinking of ...how to put this....checking out the locks and the erie canal. Anybody know or have experience with this? I live near the Mass border so within an hour of Albany would be terrific!

Thanks!!

 

[Tough Old Bird]

hi TOB, i currently have some RIR's , leghorns, plymouth rocks, just got some ameracaunas (i think), a salmon faverolle, and 2 chanteclers. i want to eventually combine them when they get big enough, right now, 1 master coop, 2 smaller coops

You've got a really nice assortment! When I was first looking at breeds and getting to know a little about them, I remember thinking how pretty the salmon Faverolles were. Lucky you. Also, I really liked how cold hardy Chanteclers are and loved that they are a Canadian breed. At some future point, I might like to get a Chantecler...also I like Buckeyes.

You're fortunate to have a few coops to jockey your birds around. I've just got the one and have a temporary (dog) pen set up inside to keep the younger birds separate for now.

TOB

 

[Lynzi777]

Breella - just went out to take a look at my silkies and all their eyes are black from what I see...

 

[horsekeeper]

V, they had that horrible flooding in Fort Plain, but a little farther on in Herkimer they have the diamond mines and a couple of really nice "rock" shops with kid friendly merchandise. Herkimer is right on the canal and probably about a little more than an hour from Albany.

 

[Glasshen]

Was deadheading the roses that never finished blooming, just kind of turned to mold from the wet weather. There was one bud that looked like it was blooming normally, but when I looked close it had 5 Japanese beetles. I plucked that bloom and offered it to the girls, no more japanese beetles. Boy I'm glad I have chickens.

The Herkimer Diamond mine is great, but that was pretty close to a river, hope it is ok. I seem to remember that there was camping close to it too.

 

[Cass]

Was deadheading the roses that never finished blooming, just kind of turned to mold from the wet weather. There was one bud that looked like it was blooming normally, but when I looked close it had 5 Japanese beetles. I plucked that bloom and offered it to the girls, no more japanese beetles. Boy I'm glad I have chickens.

The Herkimer Diamond mine is great, but that was pretty close to a river, hope it is ok. I seem to remember that there was camping close to it too.

There is definitely camping. "Herkimer Diamond Mine Campground". It is directly across from the "mine". There are locks all over the place in NY State. Champlain, Erie and the canal connecting the Finger lakes. The closest Lock to Albany is just above Troy (north) on the Hudson. (Up to that point the Hudson is navigable by Sea Faring ships....north of Troy only barges and tug boats can travel it. Well, and pleasure boats too) I have absolutely no experience actually going and seeing a working lock, I just know where they are. Several along the road to Mechanicsville/Stillwater, also.

Edited to add: You can just drive up route 4 from Troy and there are signs telling you where the locks are. Or you could google it before heading out to be safe. LOL

 

[Breella]

Breella - just went out to take a look at my silkies and all their eyes are black from what I see...

Duncan has what I believe are brown eyes. I do know when I've looked at him up close his eye looks more like a brown eye with a black dot in the middle than just a black eye. Now that you say that I'd have to look at all my silkies eyes...

Makes sense, Pearls eyes are brown and black also (noticed this while trimming her head today). Guess I won't be showing her at the state fair this year

Breella, I hope your Pearl is feeling better very soon! Poor thing...

I checked her crop, felt fine. I realized that when I moved the feeder the other day I moved it a little too high, she couldn't eat normally, just what scraps the bigger chickens dropped for her. I also noticed that her head puff was obscuring her vision. I lowered the feed buckets and gave her head a trim. I also cleaned her rear end up with some trimming and sprayed it down with Banix. She is prone to some nasty butt!