NY chicken lover!!!!

[Lynzi777]

Those are Pretty ...I see your dog still hasnt grown into those ears ! is he still growing ?

I don't know if he ever will lol, he got the "show crop" which is the tallest ear crop size for Great Danes. That is an older picture, we only had him a week or so when I took that pic. He's over 100lbs now.

 

[rancher hicks]

Or his Brother ? You didnt give any details .
Did he have blood all over him ? like there was a fight ? or ?

No he was up against the wall with his head bent backwards. They were fine the night before.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote:
could it have been a accident ?could he have fell & broke his neck ?
If it was a fight wouldnt there be some blood on both of them ..?

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

I do have another rooster I've started calling " Billy Fucillo " 

He's my biggest/fattest Columbian Rock.  I watched him the other day as he dropped his wing and leaned over to do the mating dance. He nearly fell over he's so big.  He started doing the two step to keep from falling on the ground. It was quite funny.     

"HUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGEEEEEE!!!!"

 

[Sristi]

I am a big fan of deep litter. In my previous coop I had a wonderful mix of bacteria growing; they broke down the iltter so fast I had to switch from sawdust to wood chips. I treated the coop as two parts, with new chips going into part A, old chips transfered into Part B, and the dirt from Part B shoveled into the compost heap. I never cleaned out the coop totally so as to preserve that culture. It was dry and stink-free except in the coldest part of winter when everything was frozen solid. My chickens were hardy and healthy, with the only deaths being from predators, and those were only a few. Darn raptors, what are you gonna do?
I'm trying to get the same thing going in my new duck pen, but it's harder because ducks don't stir up the litter like chickens. I think DL only works when you have plenty of extra room in the coop so the bacteria don't get overloaded.

 

[Metella]

I always use Deep Litter and like you - only have issues in the very cold stretches .....

I toss feed on the floor and the scratch it all around - I also have no health problems from it. Considering time I don't have - this is great - as I only clean it out 1 ro 2 times a year ... but I do add a lot of shavings ...but I suppose no more than those that sweep out and replace on a harder floor ....

 

[cutipatooti]

Those that do deep litter, are your chickens penned or free range?

 

[Metella]

I have a 3 hoop coop - so not a traditional small coop - it is huge and open inside for all the birds ... in addition - when I am home and know I will be around until dusk - then I let them out - but this winter they have not gone out for months - those cold snaps - they didn't even want to venture out on the snow when I offered. In the summer they try to push past me no matter what to get outside

But they are not free-ranged every day - if I have things going on - they stay in.

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

I have a 3 hoop coop - so not a traditional small coop - it is huge and open inside for all the birds ... in addition - when I am home and know I will be around until dusk - then I let them out - but this winter they have not gone out for months - those cold snaps - they didn't even want to venture out on the snow when I offered. In the summer they try to push past me no matter what to get outside

But they are not free-ranged every day - if I have things going on - they stay in.

Do you have pics of your hoop coop ? This summer I have to build some type of a bachelor pad for the boys............ to give the girls a rest and to grow out new breeders.

How did yours hold up to all the snow this year ? @ Rancher- how did your hoop coops hold up to the snow this year ?

 

[marquisella]

Evening All,
Well I learned a GREAT deal of info this week and all I can say is, I wish we never left NY!

As some of you may remember I'm currently working with Sizzles and Silkies and well, there just isn't a great deal of interested in either of those breeds in this part of New England as there is in other states. So I've been thinking more and more about becoming NPIP so that I can ship chicks and/or adult birds. While living in NY it seemed so easy so I figured what can be so different here in CT? A LOT! Soooo many tests, some are free, some are not, some a yearly, some are quarterly, it is a huge PIA! Which is just awful because I really want to continue working on this Sizzle project, especially since I'll be moving a spot in May that has so much more room for me to set up breeding pens and what not. So I'm thinking of saying forget it to the whole NPIP thing and just stay working with this as a hobby for me. It just stinks because I get a lot of messages on FB asking if I ship whenever I list birds for sale and I have to turn these people down. Owell...it is what it is I guess. We are planning on adding some goats this summer. (@Nuttyfrom6kids I just pics of your new goats! So cute!!) I think the kids will enjoy having those. I've found a few people here that raise them.

Has anyone fallen victim to the chicks at TS yet? I've gone into my TS almost daily this last week and I just have no interest in those breeds they get in so it's quite easy for me to leave with no chicks. However, they did have ducklings last week but I think they were Pekins. I want Runners again and maybe some Khaki Campbells.

Oh! I almost forgot, I have a friend here who raises Sebastopol geese and I took home 10 of the eggs she's been collected from her geese the last week. She's got 5 developing in her incubator and now I have 10. She sent me home with one of her incubators as well. If anything hatches they will go back to her farm as she the proper set up for them, but she's willing to let me keep 2 for hatching them for her. So Sebbie geese might be coming to the new house as well!

In all the years I have been shipping eggs & chicks, not once did anyone ask me for my NPIP. The PO doesn't care.