NY chicken lover!!!!

[Tab's chicken obsession]

THREE HOURS??? Darn. I wonder how far the NH one is. LOTS of people signed up for that one.

Still need to get one going here in Middle NY....Or Syracuse? LOL

DH and I were looking to host one next year. This year we're hoping to work on clearing out one of our outbuildings to give more space under cover just in case.

 

[Cass]

hi all of you NY bycers, I have been reading this for a long time and was Wonder if I can join in the fun??? and I have a Q. have any of you hatched store bought eggs?? I ask because I am making a large bater and my hens are not laying a lot of eggs and I need meat birds. so I was thinking of getting store bought brown eggs and because of family problems, I don't have a lot of money to buy hatching eggs from breeders . what do you all think of store bought eggs for hatching?? oh, and have any of you made your own bater using light bulbs???

Welcome to the thread. Everyone is welcome here. I'd give you some eggs...they would be mutt birds, but large enough to eat. Where do you live? (Not your address, just the town)

People have reported hatching Trader Joe's fertile eggs. Price Chopper White or Brown eggs stand very little chance of being fertile....I've seen a production egg farm...there is no rooster within MILES of those birds...they are kept 2 to a wire crate, with the eggs rolling out the back onto a conveyor belt and whisked away to the egg room.

Do you have a Co-op of any kind near you that might be selling "farm fresh eggs"? Those stand a chance of being fertile. Unfortunately any eggs you buy in the store have been refridgerated which decreases the chance of them hatching. (Gotta love the USDA, we are the ONLY country that refridgerates our eggs. But then we are the only country that requires they be washed, removing the protective coating the hens put on them when they lay them. )

Several people on this thread sell eating eggs and their flock has a rooster attending to the ladies. If you can find someone near you they might be willing to keep a dozen or two eating eggs out of the fridge and sell them to you as "eating eggs"...with no garrentee of hatchablity....but a much larger likelyhood than store bought eggs in that regard. It might be worth a shot. If they don't hatch or you only get 1 or 2 birds you are only out 2 - 4 bucks a dozen.

Do you have a Tractor Supply Store near you? My local Tractor Supply is marking their chicks down TODAY....one breed is going to be 99 cents a bird....they mark them down on Sunday cuz the new ones arrive on Tuesday. Might be worth a phone call....But if you get them from Tractor Supply remember they are hatchery birds and might not be as hardy as backyard birds....but they will still taste good and lay eggs. Personally I think Roos taste the best....but then I only eat the ones that make me mad. LOL


(phew, I was having internet problems and thought I lost this whole post. But I didn't. Thank you Win7)

 

[Cass]

DH and I were looking to host one next year. This year we're hoping to work on clearing out one of our outbuildings to give more space under cover just in case.

WONDERFUL. Count me in.

But how about THIS year folks? (Y'all don't know how much I wish I could host, but if I did only 4 of you could come cuz that's all the space I have for cars and that's AFTER I move my own cars to the neighbors)

 

[Cass]

I live by albany, so there is wal-mart, pc, hanford, cvs and others as well.

Albany? Why didn't you say so. Come on over....I'll give you eggs. Oh wait, they're in the fridge...hmm...ok...come over NEXT weekend and I'll give you eggs I haven't refridgerated....They will be all mutt eggs, but tasty birds for meat and might lay blue eggs, cuz all my Roos are Ameruacanas.

There are other people in the Albany area too....Happyhensny sells eating eggs and has roos all over the place. Featherz is north of Albany (Saratoga area kinda) and sells eggs....But she has Naked Necks...ewww...LOL Bet they taste good tho. (Sorry Featherz, but she did say she was looking for meat)

Honest Weight Food Co-op on Central Ave in Albany might have fertile eggs. (they are located behind the Family Dollar on Central) You run into the refridgerated problem with them tho. Doesn't mean they won't hatch, just means there is less likelyhood of them doing so.

Have you checked Craig's List for eating eggs? Not sure there are any ads right now, but that is another alternative. Everyone's flock is just recovering from the winter molt and short daylight hours, so many back yard flocks haven't ramped up production yet.

And, as I said in my other post, The Tractor Supply Store in Glenmont is selling chicks at 1/2 price today, with one breed being 99 cents. When you consider the cost of power to hatch eggs, 99 cents is a good price.

 

[featherz]

There are other people in the Albany area too....Happyhensny sells eating eggs and has roos all over the place. Featherz is north of Albany (Saratoga area kinda) and sells eggs....But she has Naked Necks...ewww...LOL Bet they taste good tho. (Sorry Featherz, but she did say she was looking for meat)

'Tis ok =) I have been giving all my extra roos to InHisService if I can't rehome them elsewhere and she's sending them to freezer camp. Sucks and all, but I'd rather someone (who will be eating meat either way, no matter what I say) eat my well treated extra roos than buy a frankenchicken from Walmart! =)

And if you want them for meat, at least NN have fewer feathers, right? =) Ok, I did NOT just say that. My NN didn't hear that.. lalalalalala..

 

[Cass]

Oh no! How does this happen? They hatched on Thursday. I am sorry. Want more? They keep laying I can keep hatching.

Want more? You silly woman, you put 4 more in after I said "enough"

Morning and the littlest one was spotted eating food. Sometimes the stress of transportation is enough to set them back a few days. I know, I have transported my fair share of chicks. And think about how many wind up dead when you order from a hatchery.

I think this little one is gonna make it, just was a LOT wobbly last night. I moved the water and food closer so it didn't have to walk so far and it was eating this morning. Poor little thing, it keeps trying to get under the wing/body of the Australorp....cute but not overly effective since the big one keeps running off. Now I just have to keep my hands off it and let it get stronger.

And Annie? Remember, if you have livestock , you're gonna have dead stock too. If she doesn't make it, I'm not going to be upset, cuz I know the reality of baby animals.

GTG, someone is making a holy racket out there.

 

[rancher hicks]

hi all of you NY bycers, I have been reading this for a long time and was Wonder if I can join in the fun??? and I have a Q. have any of you hatched store bought eggs?? I ask because I am making a large bater and my hens are not laying a lot of eggs and I need meat birds. so I was thinking of getting store bought brown eggs and because of family problems, I don't have a lot of money to buy hatching eggs from breeders . what do you all think of store bought eggs for hatching?? oh, and have any of you made your own bater using light bulbs???

I'm not sure you'd get eggs for meat birds from the store. I'm not sure where you live or I'd give some to hatch. BTW folks, give means give and when I say I'll "give" you eggs that means free. I only mention this as sometimes folks I've told this to will say "how much" and it sort of annoys me. Yes I do sell eating eggs but they are the same eggs I hatch. If it makes you feel good to buy them then the price is the same $2.25/2.50 I charge those who buy them to eat.

The only birds I have that even remotely look eatable are my BR's and their eggs are to young and small to hatch I think. I haven't seen the roo doing anything with the girls so I don't even know if they're fertile. Not to mention there are two SLW hens in there with him. Not sure what their chicks would look like.

Love ya ,

Rancher

 

[marquisella]

You can use an old plastic feed bag as a killing cone/bag...
Just cut a small hole in one of the bottom corners, only big enough for the head to fit through, It will eventually stretch out more as you use it. Put the bird in the bag with the head out the bottom hole.
Make a hole in the part of the bag near the opening to hang on a hook or loop a twine through. Doing it this way also keep the bird from flapping its wings & spewing blood all over.

 

[Cass]

You can use an old plastic feed bag as a killing cone/bag...
Just cut a small hole in one of the bottom corners, only big enough for the head to fit through, It will eventually stretch out more as you use it. Put the bird in the bag with the head out the bottom hole.
Make a hole in the part of the bag near the opening to hang on a hook or loop a twine through. Doing it this way also keep the bird from flapping its wings & spewing blood all over.

Ok...why didn't *I* think of that? Sheesh...I have enough empty feed bags around. And it is MY job to hold the legs as they expire and they don't go without a fight. THANK YOU sooo much for this tip. (running to grab 2 bags out of garbage before dump day)

 

[stonykill]

You can use an old plastic feed bag as a killing cone/bag...
Just cut a small hole in one of the bottom corners, only big enough for the head to fit through, It will eventually stretch out more as you use it. Put the bird in the bag with the head out the bottom hole.
Make a hole in the part of the bag near the opening to hang on a hook or loop a twine through. Doing it this way also keep the bird from flapping its wings & spewing blood all over.

I watched a video last night where the guys used gallon plastic milk jugs as killing cones. Worked perfectly!