NY chicken lover!!!!

[pcartwright]

Peggy

I am about the same 20 miles South of Ithaca in Smithboro NY (across from Tioga Downs). I have 18 leg horn eggs in the incubator and raise button quail and just hatched bobwhites!

Patrick

 

[Cydney83]

Quote:
Welcome to BYC and all the fun that is included in chickens!

 

[chicken stalker]

 

[Cass]

Back from Wedding. It was beautiful.

Did they change the weather forecast while I was gone? The chickens were almost totally out of water. I was only gone from Friday AM til Sunday 3 pm. I left them with over 5 gallons in the big coop and 2 in the small coop. I know they spilled a lot of it, cuz they just don't get that "planning for the future" idea and play in it or fill it with sand. The coop floor was really wet. Possibly one of the metal waterers leaked. I really thought I would love those things, cuz you don't have to flip them over after they are full, but I can't seem to stop the leak problem.

I changed my Ad on Craig's List regarding my extra Silkie roos to "trade roos"....cuz I can't get past the black skin to eat my silkies, but I can eat my own chickens. I figure that everyone has too many roos, people might WANT a silkie roo, but can't house it because they have too many roos. So trading a silkie for another roo I could eat seemed like it might work. I have only had one nibble on that concept. I hope it pans out.

What do you do with your extra roos you don't want to send to freezer camp? Someone is selling silkie roos for $5 on Albany Craig's list....I wonder how they are doing? I can't GIVE them away..

BTW does anyone want a white silkie roo? Really nice looking birds. 13 weeks old. Just starting to crow. One is HUGE, 2 are bantam size like normal silkies should be.

 

[featherz]

Quote:
As a last resort there's always the poultry auction! I don't like doing that, but it's the last resort if I can't get someone to take them, even for their own freezer camp.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

The heat is on! Got home from work and cleaned out both coops and put in fresh shavings. Heat was horrible but at least its done. Of course, everyone was suspicious of the "new stuff" that had appeared in their coop so they were late going to bed. I found one of the donated fertile eggs broken so I am down to five. Betty was off the nest for a long time so I put them all under Elinor as she seems to be a better broody. I dont know how they can stand to lay in the nest box in this heat. Candling on friday to see what is growing.

Cass--while I would love a white roo, I already have Mumbles and his blue backup, Little Man. They are both in the jerk stage and are turning my hair grey. I had to chase Mumbles accross the yard a couple of days ago because he was trying to jump at me. I turn around because I hear something behind me and there is Little Man, chasing behind me! I had to turn and chase him, grabbed him up and held him a bit. Mumble sneaked back to the front yard grumbling about his humiliation. When do they stop being jerks?

Looks like an electrolyte day for the cheeps. Have to stop and get some melon for them as well. Its going to be a long, hot week and even with 3 fans, work will be a sweatbox. Will have to have DD on hose patrol, wetting down runs and checking cheeps while I am at work.

Question for everyone: Do you separate your broodies from the flock or leave them in the coop with them? Elinor is in the coop and all seems well so far but since the nest boxes are raised off the floor, I will have to move her and the babies(if they hatch) down onto the floor or somewhere else so they dont fall out. Opinions please!

Have a great day everyone!

 

[featherz]

I had two broodies a few months ago and as I just did not have any room to separate them I kept them and the babies that resulted in the coop with the others, but ready to brood chicks or incubate the eggs should something go wrong. In my case, it worked out fine. No one bothered either mom or the babies and they all made it to teenhood. Got a little dicey when one of the broodies with babies would come back into the coop and another hen would be laying an egg a foot or so away - broody mom would chase everyone out of the coop now and then. (You LOOKED at my babies!! Begone!!)..

 

[sherpagirl]

Wow, you are so lucky to be able to leave the broodies in the coop. I have tried that more than once and everytime the other hens always seem to want to lay an egg in the broody's nesting box. They get in the box with her and force her out, then when they are done laying their egg, they leave. By that time the broody has already found another egg to sit on (or even just an empty box) and she forgets to reclaim her nest. This happened in my Barnevelder coop and in my Marans coop, two separate groups acted the same way. I have had 8 broodies so far this year. I love watching the hens take care of their chicks but it's been so hard to find accomodations for everyone!

 

[carress]

I hear there is market for silkies among some Asian populations.
I'm christine, btw- from Orange county.

I don't even know how many birds I have, but I'm trying to sell most of them- girls AND boys...
I've got my first Buff Orpingtons now, and I really like them.. I also have my first Marans, and I'm waiting impatiently for the girls to lay some beautiful brown eggs.

I'm wondering if I can get away with keeping a roo or two. I would really like to hatch some babies. I saw someone mention borrowing a roo for breeding, and that has me wondering if a roo will breed immediately once hes surrounded by girls... anyone know?

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

We got rain here!

My garden was in dire need.