NY chicken lover!!!!

[vmdanielsen]

Thanks everybody
I picked up the chicks from the Clay TSC store, 9 labeled as Ameraucana , 2 that may be Buff Orpington and one I am guessing is a New Hampshire. But these are best guess from the chick pictures posted online at the Ameraucana web site and other web site.I suspect the Ameraucana would be classified as Easter eggers but that is OK with me. I will be getting show stock in the future when I am more comfortable in the care and raising of the birds.

I am looking for Chicken tractor pictures and idea's, I don't want to go smaller than 4x6' for the coop or larger than 6x8'

Now the one tractor picture I saw on this site was The Old Whittler tractor that is closest to the concept I want in a tractor. This tractor has wheels that can be raised or lowered, It also has a self contained area under the coop with outside nesting boxes. I did email him for inside coop pictures or drawings of the coop plan . I Know I will be adding the poop board and using the Sweet PDZ in it, I will cover the coop's base floor with vinyl or similar material. I plan on using the tractor coop from the spring to fall and then transferring the birds to a permanent coop off of my dog kennel building ( I have a seperate septic system going in). I am planning on using a movable pen with the tractor so I can place it in the parts of my yard that I want. I am not real concerned with the weight of the tractor as I will be moving it with my diesel tractor, but if it is light enough it would be great if it moved with my 23 hp garden tractor.

So if you have any plans or Idea's I am all ears as they say
Glynn

sounds similar to what I have done. Ours is heavy, but I can push it on flat ground. The only thing I would do different is build it on something that would allow it to turn when moving. something like an old small trailer floor with an axle.. Not really sure how to word it. Ours doesn't turn easily..wish it did. the underneath of mine is not contained. I use an electric netting that I move round the tractor so that the chickens have fresh greenery between tractor moves.Have fun!

 

[demp4]

you can pretty much count on 50% being roos....however you can't count on 100% hatch rate.....so you still might end up with more hens than roos....

IF you plan on hatching your own eggs and can tell who laid what (you did say you had a diverse flock) keep track of what hen gives you more girls than boys and try to hatch more of her eggs in the future. Someone (on another thread) did so and found that one of her hens had only roos hatch. She stopped incubating that particular hens eggs...who needs more roos?

I bought eggs this year in hopes that next year I won't have to and I will keep that in mind to pay attention to who lays what!... The roo I have now really doesn't have the art of mounting down (even though he's mean) so I didn't want to chance unfertile eggs. He will be going as soon as I get our plucker along with 7-9 others.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Hi All,

I am from California but was wondering if there was anyone in New York that raise blue egg laying chickens. I have someone who emailed me looking for blue eating eggs and I am way too far away. If there is please send me a private message.

Lanae

Do you know what part of NY? We have EE's and OE's. Our silver ameracauna aren't laying good right now and we're incubating all that we get.

 

[demp4]

Now the one tractor picture I saw on this site was The Old Whittler tractor that is closest to the concept I want in a tractor. This tractor has wheels that can be raised or lowered, It also has a self contained area under the coop with outside nesting boxes. I did email him for inside coop pictures or drawings of the coop plan . I Know I will be adding the poop board and using the Sweet PDZ in it, I will cover the coop's base floor with vinyl or similar material. I plan on using the tractor coop from the spring to fall and then transferring the birds to a permanent coop off of my dog kennel building ( I have a seperate septic system going in). I am planning on using a movable pen with the tractor so I can place it in the parts of my yard that I want. I am not real concerned with the weight of the tractor as I will be moving it with my diesel tractor, but if it is light enough it would be great if it moved with my 23 hp garden tractor.

So if you have any plans or Idea's I am all ears as they say
Glynn

My 1st one was a pyramid style with the top started at 4'x4' being the coop and the bottom 10'x10' footprint being the penned in area. You could get to the nesting boxes from the outside. It was great until it came time to clean it! I had to climb up in to shop vac it all out. And we could move it with 2 people but usually used our four wheeler.

 

[featherz]

I look at the TSC chicks and think "meh, mine are cuter'. Of course, all chicks are cute, but I still think mine are cuter than theirs! =) And they don't have pasty butt. That said, if mine has leghorn pullets when something here is hatching I might be tempted. I love my leghorns!

I have been to TSC twice and nothing looked good but the meatbirds..didn't buy..but my sister got three golden and 3 partridge Dotties...those may have been bard to past up...there hasn't been anything good here ..
The open bag of oreos would did be safe..I think I have one...going to go check...Thanks for the suggestion..

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

I look at the TSC chicks and think "meh, mine are cuter'. Of course, all chicks are cute, but I still think mine are cuter than theirs! =) And they don't have pasty butt. That said, if mine has leghorn pullets when something here is hatching I might be tempted. I love my leghorns!

DH has been hoping that they would get some brown leghorns in at TSC. We call all 3 of the stores near us each week, so far none.

We would like a few more white egg layers.

 

[featherz]

DH has been hoping that they would get some brown leghorns in at TSC. We call all 3 of the stores near us each week, so far none.

We would like a few more white egg layers.

Me too. My leghorns have still been laying well, but they are almost 2 years old and still haven't molted so I am expecting no white eggs one of these days. My rooster finally convinced them to cooperate so I put six white eggs in the easter hatch, hoping to get leghorn crosses. I'd hatch leghorn eggs, but I think getting rid of those roos could be more difficult.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Me too. My leghorns have still been laying well, but they are almost 2 years old and still haven't molted so I am expecting no white eggs one of these days. My rooster finally convinced them to cooperate so I put six white eggs in the easter hatch, hoping to get leghorn crosses. I'd hatch leghorn eggs, but I think getting rid of those roos could be more difficult.

Our white leghorns are 1yr and we've been hatching their eggs crossed with silver ameracauna for prolific blue/green egg layers. I would really like silver leghorns to try with that cross, but I don't know of anyone with the silvers. We'll probably send the roos to auction or to the swap next month in auburn.

 

[Cass]

Do you know what part of NY? We have EE's and OE's. Our silver ameracauna aren't laying good right now and we're incubating all that we get.

Tab,
I was obsessed with blue eggs at the start. THEN I learned that Ameruacanas are NOT reliable layers. 2 - 4 eggs a week at peak. BUMMER!!!! Now I am keeping 2 Ameruacana roos and am going to breed my own EE, trying to get shades of green, blue and teal in the eggs of the offspring. (this of course assumes I ever get another broody hen sigh) Have your Ameruacana's ever laid "well", meaning 5 eggs a week?

 

[admhotel]

Tab,
I was obsessed with blue eggs at the start. THEN I learned that Ameruacanas are NOT reliable layers. 2 - 4 eggs a week at peak. BUMMER!!!! Now I am keeping 2 Ameruacana roos and am going to breed my own EE, trying to get shades of green, blue and teal in the eggs of the offspring. (this of course assumes I ever get another broody hen sigh) Have your Ameruacana's ever laid "well", meaning 5 eggs a week?

That is why we are hatching the Silver/LH crosses. They should lay a nice big blue egg. I don't think the silvers ever layed 5 a week but I got them last year at the end of spring so they never really started laying well before winter set in. A few weeks ago they were laying "ok" but lately they have been slacking.