NY chicken lover!!!!

[stonykill]

that is a GREAT step by step pictorial. Thanks for sharing that!

KT, there is a thread in the meaties section of the forum that is VERY GRAPHIC. It shows step by step how to kill, pluck etc...and he uses a killing cone. His method is exactly my method, except when I pluck my birds, I do it by hand. I've both skinned and plucked. If you're going to skin, I could link you to a great youtube on it - or I think there's a sticky for that too, in the meat birds section.

Like I said, this is VERY GRAPHIC: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=109583

 

[Glasshen]

Rancher,
I went to the Blooms show last night, and over the last five years it has changed. It used to be pretty much garden, landscape and plant or garden ornament related. This year there were very few hardscapes, gardens a few garden ornament places, and one that had good lloking gardening tools, but they were a bit pricy. I saw lots of other stuff, like jewelry there was soap, clothing, photography, the gallery I just left, Skaneateles Artisans was there with very nice landscaping...but somehow the show is not about flowers, gardens or shrubs anymore. I used to love to go there and smell the spring flowers and lilacs, it was like a trip to the tropics...I was thinking it was not really worth the $9.00 I paid for admission. There were at least 6wineries, though.

 

[Henicillin]

Quote:

Well, poo on the blue egg snobs. LOL I like the chickens that lay them and the color....however I would give my left arm (I'm right handed) to have a hen or two that laid eggs as dark brown as those in your av.

Our Tractor Supply is marking the chicks down tomorrow....1/2 price....they have more coming in on Tuesday and need to free up the space. I wonder if I can slip 6 chicks into the brooder undetected.

TEMPTATION!!!! I'm going to have to go check with my TSC to see if they're doing the same thing. I'd pick up some of the red sexlinks if that were the case here, as those chicks looked great. I also still want those ducklings, which were definitely several days old. It's probably a good thing I worked today, because I would have caved to duckie temptation.

DH doesn't care. "We have room - you know I don't care what you get." I still can't quite figure out why their Brown Leghorns are straight-run, as I'd think a Leghorn rooster wouldn't be much good for more than stock if you weren't going to breed him. I love the crazy, goofy Leghorns, even though they're as stand-offish as they come.

As for egg prices, I'm pretty cheap. I charge two bucks a dozen, as I'd have eggs out the ears whether or not I had buyers. Speaking of eggs, I have a whole bunch in their basket in the garage where it's cold, because I've been lazy and haven't felt like boxing them up.

I have no blue egg layers in my crew - I may have to rectify that. I'd also love to have a Marans that laid those gorgeous chocolate-colored eggs. My hatchery Cuckoo Marans is a great bird, and her eggs are pretty, but they're nothing like those fabulous ones in marquisella's avatar.

 

[Henicillin]

Quote:

Went to TSC a little while ago and didn't come home with any chicks. They had barred rocks, some sort of red star and some sort of sexlink production bird. Nothing to get excited about....although I would like some little peepers. The girl working there was nice and tried to give me the "educational sell" by giving me what facts she was taught about the birds, which were all in good intention but all slightly off. I told her that I have several chickens and am quite familiar with them and thanked her for trying to educate me none the less. I asked her how many chickens she had and after all of that pseudo-education she said "None! I've actually never tasted a fresh egg." lol

Too funny! Fortunately, most of the folks at my TSC are fellow chicken people who know their stuff. I can think of another TSC where I know I'd get the pseudo-educational sell, though.

Last year, the Blue Seal feed store in Canaan had some lovely chicks (I switch up the feed occasionally if I feel like going for a short road trip). I should check with them in a couple of weeks to see what they have in. The Morehens Disease is getting pretty bad! My goofy Buff Orp who was playing broody late last year is starting to hang around in the nest boxes again. Maybe she'll be a good girl and go broody so I can throw a few mutt eggs under her and see what I get. I'm especially interested to see what sort of bizarre-looking beasts result from the Speckled Sussex/White Leghorn cross.

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
Too funny! Fortunately, most of the folks at my TSC are fellow chicken people who know their stuff. I can think of another TSC where I know I'd get the pseudo-educational sell, though.

Last year, the Blue Seal feed store in Canaan had some lovely chicks (I switch up the feed occasionally if I feel like going for a short road trip). I should check with them in a couple of weeks to see what they have in. The Morehens Disease is getting pretty bad! My goofy Buff Orp who was playing broody late last year is starting to hang around in the nest boxes again. Maybe she'll be a good girl and go broody so I can throw a few mutt eggs under her and see what I get. I'm especially interested to see what sort of bizarre-looking beasts result from the Speckled Sussex/White Leghorn cross.

blue Seal in Canaan? Canaan has the Canaan General Store. They do have Blue Seal Feed, but only a little. The Blue Seal store is in Chatham. I got chicks from them last year. 11 of them. 4 of them died within a month of laying eggs. A would assume heart attacks. They would lay an egg, and 15 minutes later be lying on the floor dead. Maybe a fluke, but I'm not buying chicks from them again. I did ask and they have gotten chicks from the same hatchery forever. As a matter of fact the turkeys we raised 25 years ago were from there. My father worked there for 40 years and retired.
Now the Canaan General Store (or the Menenites as we locals call the store) again are taking orders for chicks this year. From a hatchery in pennsylvania.

I only feed my girls and boys feed from blue seal feeds. I speculate that is one of the many reasons I have eggs when no one else does. Just one of the reasons. plus they have a points rewards program where when you get 250 points, you get $10 off your next purchase. And the points add up fast. Bu that is only in the blue Seal store, not any of the sub stores like The Canaan General Store.

 

[stonykill]

my egg customers LOVE the blue eggs. Absolutely love them and look for them in the cartons

 

[Henicillin]

Quote:

blue Seal in Canaan? Canaan has the Canaan General Store. They do have Blue Seal Feed, but only a little. The Blue Seal store is in Chatham. I got chicks from them last year. 11 of them. 4 of them died within a month of laying eggs. A would assume heart attacks. They would lay an egg, and 15 minutes later be lying on the floor dead. Maybe a fluke, but I'm not buying chicks from them again. I did ask and they have gotten chicks from the same hatchery forever. As a matter of fact the turkeys we raised 25 years ago were from there. My father worked there for 40 years and retired.
Now the Canaan General Store (or the Menenites as we locals call the store) again are taking orders for chicks this year. From a hatchery in pennsylvania.

I only feed my girls and boys feed from blue seal feeds. I speculate that is one of the many reasons I have eggs when no one else does. Just one of the reasons. plus they have a points rewards program where when you get 250 points, you get $10 off your next purchase. And the points add up fast. Bu that is only in the blue Seal store, not any of the sub stores like The Canaan General Store.

I did mean the store in Chatham - all of those C-towns up there get me confused.

That's terrible about the chicks! Poor birds.

I really love the Blue Seal feeds. They smell so fresh, and the crumbles I've bought from them aren't half dust the way Purina can be. I need to go over there and just load up one of these days. It's not like it's a long drive - I'm just a slacker.

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
I did mean the store in Chatham - all of those C-towns up there get me confused.

That's terrible about the chicks! Poor birds.

I really love the Blue Seal feeds. They smell so fresh, and the crumbles I've bought from them aren't half dust the way Purina can be. I need to go over there and just load up one of these days. It's not like it's a long drive - I'm just a slacker.

that's what I figured. They are great people there. All helpful and will to help and answer questions. Guess it helps there are only 4 people there.

 

[itsy]

Stony - what type of chickens are your blue layers? We have some true Ameraucana eggs in the bator right now from a local farmer friend but I think they're all duds. Do you sell fertile eggs?

I want to add to our flock this year with some very dark egg layers and a couple more blue or green layers. I'd also like D'uccles and a brown leghorn. ::sigh::

my egg customers LOVE the blue eggs. Absolutely love them and look for them in the cartons

 

[stonykill]

TSC varies store to store with personel. The one in Hudson I find pretty good. There is one woman who's name is alluding me at the moment who is very good. Most of the others as well actually either own birds or at least did. I find the help at the one in pittsfield not as good. And they BLARE the goat ropin music. Goat ropin music actually puts me in a really bad mood. I was also in TSC yesterday, in Hudson, and came home chickless. Several types of ducks labeled "random breeds" or something of that sort. Barred rocks, and ...ehh, I forget. The barred rocks were the only SLIGHT temptation. But I came home chickless. I resisted. It was actually pretty easy this time.

Thanks for the tips on the farmer's markets, ya'll! I think I need to search for a few closer to my neck of the woods. With the cost of gas, it just doesn't make that kind of a drive worth the trip.

Went to TSC a little while ago and didn't come home with any chicks. They had barred rocks, some sort of red star and some sort of sexlink production bird. Nothing to get excited about....although I would like some little peepers. The girl working there was nice and tried to give me the "educational sell" by giving me what facts she was taught about the birds, which were all in good intention but all slightly off. I told her that I have several chickens and am quite familiar with them and thanked her for trying to educate me none the less. I asked her how many chickens she had and after all of that pseudo-education she said "None! I've actually never tasted a fresh egg." lol