NY chicken lover!!!!

[marquisella]

I had a boat load of black copper Marans chicks hatch yesterday and still more coming....

I will offer them for $8 each instead of the usual $10. I don't set any eggs less than a 5 and there were some quite a bit darker. These are Bev Davis lines.

Obviously, pick up only...

Sue

 

[Sachasmom]

Hi all! Sorry I have not been on in ages! I finally got a new computer too!

Tell me that I am not the only one having just a miserable winter livestock wise?

I started out this fall with a nice assortment of adult poultry, made big plans for spring hatching (and bill paying. Sigh) I lost at least 8 Silkies to a Hawk, one Barred Rock hen and one Call hen while I was at the ARBA rabbit convention this Nov (Who told him I was gone???) I tried to lock the silkies up in the back coop to protect them from the Hawk. They froze. Moved the survivors up to the garage where it was marginally warmer, had one hen escape the garage (froze). My fav frizzled Roo died this week (I think he was just old.) I'm down to two white Roos and three white hens, if something doesn't get into the garage and into their cage and kill them too!

I had four litters of rabbits freeze when it first got cold, and nothing will breed now. Plus I had a few not weather this winter well either.

Went out this am and yet another call hen had been killed.

I feel like I just can't win, I lock them up, and they just don't seem to do well. I let them out and they get picked off. I swear, it lies in wait for them to stick their head out and then it gets them.

I had ONE pen with netting, which collapsed under the snow load.

One of my standard Cochin hens (the expensive one, of course) escaped her pen and the Hawk got her too while I was gone (Took me a bit to figure out what that pile of black feathers used to be) The Rooster was terminally stupid and would NOT breed the hens (I don't think he knew how) and he would not roost. He froze to death. I sold my last three Cochin hens in disgust after that.

I just don't have the money for a barn with roofed/electric pens, and I was hoping to pay for some much needed upgrades and repairs with those silkie chick sales. My husband doesn't seem to get what a huge financial blow that was.

A rat killed my cage of Quail too, I'm down to like three males and two females.

I swear, Its just been one bad thing after another around here. I mean I knew farming was HARD, but really? Sigh. I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself wondering how on earth I am going to pay the spring feed bills (and with what) and wondering how on earth I am going to come up with the money to replace those silkies and calls.

And I now get why a lot of the old timers around here sell out of stuff for fall.

Dawn

 

[happyhensny]

Sachasmom - SORRY! That was similar to my spring. Hawks, Raccoons, Fishers. Stinkin creatures! I have been paying out the wazoo for feed and getting 3-4 eggs a day all Oct through just a couple weeks ago with 50 or so chickens. Started supplementing with free bread from the bread store and produce scraps from the grocery store just to take the edge off the feed bill. Things can get better and they will. Luck to you!

 

[rancher hicks]

Sachamom,

I am sorry for all the loss. Perhaps you can post pics and we can assess what might be the problem for the freezing deaths. Perhaps offer some advice? Is this just silkies that your keeping? Pics of the coop or housing might help?

Now I will say that if you have a home depot nearby , I always check the culled lumber section for usuable 2x4's or bigger. They are usually 48" or thereabouts and can be used to build a nice run for birds small like silkies.

For myself I use straw on the floor of my run to keep their feet warm though I don't have silkies.

This past summer I rebuilt my runs with slanted roofs and shored them up as last year the one I had crashed under the weight of the snow. I now use 2x4's instead of 2x2's. I hadn't considered letting them out in the winter but with the covering they can go out if they choose. Though Silkies should take the confinement well.

You might try craigs for left over insulation pieces. As for the Hawk some sort of shelter or shrubbery that would make it difficult for the hawk to land might help. Tall ornamental grasses purchased at the end of the growing season might be gotten cheaply. Surround them with chicken wire and birds won't scratch it out but it will flow over so they can get shelter.

Don't lose heart, post us some pictures so we can see what we're working with. I'm sure there are plenty of ideas to help.


Chin up, your not alone.

Rancher

 

[marquisella]

I woke up at 2:30am to find that the electricity was off and had been for an hour.

I rushed out to the barn, grabbed the chicks and brought them into the house. Thank God I had heat packs for shipping chicks. I put one in each box, and then 3 into my incubator,but it got down to 60 . I had to carry one little banty wyandotte around in my hands because it was almost a popcicle when I got them out. I had to leave my 4 week old chicks there, I don't know if they made it or not yet, I'm waiting until 6:30 to go out. Their lights came back on, so I hope they are warming up.

The electricity finally came on at 5:40. I hope my meat chicks are ok, they are too big to bring in, but just 7 weeks old...I had a heat lamp on them.

I realize now that I'm glad I had those heat packs for the chicks. I won't know if all my eggs in the incubator are dead until next weekend...oh well, 80 eggs down the drain.

Sue

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Quote:
I'm praying for your birds and eggs. Good Luck Sue!

We got home from my parents house last night to find that a ceiling tile had collapsed into the house. The ice had built up and was leaking into the house. What a mess! And this morning we have no water because it's frozen. My grandmother lives down the road and I'm going to have to go fill jugs to water the animals. At least we still have power.

 

[Muggsmagee]

Wow you guys! Sachasmom...we need to remedy your coop situation. Sounds like improvements need to be made. Like Rancher said...post pics and we can help. I have showgirls and silkies hatching...you are more than welcome to start over with some of mine. But lets figure out a better coop solution first.

Sue...I'm crossing my fingers for your hatch. Last night's temps were scary...all I kept thinking is I hope we don't lose power. Sounds like you went through a nightmare.

Tabs...sounds like you are going to get a workout today. I hope you get that ceiling fixed soon and water running through the pipes again.

This is the part of winter I loathe...anything past snow on Christmas!

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Thanks Muggs.

My schedule is first get water for the animals. Second make a run for feed in Vernon Center. Lots of hauling for me today.

Hope everyone else has a good or better day.

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
Now I'm at hospital with granddaughter getting tubes in ears. Couldn't have been a worse day-night to lse power. I only had time to toss chicks back into brooders,give water to the meat chicks and come here. I hope we get home by noon so birds won't be too hungry. They will have toscrounge for feed on the floors ubtil then.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

I'm sorry Sue. Hope everything goes well and that it only gets better from here on out.