NY chicken lover!!!!

[stonykill]

Tab's chicken obsession :

Quote:
several of my Sumatra's want to come in our "coop". The front door, the slider on the deck..... They like our "coop" and want in.

Except in our "coop" I don't allow poop on the floor.

same here....

 

[starina]

So the coop still isn't finished

Progress on it continues, but so slowly I'm ready to scream.

I pointed out to DH that I need to go away some weekends coming up soon, and that this won't be possible without a finished coop and run. We'll see. I'm getting a bit discouraged with the lack of speed here. Oh well, whine over.
I lost three out of 5 silkies. I would find them with what seemed to be a dislocated leg. I brought each of them to a vet, and ended up euthanizing each one. I removed the surviving pair, and they are living in the house at night (in an Xtra large dog kennel), and when I'm not home

. They are out in the garden, in a large sturdy cage with an open bottom, when I'm home. They seem to be enjoying this tremendously. I keep hearing the beverly hillbillies theme running in the background here, since I seem to have freaking house chickens. Surprisingly, they aren't very messy, but still..
I don't know what happened to the other three silkies, one of the bigger, faster chickens 'jumping' on them? There is a young cockerel in that pen. Maybe a deficiency of some sort? Marek's (this possibility scares the crap out of me!), or some other unknown virus/condition? This only happened with the silkies, everyone else is fine. Should something like this ever happen again, I will have a necropsy done. I hate not knowing. I really want to get more silkies, but I'm afraid that it could be Marek's or some other bizarre virus.
OMG, I sound so doom-and-gloom! I'm not, just had a run of strangeness. The remaining silkies; Stevie and Zoey are doing great. Stevie is black, and just began crowing (not every day yet, and not very well

), and Zoey is a blue. They're adorable and friendly. Act nothing like the other chickens.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Can we get some pics of this coop?


rancher

 

[greymane]

Found a snake outside the coop last night missing a good portion of its tail. Guess the girls did not welcome their new guest.

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
last week I found my 7 week old Sumatra's running around with a dead snake. One had it in it's beak running, with the other 4 siblings chasing her down. They all wanted that snake.

 

[starina]

Quote:
Can we get some pics of this coop?


rancher

Rancher, I'll take some pics today. The coop isn't anything 'fancy', it's just very 'solid'. Also, to be fair to DH, he has very little time to work on it, the poor guy. He's a contractor, and this time of year... not much free time. I am only 'allowed' to help if he can't figure out a way to do something alone

Sorry to whine so much in my above post. I was feeling a little discouraged. I seem to have recovered my sense of perspective and optimism, thank goodness!

Happy holiday weekend, everyone!

 

[rancher hicks]

star- whine away if it's helps. I'm sure the coop is just fine. As one who needs an extra set of hands now and then I understand. Me ? I'm trying to figure out how to make things easier to clean and faster to get done.

Can't wait to see the pics.

Rancher

 

[ChickenAl]

Morning fellow NY'ers, I started a thread yesterday for anyone who is residing in the southern part of the state, from Dutchess County and lower, to share some of our own unique situations and issues. I did not start it to take anything away from this thread, being this the one encompasses the whole state of NY, but most here are from the upper and western reaches. Us downstaters have a much smaller representation and do have different considerations as to regs, land size, feed availability and so forth. I was trying to make it easier for us closer to, and those living in NYC, to discuss the issues that concern us and the ability for us to be able to help one another.

My hope is that some who read this thread will be from my neck of the woods and will join in the conversation, while still staying with this original thread here. I don't want to divide us, just have a desire to make it easier to find answers and common ground with those of us living down this end.

As a newbie I am glad to see there is a sizable amount of NY chicken people.

Thanks for giving this a read.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=534036



Best to all,
Al

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Have to share this. Last evening I was out freeranging my laying hens and silkies. My broody hen Betty has been spending the last 3 days in a dog kennel as she causes all kinds of trouble with the flock to the point they were beating the crap out of her. She was out rummaging with the rest of the flock when she notices my silkies (they are 4 and 5 months old) in the front yard. I watch her walk by me and Mumbles, my silkie cockeral, immediately moves towards her, putting himself between his flock and Betty. She walks up to him standing straight and they have a staredown. All of a sudden it was on! She jumped him and he went on the attack. They only tusseled for a bit before I put a stop to it but that little man would not back down. He is my first rooster and what a scrapper. Anyways, I put a stop to it cause the other hens came running for backup. Peace was restored but I will have to keep a close eye on them. Mumbles later jumped at Mean Marge when he felt she was too close to the other silkies but she ran off. For a little guy, he has lots of moxy. They have been freeranging together for a week or so with no problems but I think Betty being broody is just causing everyone stress. I hope she breaks soon. I hope Mumbles is a good rooster when he finishes growing up. He does respect my husband and I. This gives me a good indication as to what big roosters are capable of as I expect to get one next year.

ChickenAl--welcome to the forum. I am in Ulster county. I know there are others on this forum from south of here.

 

[ChickenAl]

Quote:
Thanks for the welcome madsenaccord. Glad to see Ulster is represented, and to know there are more from the surrounding area. Ulster county is a beautiful area. We've been there numerous times in years past when the kids were young. Spent some summers up around Cairo, Sullivan and Warren cty too. Funny how our own state has so much to offer and we never really get to see all of it.