NY chicken lover!!!!

[huntin fool]

hello gramma chick, yes i am in new york, Niles actually. near Moravia , yes i have 15 chickens, 2 reds, 6 white rocks,3 EE's, i salmon and 2 chantecleers. oh yeah and 1 leghorn

 

[featherz]

I gave up worrying about frostbite unless it's very bad - my first winter with chickens I was vaseline-ing all the combs and fussing, last few winters I left everyone alone and any minor fb I got healed itself. We'll see what happens this year - so far my floppy combed leghorns aren't showing any problems, but they are in an open air coop so any humidity they get is what's in the environment, not building up in the coop. I never use heat lamps - the one year I tried it (before I knew better), I had MORE frostbite.

We still don't have more than an inch of icy old snow here, but my driveway is a skating rink.

 

[huntin fool]

thanks Jlaw, hope you figure out whats up with your chickens...

 

[JLaw]

thanks Jlaw, hope you figure out whats up with your chickens...

Just me not taking care of them right yesterday. Was kinda distracted and just not doing anything right with them.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Would that be a live one or cooked?

Too funny, Rancher. Seriously, it was a great recipe and I know you like to cook. You would love it. It's not overly "pumpkiny!"


Rancher, did you ever consider Buckeyes? I might like to consider them if I ever do increase my flock size. (Jlaw, you stay away from me, you enabler!!!!!!

)


Glass, if you know how to email me the pics, I can post them for you on BYC, although it really is quite easy. That being from someone who is a tech moron (me)!


TOB

TOB,

I raise buckeyes. I love the breed. Tabs also had some(from me) but did not like them. I hatched 36 for myself this year and kept 1 cockerel and 5 pullets for breeding in 2014. The rest are in the freezer. They taste excellent! They are good layers (not excellent) and are slower growing than a meat bird. But this is to be expected from a heritage breed. They do very well in the cold weather. Mine are out everyday. I do shovel paths for them when the snow get deep. I will be hatching in the spring if you are interested.

I have been busy lately and haven't been checking in. PM me please if you have any questions.

I hope everyone is doing well!!!!

 

[Lynzi777]

Morning All,
Well whatever is in that hole under my rabbit hutches dug it's way out again.

Pretty sure it's just a chipmunk so I'm too worried about it. I'm just glad I didn't find any mouse nests under my duck house yesterday upon moving it to see if anything was under there. So thats good. Cannot stand this cold weather. Needs to get back up into at least the 30's for me. Need to find a new water solution today. I'm so tired of putting water out there and finding it knocked over a half hour later. Stay warm everyone!!!

 

[Glasshen]

Jlaw, so sorry to hear of your chicken losses. It is so hard to know how they will behave, and how to ensure their safety. Mine don't like to go out much either, so I put the water and food in the coop, too. I also serve a large bowl outside to lessen the crush, but if it's snowing, that too is served in the coop. I shovel the duck board we use in the winter, it is warmer on their feet and gives them some contrast they can see. Don't be too hard on yourself, we are all learning, but they are big lessons.

Ke, what lovely snow! You'll be having fun in it soon.

Miquid, your poor girl! I've had pecked combs too, but after some first aid, spa treatment, treats, they do fine. I use bluekote and neosporin too, not too much cause if the feathers get oily they may not be so warm.

Gramma, what a great list, thank you!

Huntin, we will enjoy you stories, and pictures. If you have questions, you will get lots of answers, but the choice is yours, there is no one right answer...

 

[huntin fool]

i'm glad to hear i'm not the only one..

 

[Lapeerian]

Morning All,
Well whatever is in that hole under my rabbit hutches dug it's way out again.

Pretty sure it's just a chipmunk so I'm too worried about it. I'm just glad I didn't find any mouse nests under my duck house yesterday upon moving it to see if anything was under there. So thats good. Cannot stand this cold weather. Needs to get back up into at least the 30's for me. Need to find a new water solution today. I'm so tired of putting water out there and finding it knocked over a half hour later. Stay warm everyone!!!

Last I knew Chipmunks lived in trees, not holes in the ground. Only time I see squirrels or chipmunks dig holes is to bury/dig up nuts, and those are just small holes for a couple nuts, not digging to China against a foundation. My vote is on some ground dwelling critter.

 

[huntin fool]

don't rule out rats, they dig tunnels all the time, look for their big excrement , about 1/2 in. long dark colored , love to eat the chickens food. look for their tracks in the snow with a line in between the tracks where their tail drags, use wooden snap traps far enough from the coop to not get your chickies