NY chicken lover!!!!

[Cass]

Quote:

My first egg cost me over 800 dollars and the hens still aren't laying regularly. So my experience, to date, is you can't make money with chickens. But the good news is the Feds give you 5 years of calling it a business without making a profit before you have to stop itemizing your losses and call it a "hobby".

 

[Cydney83]

Quote:

 

[Cass]

I let the itty bitty girls out to free range today. I got bored of supervising long before they got tired of pecking at everything in the area so I chased them around and gathered them up. One of them thought she was part duck and ran into the pond. I grabbed her just in time. I'm pretty sure chickens can't swim. It was probably the same hen that WALKED down a piece of wood to exit the coop, while the rest of them jumped or flew.

I want my new chicks to be friendly (neighbor girls will want to pet them, not to meantion my nieces and nephews) I let them "free range" all over my body and a washable pillow next to me on the sofa each evening. Tonight they decided that they were birds and kept flying from my lap to the top of the pillow beside me. Chicks look kinda like bumble bees when they fly.

One egg today. So I gave them all a worm. Just one worm each. I really think they aren't laying because they are eating to many earthworms. I think I'll give them yogurt mixed with chicken food tomorrow. They liked that and maybe they will start laying again.

 

[horsekeeper]

Stopped by Tractor Supply yesterday and they had silkie chicks, so I bought all 18. One was sluggish and died overnight, but the rest look okay. Had to bathe the behinds of 10 of them to get rid of pasty butt and they are all fluffed up and looking happier. Not sure if they are all going to be white. Some look a little tan/buff instead of pale yellow.

I watched chicken TV for hours! It's been 35 years since I had chickens and it's a start. I couldn't resist any longer. Thanks to everyone for the information so I could identify them. The sales guy thinks I'm a chicken expert

Five toes, check. Black skin, check. Fluggy legs, check. Poofy little heads, check.

I'm so glad I raised chickens before. Recognized pasty butt right away and when I checked on them at bedtime they were scattered around in groups of two or three cuddled together, so I guess the heat is just right. I estimate them to be around a week old and they are so funny to watch scratching in the litter. My daughter thinks it's hysterical that they jump up out a sound (look dead) sleep and jet off at full speed.

Busy day yesterday. Found a mouse nest with mama mouse and babies in my horse grooming bag; mouse used some of my felt saddle pad for a nest. She was nursing her babies and took off with the babies attached, dropping them as she ran. We put the nest and the babies back in the tack box hoping she will come back to them.

Stopped on the road to rescue a little box turtle before it got run over by putting it in the grass next to the pond. Groomed a bushel of winter hair off my horse.

Has anyone used a resin shed for their chickens? I was thinking of trying the 7' x 7' for spring and summer while I build something more winter appropriate out of wood. Home depot has one with windows and vents for under $1000 and I would have a nice tool shed after the chickens are done with it.

 

[starina]

Good morning,

We got a running start on our coop this weekend (using the term 'we' loosely). DH has the posts and floor joists in, and if we ever need a storm shelter, we're good

The coop will be 6' x 12', raised 2' on 6x6's. The floor framing is all 2x6's on 16" centers. I guess we're expecting to have some heavy chickens. DH likes to build, and he always over-engineers, just the way he is. Anyway, I am grateful that he's so in to this.
Would anyone here like a couple of EE pullets? They're nice little chickens, about 6 or so weeks old, but more aggressive than all my other chicks. They run around pecking the other chicks, which causes mayhem in the brooder, and really upsets DH. I have tried separating them, and re-introducing, but the behavior doesn't change. I don't have the right setup in place to keep them separately long term. Let me know if you'd like them, anyone.
I've spent a lot of time reading BYC, and I feel like I'm learning lots here, I'd like to go to the swap next week, but it's pretty far.

I got some really cute silkies from tgrlily last weekend. I never thought I'd think of chickens as 'pets' before them. Even DH thinks they're a riot.

Hope the sun returns soon!

 

[tgrlily]

Quote:
People could live in our coops too! LOL 6x12 is a nice size! You can put a LOT of Silkies in there!

Where are your other chickens going to live?

We lost a teenage silkie over the weekend. We had just integrated them with the adults a few days before & didn't have the netting up over the pen yet.

One hid herself so well we thought both were gone. Needless to say, the netting is now up! I put all the silkies on lockdown till hubby helped me. That netting is pretty stong! While we were putting it up, a silkie came running down the ramp & onto the netting. I pulled it up with the silkie right on it so I could get to her.

Our first home grown chicken was fantabulous!!!!!

Noah said I could have taken on Bobby Flay with it! I don't know about that, but it was delicious!

 

[starina]

tgrlily,
The silkies will be getting a 'special' coop right in the garden

DH's idea. I need to learn more about raising meat birds. Is there a good 'tutorial' somewhere? Is it cost effective? I love good 'real' chicken, yummm, but I'm pretty cost conscious also. Smell conscious too

but I do have room here, so I can get around that. I'll need a good processor, but it looks like you all have one, so that won't be an issue.
tgrlily, I love my silly silkies

crazy

 

[applewoodacres]

Quote:

My first egg cost me over 800 dollars and the hens still aren't laying regularly. So my experience, to date, is you can't make money with chickens. But the good news is the Feds give you 5 years of calling it a business without making a profit before you have to stop itemizing your losses and call it a "hobby".

At least we have 5 years! Does anyone process there own chickens?

 

[featherz]

Quote:

My first egg cost me over 800 dollars and the hens still aren't laying regularly. So my experience, to date, is you can't make money with chickens. But the good news is the Feds give you 5 years of calling it a business without making a profit before you have to stop itemizing your losses and call it a "hobby".

At least we have 5 years! Does anyone process there own chickens?

I don't, since I don't eat meat, but if you ever want to be on my 'free rooster' list let me know since you are so close.

My last batch is already promised, but there are always more!

I don't even make money on eggs yet - I have a LOT of eggs but my coworkers are so used to the free ones I don't have the heart to sell any. Hope to sell some this summer to MAYBE pay for some feed.

 

[tgrlily]

Quote:
There's great info in the Meat Birds section. Next time, we plan on putting them in a tractor or some other sort of temporary housing. It is astounding how much they poop!! We went through a lot of shavings just trying to keep the floor clean.

I would definitely do it again, though. The chickens were enormous compared to grocery store chickens. It did cost more than going to Wegmans & buying one, but there were no antibiotics used & I know they were raised humanely. The next batch of meaties will be "pasture raised" and they're about $4.00 per pound at the grocery store.

I bet the silkie coop will be stunning! Especially in a garden!