NY chicken lover!!!!

[aalissa]

Could have been a white Leghorn .

Hi Grama, the hens of my childhood were shorter, I think with heavy compact bodies, shortish tail feathers, and didn't stand so erect nor were their tail feathers so high and the girls combs were short to somewhere between a pea and a regular. Now of course the Roo. I remember so well and not so fondly was white with a floppy comb,he had very long tail feathers on a semi-erect tail with a few very long black feathers. He seemed gigantic and mean as hell. Eventually, I figured out if I opened the co-op door he would bolt out into the yard, I think to make sure the coast was clear the girls would follow... and I could collect the eggs in peace. However, this Roo is the one that got me, I have a scar to this day across my palm from thumb to wrist. The other thing I remember about that Roo was he was protective over his flock, confronting and attacking foxes, hawks, cats and he killed stray/or feral dog.
Truthfully I think my grandparents may have started with one breed and bred into them traits they wanted. I remember two things gramma wanted white eggs to sell and white chickens. Back then it seems opposite to now, white eggs were prized the brown we ate.
It was a working farm and I miss it all terribly.

 

[boskelli1571]

Hi Grama, the hens of my childhood were shorter, I think with heavy compact bodies, shortish tail feathers, and didn't stand so erect nor were their tail feathers so high and the girls combs were short to somewhere between a pea and a regular. Now of course the Roo. I remember so well and not so fondly was white with a floppy comb,he had very long tail feathers on a semi-erect tail with a few very long black feathers. He seemed gigantic and mean as hell. Eventually, I figured out if I opened the co-op door he would bolt out into the yard, I think to make sure the coast was clear the girls would follow... and I could collect the eggs in peace. However, this Roo is the one that got me, I have a scar to this day across my palm from thumb to wrist. The other thing I remember about that Roo was he was protective over his flock, confronting and attacking foxes, hawks, cats and he killed stray/or feral dog.
Truthfully I think my grandparents may have started with one breed and bred into them traits they wanted. I remember two things gramma wanted white eggs to sell and white chickens. Back then it seems opposite to now, white eggs were prized the brown we ate.
It was a working farm and I miss it all terribly.

I'm sure you will be able to recapture some old memories when you start with your chickens. If you haven't seen Hendersons chicken chart, you should take a look. It gives many breeds, their eggs, climate suitability etc.
You said central NY - there is Natureberry farm in Macedon that sells good quality chickens, although I believe he gets his hatching eggs from Ideal hatchery.

 

[aalissa]

OMG I just noticed where you are from... Right now I am living in Rome, NY. The cabin we have bid on is in Camden NY...Right up the road you are.

 

[aalissa]

I think we are going to steal your idea of the hoop building although we are going to use it for our straw, wood chip, saw dust storage.

that kind of thing. Great idea and thanks for posting it.

 

[aalissa]

You are not too far from me either ! Welcome

I just noticed where you are from. I live in Rome NY right now and the cabins in Camden NY.

 

[aalissa]

They did fine! The coop really needs a cleaning, and there was one point that I had to go out and shove all the snow off the top because it was actually getting so heavy the support boards were bending, but all the birds were sheltered enough. I really like the tarps for cleaning, the dirty bedding comes right up off them and when they get old I'll just take them up and put new ones down.

Oh, and the other really nice thing about brahmas is the pea combs - they don't get frostbitten as often or nearly as badly as breeds with a single comb can, so that helps in this cold climate.

I think we are going to steal your idea of the hoop building although we are going to use it for our straw, wood chip, saw dust storage.

that kind of thing. Great idea and thanks for posting it.

 

[aalissa]

I'm really happy with my Marans and I don't heat my coop at all ... use deep litter.

Pyxis is right the Brahmas are good for what you describe - for some reason I never clicked with them personally - but they hit all your points.

Welcome and ask away - we love to enable newbies to dive right in.

Metella I was wondering if you could describe the way YOU do your deep litter and what you use. I have read numerous posts about it however, everyone uses different litter, different starter depth... it is all very confusing

. Does you coup sit on the ground with a dirt floor?
anything you can give certainly will help.

 

[Metella]

I have a 3 hoop coop that sits on the bare ground - I put hardwire down - coming inside a few inches and outside about 2 feet to deter digging nasty animals.

Then I took 2 compressed bags of shavings and dumped them down .... from there - in the winter I add one bag a week .... in summer - hardly any as they go out every day .... occasionally in a wet spell or something (door blown open - whatever) I add a bag of shavings.

When we get a super cold snap - I spread hay all around - on top of things on the floor - up the walls ... and that gets stirred into the litter as they fuss around.

No smell - and the decomposing ground litter actually gives off a small amount of warmth I can feel - so I know it is good for their toes

Of course - my wheelbarrow is frozen solid - so I have not been able to clean from this horrid winter .....

I clean it out - like a real shoveling - only once a year. May shovel out the door area 2-3 times a year (all muddy and such at the door).

 

[Beer can]

My coop has a dirt floor. My fathers had a wood floor and never rotted.
I cleaned everything out of my coop last spring and added a bale of hay broke up. They say not to use hay though cause it can rot, mold. My coop is always dry so I don't think it is a problem. I added four-six inches of sawdust this fall. They keep it stirred up pretty good, I might clean out or rake in the pile building up under their roost though.

 

[aalissa]

I have a 3 hoop coop that sits on the bare ground - I put hardwire down - coming inside a few inches and outside about 2 feet to deter digging nasty animals.

Then I took 2 compressed bags of shavings and dumped them down .... from there - in the winter I add one bag a week .... in summer - hardly any as they go out every day .... occasionally in a wet spell or something (door blown open - whatever) I add a bag of shavings.

When we get a super cold snap - I spread hay all around - on top of things on the floor - up the walls ... and that gets stirred into the litter as they fuss around.

No smell - and the decomposing ground litter actually gives off a small amount of warmth I can feel - so I know it is good for their toes

Of course - my wheelbarrow is frozen solid - so I have not been able to clean from this horrid winter .....

I clean it out - like a real shoveling - only once a year. May shovel out the door area 2-3 times a year (all muddy and such at the door).

Pine shavings? or cedar? I have seen articles on both.
I imagine it does help to have the deep litter as I remember turning my compost heap in the back yard and the heat that came off that was unbelievable. I think that this is the way I will go. I want the girls to be warm and toasty.
Thank you for taking the time to answer