NY chicken lover!!!!

[LuvMyChicks1491]

I would love to go to the show, but I have a sick little man here at home that just wants to snuggle with his momma.

Everything else here is fine. Rainy, but fine. Just waiting for my eggs to hatch. I have 3 duck eggs, and 1 maran egg. I water tested the maran eggs and one was moving good (the other sunk). They are due to hatch any time now so I am just waiting.

 

[JWEBB]

Will be my first ever real poultry show except for seeing out little county fair one. Gramma hope to meet you. I'm tall and big will have a purple shirt on and probably a grateful dead do-rag on my head because my nappy hair will not be contained! Fingerlakes Feather Club seems to have several shows a year. I'm going to join sounds fun and my friend I made with the Orloff has lots of nice things to say of them.

Meant to add it cost me $15 dollars to enter 5 birds. sounds good to me! If I still had my van I would bring more. The sale cages if you have chickens to sell are $4 and will hold 4 birds.

 

[Gramma Chick]

cracrzy4chicks has BAs

 

[Gramma Chick]

Will be my first ever real poultry show except for seeing out little county fair one. Gramma hope to meet you. I'm tall and big will have a purple shirt on and probably a grateful dead do-rag on my head because my nappy hair will not be contained! Fingerlakes Feather Club seems to have several shows a year. I'm going to join sounds fun and my friend I made with the Orloff has lots of nice things to say of them.

Meant to add it cost me $15 dollars to enter 5 birds. sounds good to me! If I still had my van I would bring more. The sale cages if you have chickens to sell are $4 and will hold 4 birds.

I am a short Blonde with glasses . If I come I will have a Black Rooster tail Feather in my Hair Pic Below

 

[Beer can]

I started out with a rooster and four hens from a private breeder and the hens were all different shapes and sizes. The roo was small for a JG and I lost him this summer. I got hatching eggs at this year's chicken stock from another BYCer and she said she got hers from Sand Hill. Out of the ones I managed to hatch, one of the roos is at that gangly/ugly stage and his neck is a mass of pinfeathers right now. He is a clumsy adolescent, but is already almost as big as the one I lost. He is a very handsome fella even though he does have one crooked toe. A couple of the pullets are looking pretty good as well.

From the reviews I read, it seems that Sand Hill focuses on preserving more of the old heritage breed characteristics over the big fancy show conformation. The original bunch turned out to be excellent layers and foragers and one of the hens is quite chunky and has a nice wide fluffy butt.

I am hoping to cross her with the young roo this spring and get some vigorous chicks that are close to the SOP. Did I mention one of the hens had a new chick when I bought them? She was an excellent mother and all of them attempted going broody this year.

What line you get depends on what you want from them. I don't plan to show, so a sturdy old fashioned type of bird works well for my backyard flock. I want the size they are known for, but also want to retain the dual purpose characteristics and I don't mind waiting for them to grow out. Maria's chickens are impressive, but a bit expensive for me. I've lost enough of them to sudden unexplained death that I am leery of paying too much for something "special".

Your right on all counts, I can't afford Maria's anyway and she doesn't have the whites I want. The bad reviews I read on Sandhill could go for any hatchery, take them with a grain of salt. Sounds like a good company, I'm just a little leery of the amount of different breeds they have, but they say "We have kept a totally closed flock since obtaining these from Mrs. Miller in 1995. It has been an interesting study in genetics." The "Many will not meet APA standards but are hardy and productive." worries me, but I'm looking for large size, not show birds.
I guess I should do what 'kadoer12' suggested "you could order a number of whites from sandhill, select the best, eat the rest." I'm already doing that with my hatchery wellies, I just don't want to waste money on smaller hatchery giants when they cost so much to feed.
Maybe there is a chance still to find some local, but if not I guess Sandhill will be the best option, their prices are good.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

I just stumbled upon this thread...nice to know there are a LOT of NY chicken owners!!
I am on the hunt for great NY breeders of Orpingtons & Wyandottes -- I know I can get them shipped in from hatcheries, but would rather buy locally. I'm near Albany, NY and see some GORGEOUS birds at our fairs...wondering if they're locally bred.
Sarah

What kind of wyandottes are you looking for? I have blue laced red, but I won't have anything available until spring when I start hatching again.

 

[sarahandbray]

I'm looking for Blue Laced Red and Silver Laced.

 

[horsekeeper]

Your right on all counts, I can't afford Maria's anyway and she doesn't have the whites I want. The bad reviews I read on Sandhill could go for any hatchery, take them with a grain of salt. Sounds like a good company, I'm just a little leery of the amount of different breeds they have, but they say "We have kept a totally closed flock since obtaining these from Mrs. Miller in 1995. It has been an interesting study in genetics." The "Many will not meet APA standards but are hardy and productive." worries me, but I'm looking for large size, not show birds.
I guess I should do what 'kadoer12' suggested "you could order a number of whites from sandhill, select the best, eat the rest." I'm already doing that with my hatchery wellies, I just don't want to waste money on smaller hatchery giants when they cost so much to feed.
Maybe there is a chance still to find some local, but if not I guess Sandhill will be the best option, their prices are good.

Get the full list and pore over it a bit before you decide. I have heard good things about Duane Urch out west and he ships chicks. I think he has black, blue, and white giants. Some of my best eating birds that even impressed the processor were Buff Orp/Marans crosses. They grew fast and were solid bodied. For my first time hatching last year I just gathered everything that was laid and had a lot of cross breeds. Don't worry too much about darker feathers for processing. If you check to make sure they are past the pinfeather stage any chicken cleans up nice. I processed some buff cochin and partridge bantams and the darker feathers made it easier to find all the little bits of fluff and small feathers to get a really clean bird. A pair of needle nose pliers takes care of any stubborn bits in the wings and tail.

 

[rancher hicks]

Your right on all counts, I can't afford Maria's anyway and she doesn't have the whites I want. The bad reviews I read on Sandhill could go for any hatchery, take them with a grain of salt. Sounds like a good company, I'm just a little leery of the amount of different breeds they have, but they say "We have kept a totally closed flock since obtaining these from Mrs. Miller in 1995. It has been an interesting study in genetics." The "Many will not meet APA standards but are hardy and productive." worries me, but I'm looking for large size, not show birds.
I guess I should do what 'kadoer12' suggested "you could order a number of whites from sandhill, select the best, eat the rest." I'm already doing that with my hatchery wellies, I just don't want to waste money on smaller hatchery giants when they cost so much to feed.
Maybe there is a chance still to find some local, but if not I guess Sandhill will be the best option, their prices are good.

Just my 2 cents. No matter where you buy your birds you will have to work with them. Just go to the best breeder you can afford. You can't really go by the pictures shown.

I got White Orps from Jody and one hen was a runt who passed away. She does have the best orps imo and I'd have no trouble and hope to see her again. You won't get away with working to have good healthy and decent looking stock. Such is life.

Peace,

Rancher

 

[rancher hicks]

I am a short Blonde with glasses . If I come I will have a Black Rooster tail Feather in my Hair Pic Below

That's tomorrow isn't it?