NY chicken lover!!!!

[Cass]

Look what featherz gave me!

She also gave me a dozen eggs to put under my broody to see if she'd sit long enough to hatch them, since those babies are a little old to give to her and they're all mine

BUT, here's the weird thing. She was brooding in the duck house, so I moved her to the coop and put the new eggs under her. Overnight she moved back to the duck house and stole duck eggs to sit on. That didn't surprise me. What did surprise me was this - the whole dozen eggs disappeared overnight. Just gone, shells and all. How the heck does that happen? I still have all my chickens, so a predator doesn't seem likely. Just a total what the heck moment. As far as I know I don't have any egg eaters, and even if I did, a dozen in one night, shells and all? They might turn up somewhere, but this is so odd.
Anyway, I've decided to go back to the chick route. If anybody has any hatching in the next week or so, I'd love to take two or three off your hands!

Is your coop rat proof? Rats will carry off eggs and a dozen in a night isn't impossible. However if there is NO evidence (slime) of egg breakage you might find them in a corner and a hen sitting on them. Sorry for your loss. Featherz eggs would have hatched you out some wonderful Large Fowl birds.

 

[rancher hicks]

It's been so hot in the hoop coop my broody hen took two days off!

Seriously there have been days when the thermometer read more than 100. Will this affect her hatch I wonder? Folks in the South might know, .right?

 

[Pyxis]

Is your coop rat proof?   Rats will carry off eggs and a dozen in a night isn't impossible.    However if there is NO evidence (slime) of egg breakage you might find them in a corner and a hen sitting on them.   Sorry for your loss.   Featherz eggs would have hatched you out some wonderful Large Fowl birds.

All my hens except Thistle were out and about free ranging all day, and I looked under her to see if she had them, but she didn't. The bedding was disturbed in the nest box where the eggs were, but that's it. I suppose it may have been rats, but they didn't break an egg, unless I just didn't see any egg slime, which could be a possibility. Maybe it dried up before I looked?

 

[featherz]

All my hens except Thistle were out and about free ranging all day, and I looked under her to see if she had them, but she didn't. The bedding was disturbed in the nest box where the eggs were, but that's it. I suppose it may have been rats, but they didn't break an egg, unless I just didn't see any egg slime, which could be a possibility. Maybe it dried up before I looked?

I'm guessing rats or maybe a skunk ? I guess the skunk wouldn't have done it in the daytime. Or naughty neighbor kids? =) Egg eating hen?

I too have morehens disease - went from "I only need 8" to about 50 now. I'll pare it down a bit before winter, but still a lot of chooks! Fortunately it's too hard for me to get hatchery chicks due to work (I was eyeing a mixed leghorn pack the other day) so anything I need I have to hatch and half of those will be boys yada yada.

One thing that got me getting more chickens was the 'need eggs in the winter' problem. You know those first year pullets will just keep on laying for you, so ya gotta have a few!

 

[stonykill]

I'm guessing rats or maybe a skunk ? I guess the skunk wouldn't have done it in the daytime. Or naughty neighbor kids? =) Egg eating hen?

I too have morehens disease - went from "I only need 8" to about 50 now. I'll pare it down a bit before winter, but still a lot of chooks! Fortunately it's too hard for me to get hatchery chicks due to work (I was eyeing a mixed leghorn pack the other day) so anything I need I have to hatch and half of those will be boys yada yada.

One thing that got me getting more chickens was the 'need eggs in the winter' problem. You know those first year pullets will just keep on laying for you, so ya gotta have a few!

yup, every year you need fresh pullets to get those winter eggs. Or eat bland, ancient, prehistoric, tasteless, blecky 12 week old store bought eggs

 

[vmdanielsen]

OMG...you only want the number of chickens you already have? You're sick. Take an asprin or something.

Ok. Here is what is going to happen. (Y'll can correct me if I am wrong) One of your chicks is gonna die. OR 2 of them are gonna turn out to be roos. Now you won't have enough chickens. So you will decide to get 2 more to suppliment the decreased number you find yourself with. (Hey, if you are already buying feed, what's a couple more, right?) Besides, in the course of your research you are going to discover that chickens DO NOT lay an egg every day, so a couple more so you can have enough for your needs makes sense. THEN you are going to go to someone's house to pick up those 2 chicks. Remember you want hens, not roos, K? (you have to go to someone's house, cuz retail stores are required to sell 6 or more at a time, by law) When you get to that person's house they are going to tell you that they *think* these 2 are female, but aren't sure, so why don't you take 4 to make sure you get the 2 hens you want/need. When you get home, you are going to discover that they person you got the chicks from somehow managed, without your knowledge or seeing how it happened, to put 6 chicks in there.

How am I doing so far, folks?

So when those 6 grow up you find out that 5 of them are hens (seems your supplier was better at telling gender than they thought) and NOW you have more eggs than you can use. So you give a few to a friend or relative. A few days later they call you and ask if you have any extra eggs right now cuz they a)loved them and need more or b) have a friend that would like a dozen or two. This continues for a couple of months and spring comes. Everyone on the board and every farm store has chicks. Since your hens don't seem to be able to keep up with the requests you are getting you decide to get a few more chickens. May I suggest that get sex linked, so you don't have to worry about roosters. OR if you get them for free from one of us, remember that about 1/2 of all hatched chicks are male. So be sure to get a dozen or so. Then you are going to fall in love with one of the roos and keep it. Now you have fertile eggs IN YOUR COOP. Then a hen will go broody. And more chicks will happen.

Ahhhhhhh....morehens disease. There is no cure and there is no avoiding it.

Am I right or am I right, folks?

BTW? I was only going to get 5 hens and one roo. Then I discovered that the correct ratio is 10:1 and the rest is history. (One year into this adventure,I now have over 35 birds in various stages development)

I am in the "people at work want more eggs stage".....so morehens. I am up to 36 and a buckeye went broody so she is sitting on 7 buckeye eggs, maybe I'll have 40 birds before the end of the month. I will not have 40 in the winter however. Not quite sure how many I will over winter, but not 40. Oh!! Everything I have (except the leghorn pen) is related to my rooster. I have ordered another breeder quality rooster.
Sound about right Cass?

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Cass---thanks for putting my life story up on this website. Now everybody knows how I got to 43 chickens. It was the everybody I know wants 2 dozen eggs at a time thing that got me. So...7 are roosters which means that right now, Survivor--Chicken Coop Style is currently being played out at my house. The seven contenders have until the end of august or until they annoy me and the girls to win their way out of freezer camp. There can be...only...one. Okay...maybe 2 in case one should kick the bucket for some reason.

My glw hen trouble has taken to going after my silkies every time I am not out there to referee. I dont know why she hates them so much and if she wasnt a good layer, I would eat her. She is sneaky about it too. She waits till I am busy then sneaks around to where they are and attacks Little man first and then goes for the girls.

I saw the girls stalking around the terrorsts pen yesterday doing the great staredown and hackles and pecking. Seems everyone is sorting out where they stand. The boys are as tall as my hens and if I ever had both groups out at once I think there would be a full scale chicken war going on. Good thing I keep the terrorists penned up. I already have my hands full with the hens and the silkies!

Off to the pharm. Seems unpatriotic to have to work today. Enjoy your day everyone!

 

[featherz]

Yah my work peeps are keeping me with all my chickens - I have one doctor who wants two dozen a week and now I have others also requesting multiple dozens. I do charge for them, but it's funny that I am keeping so many chickens just to sell eggs to work people - and I am quite sure they cost me more than I bring in. =)

 

[campclaus]

Hi! I'm in westchester . I was looking for some juvenile hens to buy. Actually just 2. I was hoping for 1 black copper maron and maybe a blue Easter egger. Is there any breeders in ny?

 

[Cass]

Hi! I'm in westchester . I was looking for some juvenile hens to buy. Actually just 2. I was hoping for 1 black copper maron and maybe a blue Easter egger. Is there any breeders in ny?

I am sure there are. I am equally sure that they are not close to you, at least on this thread. There is a thread for "lower NY State" ....I think it says something about Orange County and south. You might want to post your request there also, cuz they will be closer to you geographically....and unless you are independantly wealthy, that will be a factor when it comes to obtaining just 2 chickens. (Also, it's the 4th of July, so it may take a while to get a response from anyone cuz they are partying like it's 1999.)

I see you are new. Go to the forum area, "where am I, where are you?" and scroll through the listing there until you find the "lower NY/Orange Co." one.