NY chicken lover!!!!

[pharmchickrnmom]

Good morning tao! Just finished my first cup and the boys (2 silkies and a rir) are crowing this am. The rir girls are laying this am and announcing it to the world and it's only 810 in the am. Nothing wrong with your thinking. We chicken peeps ponder questions like those all the time.

So I am a little slow about things sometimes. My solar lights didn't come on last night. Discovered a tiny on/off button on them this am. Go figure. Going to go get more today. Silly me.

Boys are now quiet but the girls are still noisy laying eggs.

Another nice day today. Enjoy everyone!

 

[rancher hicks]

Today was a total success! !!! Thank you to all you great chicken people! !! After a long day of inspection first through the fence then free range together. My girls happily welcomed their boy toys to sleep snuggled on the roost between Bertha, the queen of the coop, and Crooked, a very dominant WL. I see many good times on the way.

Well that is good to know.

 

[Sstewart]

2 beautiful roosters up for grabs. 9 weeks old and ready to protect your girls (soon). If you are interested, please contact me. There might be a blue favacuana and a cochin as well.
I live downstate NY and can meet you if interested.

 

[rancher hicks]

I'm afraid they wouldn't fit. I'm in a quandary as to how I'll fit the new youngsters coming up with the old guys. Not to mention the new chicks.

I have two new del chicks that hatched today and one working.

I candled and toss two Marans and a Del egg. My Del hen that is sitting is missing an egg. The one she does have is good though. I expect next week to be the time for her lone egg to hatch.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Anyone interested in a Under year old Black Ayam Cemani Rooster. He is not perfect and does have some silver leakage, but hes still pretty! ($25)
http://utica.craigslist.org/grd/5173008962.html

 

[Stuffedcritter]

Gramma what about using fox urine or hanging some mothballs around the corn to keep foxes out?
Pharm. your not the only who's missed the solar switch took me three days get my butterfly to work.

 

[sarahandbray]

Hi everyone! I've been in and out over the past few months but just wanted to step in and give some updates!
First got chickens a year ago this month. Didn't know how much I would enjoy it! (Never one that was into birds and I usually walked at a pretty brisk pace through the chicken barns at our fair).
Got an incubator at Christmas and I swear it has barely been unplugged since! Have sold all of my chicks successfully (three hatches paid for it!) and now am actually hatching a full incubator with some "keepers"--Olive Eggers, Cream Legbars, Black Copper Maran, Ameracuanas, and some Cochins.

Hatch rates have been 92-97% right along, so that thrills me! Always over 30 chicks hatching each batch.

Currently, I have 50 laying hens and 4 roosters and I can't keep up with demand at our little Farm Stand! Added a small college fridge to our porch for the eggs. Seems to work well! $4/dozen for large eggs and $4/18-pack of the smaller pullet sized eggs.

Overall, loving the whole experience!

Sarah -- just barely south of Albany

 

[Sstewart]

I'm afraid they wouldn't fit.  I'm in a quandary as to how I'll fit the new youngsters coming up with the old guys.  Not to mention the new chicks. 

I have two new del chicks that hatched today and one working. 

I candled and toss two Marans and a Del egg.  My Del hen that is sitting is missing an egg. The one she does have is good though. I expect next week to be the time for her lone egg to hatch. 

Fitting in new chickens is pretty easy....but it takes time. I have a friend who just drops them in and she always has problems. My theory is pretty true to MPC website and it has always worked well. Start by allowing them to see each other through a fence. Give that a few days to a week, the get some old dog crate and put them in the crate IN the run with the others....give that a couple days....then, one night after the older chicks have gone to bed, put the new ones in the coop to go to sleep. Everyone's sleepy and then when they wake up...the day begins and everyone is basically okay. Some order to peck out, but it is clean and it works. It takes not more than a week. I would not mix them until the chicks are older....unless you have a mamma to protect them. Chicks also eat different food then the older layers...so be sure they have finished with the growing stuff. Good luck!

 

[tao chick]

Hi everyone! I've been in and out over the past few months but just wanted to step in and give some updates!
First got chickens a year ago this month. Didn't know how much I would enjoy it! (Never one that was into birds and I usually walked at a pretty brisk pace through the chicken barns at our fair).
Got an incubator at Christmas and I swear it has barely been unplugged since! Have sold all of my chicks successfully (three hatches paid for it!) and now am actually hatching a full incubator with some "keepers"--Olive Eggers, Cream Legbars, Black Copper Maran, Ameracuanas, and some Cochins.

Hatch rates have been 92-97% right along, so that thrills me! Always over 30 chicks hatching each batch.

Currently, I have 50 laying hens and 4 roosters and I can't keep up with demand at our little Farm Stand! Added a small college fridge to our porch for the eggs. Seems to work well! $4/dozen for large eggs and $4/18-pack of the smaller pullet sized eggs.

Overall, loving the whole experience!

Sarah -- just barely south of Albany

What kind of incubator? I'm looking around and can't decide what kind I want.

 

[tao chick]

Hi everyone! I've been in and out over the past few months but just wanted to step in and give some updates!
First got chickens a year ago this month. Didn't know how much I would enjoy it! (Never one that was into birds and I usually walked at a pretty brisk pace through the chicken barns at our fair).
Got an incubator at Christmas and I swear it has barely been unplugged since! Have sold all of my chicks successfully (three hatches paid for it!) and now am actually hatching a full incubator with some "keepers"--Olive Eggers, Cream Legbars, Black Copper Maran, Ameracuanas, and some Cochins.

Hatch rates have been 92-97% right along, so that thrills me! Always over 30 chicks hatching each batch.

Currently, I have 50 laying hens and 4 roosters and I can't keep up with demand at our little Farm Stand! Added a small college fridge to our porch for the eggs. Seems to work well! $4/dozen for large eggs and $4/18-pack of the smaller pullet sized eggs.

Overall, loving the whole experience!

Sarah -- just barely south of Albany

Also, thanks for the update. I would love to have the success you're describing. I just started in April of this year. So far I'm loving the experience too, but I still have some kinks to work out. It's inspiring to read stories like yours.