NY chicken lover!!!!

[sarahandbray]

Thanks! I'm getting 100 chicks delivered early next week from McMurray of 8 different breeds. With shipping, two vaccinations, heat packs, GrowGel, and chicken "Gatorade," it works out to $4.50/chick.
Was hoping to sell 80 locally and keep 20. I have a few buyers already at $7/chick.
Was hoping I wouldn't get laughed off of Craigslist/FB for that price.
Would $6 be more reasonable?

 

[boskelli1571]

Thanks! I'm getting 100 chicks delivered early next week from McMurray of 8 different breeds. With shipping, two vaccinations, heat packs, GrowGel, and chicken "Gatorade," it works out to $4.50/chick.
Was hoping to sell 80 locally and keep 20. I have a few buyers already at $7/chick.
Was hoping I wouldn't get laughed off of Craigslist/FB for that price.
Would $6 be more reasonable?

Try 7 but be prepared to negotiate...

 

[sarahandbray]

Thanks! There seems to be a chicken craze around here now on all the Swap sites. I hatched 31 mixed breeds from my own backyard flock and sold them straight-run as day-olds practically straight out of the incubator. I sold them for $2 each, and had FIVE offers in 10 minutes!!

 

[sarahandbray]

I figured If my straight-run mutts could fetch $2 each handily, then vaccinated purebred females (albeit hatchery) would be at least $6. Just really trying to break even on getting my own chicks up and rolling this time. I have the room to brood them sufficiently if I can't sell them right away.

 

[Pyxis]

I figured If my straight-run mutts could fetch $2 each handily, then vaccinated purebred females (albeit hatchery) would be at least $6. Just really trying to break even on getting my own chicks up and rolling this time. I have the room to brood them sufficiently if I can't sell them right away.

What breeds did you get? I'm wondering if I might be interested in any, lol.

 

[sarahandbray]

Here's what I ordered--due in sometime Saturday-Monday:
20 Ameracuana/Easter Eggers
20 Blue Andusians
10 RIR
10 Delaware
10 Buff Orpington
10 Black Australorps
10 Barred Rock
10 Red Star

 

[Purpletie3]

If you want to get into bee keeping at a reasonable price - try top bar hives. You can build your own hive for under $50 easily by using scrap lumber for all but the hive body. A package of bees will set you back around $110 at current prices - or you could catch your own swarm. Visit www.goldstarhoneybees.com. I have 2 hives, one is currently occupied by bees and I'm hoping they will make it throught the winter ok. Last winter was so bad both hives died.

Could you bring a hive inside a barn for shelter in the winter? I have to check with my neighbor to make sure he's not planting monsanto corn this year before i invest. I would love it though...fresh honey and great pollinators!

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Evening all. The storm is here and just getting started. Windy out and that makes the windchill freaking cold! Birds were out all day anyways although the reds stayed under their coop most of the time. The plastic I put on the silkie coops and runs is hold up well and what a difference it makes, especially on the long run on the pink coop. The top is covered and its open under it, covered with hardware cloth. When I stuck my head in to see if everyone was in the coop I noticed how much warmer it was in the run than the surrounding air. Its dark though cause all I had was black plastic but hey, its keeping out the wind and snow so it works for me. It will be interesting to see how much snow we have when I get up in the am. Its really supposed to amp up tomorrow and our county is under a state of emergency. No work for me tomorrow, except snowblowing and shoveling and hauling water/feed, collecting eggs and laundry.

Hard to believe its almost february. Means hatching time is approaching! I am chomping at the bit to fire up my bators. Cant wait to see what my first batch of home bred heritage rirs look like. Speaking of, those girls were out poking around in the snow this afternoon. I swear they are indestructable. Nothing fazes them.

County--you decide what you are going to add to your flock yet?

Rancher--Im glad you havent had much snow. I worry about you out there blowing all those coops out and such. I have 4 and sometime its a real pain. Hows dw?

Legolas has two blue girls in his coop this year besides his two wives. Im hoping to get some light blue silkies from them. Im also hoping its not the year of the boys again!

Ta for now. If Im not buried Ill report in tomorrow!

 

[boskelli1571]

Could you bring a hive inside a barn for shelter in the winter? I have to check with my neighbor to make sure he's not planting monsanto corn this year before i invest. I would love it though...fresh honey and great pollinators!

No to moving the hive. Although they stay in the hive for most of the winter, if they do venture out on the occasional warm day, they will get disoriented. Even if you move the hive more that 6ft it causes them all sorts of navigational grief. You could surround it with straw bales, cloth/burlap windbreak etc. My hives sit in the pasture slightly under the trees, but gets the morning sun. Bees will fly up to a 5 mile radius to gather pollen, so if your neighbor uses GMO crops, it's probably not a good investment to get bees.....the chemicals will slowly kill them

You likely won't be able to get honey for the first year - they have to have something to live on over the winter, but a good strong colony will yield honey the 2nd year for you.
Another alternative to Langstroth & top bars is a Warre hive. There are a couple of sites dedicated to them. I have been toying with the idea of a Warre. It's a bit more natural than a Langstroth and probably better suited to colder climates than a top bar....still researching that

 

[sonew123]

Stay safe Ny peeps!!!