NY chicken lover!!!!

[sherpagirl]

Hi Sherpa.........
Although I have 2 Columbian Rock pullets (hopefully about to lay), I am not looking to part with them and prefer a "roo-free" coop.

There's a chance Rancher Hicks might have some -- you could send him a PM. I got my two CR's from him as very young pullets this past spring. They're very nice looking, robust birds [u can click on image to see it better].



Good luck on your search.

TOB

She is beauty! Darn it, how come all I hatched were boys!?! Thanks for the lead to Rancher Hicks.

 

[horsekeeper]

Sally8, that is at quite an angle. It is on a hillside and the rain runs right off. Will keep a close watch on it this winter and use a hoe to pull the snow off as it accumulates. We are in the "snow belt" and can get 3 or 4 feet at a time if it is a big storm.

 

[rancher hicks]

Hope she's not injured too badly and can recover quickly. What good fortune that you were there to get her back.

TOB

she's up and eating and drinking so she may be okay.

 

[rancher hicks]

hey rancher, I have got to say, I had such a bad time with foxes and other predators since 2007. This year, once we got the secure coop built, I have only had 3 losses between the ducks and the chickens(knock on wood). My rooster is full grown(sussex in my avatar) and seems to do a really good job. the red tail hawks and the bald eagles don't bother too much(only once this year and I scared the crap out of it with the gsd)--
check out your local animal control trap guy --we have one that will come up during season and trap to get the pelts and it is very cheap then.

I have been VERY lucky --my crew free ranges all day all the time.(do you need a rooster, I have extra now lol)

Most everyone has a run or fenced in yard. My marans and the sussex don't. I'm putting up some fencing to keep them in but not good enough to keep our a fox. I'm looking to down size one coops worth so about 10 - 12 birds, so it will be their coop. I'll move them to a coop with a run. Then I will put a run on their coop.

I've not had to much trouble since having chickens and usually don't.

I have a few youngster if anyone will take them. Some roosters and pullets. About 5 or six.

 

[rancher hicks]

Hi, anybody out there have Columbian Rocks? I think I have two boys I don't need. They are from an old line, Dick Nieuwland in Canada. I was hoping to get a hen to breed to my Silver Penciled Rock roo. Does anyone have Silver Penciled or Columbian Rocks?

Donna
Fossil Rock Farm
New Woodstock, NY

I posted mine on CL Four hens and rooster. I think they may be the same line but I got mine from GA. I hate to give them up but I have to downsize. They're molting but when done they will look good. They're about two.

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

Things here are good. Chickens and ducks are all doing well. Still having trouble with the one Maran laying shell less eggs. I have oyster shells available in several spots and have added it into the chicken food. Feeding a layer pellets so there is also calcium there as well. She's going on week #2 maybe 3. I'm hoping that she'll straighten out soon.

All the talk a while back about apples has still been on my mind so this weekend I attempted to make some crabapple jelly. Well it didn't firm up. I'm not sure what I did wrong,

but it isn't going to stop me. Tomorrow I'll empty the jars wash them out and start again. I'm going to get it right, It might just take me a few tries.

Caught the first mouse of the season in the house. We live in an older house and get mice in the winter and once it starts to get cold. We set out traps in the usual high traffic spots and try to catch as many as possibe. I wish that I could find a magical powder that you could sprinkle around the house that won't hurt our other animals but would keep the mice from even coming into the house. I have looked all over and haven't found anything. Guess that I just keep buying traps.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Luvmychicks,

I read that with crab apple jelly, you might have to use pectin for sweeter varieties to help the jelly set up. The tarter varieties may not need it at all. I still haven't made crab apple jelly, though I really want to. Real life kind of got in the way this fall. I suppose there is still time...and plenty of crab apples still available out there. Good luck on your 2nd attempt!!!


Rancher,

Glad your hen seems to be doing fairly well. Hope she continues to strengthen.


Sherpa,

Hopefully, you saw Rancher's recent post and pics regarding his Columbian Rocks....?


TAB,

I hope you don't end up with the cold that's going around here -- ours started with a scratchy/burny throat, then lots of sneezing and tons of congestion with a cough. Good news, it doesn't seem to last more than 3 or 4 days. Hope you can shake it and that your baby avoids it entirely!



Boy, that was a fast weekend. I vote for 3-day weekends to be the norm!

TOB

 

[Sally8]

Sally8, that is at quite an angle. It is on a hillside and the rain runs right off. Will keep a close watch on it this winter and use a hoe to pull the snow off as it accumulates. We are in the "snow belt" and can get 3 or 4 feet at a time if it is a big storm.

Finally took a pic of mine. We take hoe's, shovels, brooms, anything to get the snow off. One snowstorm we even set the alarm to get up and shovel during the night. It collapsed too many times on us. Thankfully, our snowstorms are never that much! Wow!

 

[horsekeeper]

Sally, that's why I used one of the panels for the roof and reinforced with 2x2s and chicken wire! If it doesn't hold up I will go ahead and build a framework around it with a real roof. Was thinking of continuing to add hay and turn it into a hay house with the pen inside to deter predators.

 

[rancher hicks]

Things here are good. Chickens and ducks are all doing well. Still having trouble with the one Maran laying shell less eggs. I have oyster shells available in several spots and have added it into the chicken food. Feeding a layer pellets so there is also calcium there as well. She's going on week #2 maybe 3. I'm hoping that she'll straighten out soon.

All the talk a while back about apples has still been on my mind so this weekend I attempted to make some crabapple jelly. Well it didn't firm up. I'm not sure what I did wrong,

but it isn't going to stop me. Tomorrow I'll empty the jars wash them out and start again. I'm going to get it right, It might just take me a few tries.

Caught the first mouse of the season in the house. We live in an older house and get mice in the winter and once it starts to get cold. We set out traps in the usual high traffic spots and try to catch as many as possibe. I wish that I could find a magical powder that you could sprinkle around the house that won't hurt our other animals but would keep the mice from even coming into the house. I have looked all over and haven't found anything. Guess that I just keep buying traps.

I'm not sure where I would get Crab apples for jelly. Though from what I've read and think, temperature, barometric pressure and other things can affect jelly setting. I'm not sure I can get my jams up to the right temperature and sometimes add a pack of pectin anyhow.

Tarter fruits have more pectin than sweeter varieties. This is why I add some Granny Smiths to my apple jams. I also cook them with the peels on and then run them through a food mill. In my apple sauce I add about a quarter cup lemon juice. Cooks country had a spot on how to test the acidity of commercial lemon juice since some use citric acid in varying degrees and may not be as acidic as fresh lemon juice.

If you jelly doesn't set, pour it back in the pan and try it again. DON'T toss it. You can always mix it with another fruit and make something else. Apple/Rhubarb, Apple/Pear, Apple/Raspberry etc. etc.