NY chicken lover!!!!

[Gforcefd]

Howdy all, I am near Watkins Glen. I am desperately trying to find a home for one of my two roosters. They are brothers and have gotten along fine for their first year, but all of a sudden one of them (the bigger one) is abusing the other. Today got bad and the Black Astralorpe (possible mix but appears to be pure) was attacked pretty violently by the other. I need to find a home for the Black Astralorpe preferrably a home that can promise not to eat him. I am hoping they work it out, but after today I doubt it.

Let me know soon. I don't have a good way to keep them seperate at this point.

Logan
Watkins Glen/Reynoldsville, NY

 

[rancher hicks]

WARNING BAD NEWS STORY - SOUTH CAROLINA

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article12071900.html

I wonder if it was a computer hacking that did it. These days I would expect things to be computer controlled. I wonder why a back up emergency system is not in place.

I put my chicks in the basement and there is an outlet that has it's own breaker, so if something in the house trips a breaker it won't be the one that is designated to the heat lights.

 

[rancher hicks]

Hopefully someday soon, the ground will thaw enough to get our hands into the dirt. My DH is convinced we live on the planet Hoth.

I was telling DW that soon I'll be complaining about how muddy it is.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote: None of this makes sense...
The thing is Pilgrims Pride wont suffer..they will buy from different farmers ..and pay more & pass on the price to consumers .
The Farmers are the ones who lost the most ...they sell their chickens To Pilgrims Pride only ...they wont be able to sell any chickens for 4 month s
.They have to start from the beginning again .

 

[Sristi]

Here are the questions for spring: get free(maybe?) chicks from the mother of a friend, barnyard mixes bred for 15 years to eat little and lay much in the wny climate OR get my hands on a bunch of brahma LF straight run, eat most of the males and have a beautiful breeding and laying flock that doesn't suffer so much during the winter? (my production layers are too slender and chilly.)
If brahma, then what color?
Should I add some runner ducks? they're so cute!
Can I manage some geese if I absolutely promise to eat every last one instead of keeping a breeding trio over the winter?
What will life actually be like with so much poultry in addition to an expanded garden and two toddlers? (truthfully, I'm not really asking this question.)

 

[Gramma Chick]

Here are the questions for spring: get free(maybe?) chicks from the mother of a friend, barnyard mixes bred for 15 years to eat little and lay much in the wny climate
Should I add some runner ducks?

I would NOT add ducks with 2 toddlers ..they will be a lot of extra work to keep cages clean ...Do you have a pond or stream near ?
I forget what layers you have ?
If you can get free chickens ...I would do that ...I like all different colors too
Why Brahmas ? are they supposed to be hardier than others ?
I have a mixed laying / production flock they are fine ..in our weather ...some are turning 3 years
Lets face it eveyone hates this snow !

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Here are the questions for spring: get free(maybe?) chicks from the mother of a friend, barnyard mixes bred for 15 years to eat little and lay much in the wny climate OR get my hands on a bunch of brahma LF straight run, eat most of the males and have a beautiful breeding and laying flock that doesn't suffer so much during the winter?  (my production layers are too slender and chilly.)
If brahma, then what color?
Should I add some runner ducks?  they're so cute!
Can I manage some geese if I absolutely promise to eat every last one instead of keeping a breeding trio over the winter?
What will life actually be like with so much poultry in addition to an expanded garden and two toddlers?  (truthfully, I'm not really asking this question.)

I have to agree, ducks and toddlers are a bad mix. The mess they produce daily is staggering and toddlers would have difficulty resisting the water that the ducks foul so fast. I'd also be care with geese they can be very loving or very mean. Waterfowl bite hard enough to bruise, and my husband took a shot in the head from an angry goose's wing that left him with a headache for days. I would start with chickens, there are tons of gentle, dual purpose breeds that can keep the family in eggs and meat, and will be gentle around young children. Once they get a little bigger, then it would be time to expand to waterfowl!

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

My kids have done fine with our ducks (pekins), but we have a huge barn with 43 acres. They free range most of the year and then we put them in a pen in the barn for the winter. They do make a big mess but I've been able to keep my toddler out of it. Depends on the situation. I only keep a few ducks because we don't want to clean up after a lot of them.

 

[Purpletie3]

I
I only have 2 adults and 6 babies under a week old in the house right now, but am waiting on an egg delivery (that should have arrived at the post office yesterday) with two more expected next week. Both my incubators are up and running, ready to go, and my home made incubator has a brand new digital temperature control unit...
I'm going to pack those bad boys full, and probably be overrun with babies come April...
Love this time of year!!!

I started too early. But, I am learning. Things will be different next year. I just wanted some eggs before another snow flake flies in the Fall.

 

[Purpletie3]

yikes!! At least they're small, right?

Some of them are small for what seems to be a minute. But, i can throw up a brooder in about an hour that can hold 50 of them for several weeks. I am getting ready to further split up my tiny chicky pens.