NY chicken lover!!!!

[ladylibra]

Joining this forum may have been a bad idea....im awaiting my chicks in october...and I already want more...My husband just joked that I caught chicken fever..or bird flu. How do you guys handle all the choices? I feel like there is so much variety and beautiful birds, and I keep saying...I will use all the eggs...I have a useless cat....but chickens can actually do me some good...They are beneficial to my garden (under control)....I love to cook...so eggs are great...I just keep making more excuses to have more. I didn't even want chickens to begin with. I only started my research because I was pressured into getting some ...now I feel like its a drug...I am spending my days and nights combing through chicken books and on the web. The librarian thinks I am crazy because I have been there four times in one week for chicken books.

So now I have to ask....if I decide to add four more to my flock.....before it ships out to me....what would your favorites be for this area? I am in southern ny. I cannot have roosters where I live, but being here makes me want to move lol....

Help

there is no fighting it....chickens are a gateway critter.....'nuff said.

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

I love my Speckled Sussex & my Austrolorps. Both are calm, friendly hardy birds.

 

[Cass]

Joining this forum may have been a bad idea....im awaiting my chicks in october...and I already want more...My husband just joked that I caught chicken fever..or bird flu. How do you guys handle all the choices? I feel like there is so much variety and beautiful birds, and I keep saying...I will use all the eggs...I have a useless cat....but chickens can actually do me some good...They are beneficial to my garden (under control)....I love to cook...so eggs are great...I just keep making more excuses to have more. I didn't even want chickens to begin with. I only started my research because I was pressured into getting some ...now I feel like its a drug...I am spending my days and nights combing through chicken books and on the web. The librarian thinks I am crazy because I have been there four times in one week for chicken books.

So now I have to ask....if I decide to add four more to my flock.....before it ships out to me....what would your favorites be for this area? I am in southern ny. I cannot have roosters where I live, but being here makes me want to move lol....

Help

There is no help. Sorry. Only enabling.

With that said I will repeat what someone already said "build the biggest coop you can afford". You don't have to fill it. Ever. BUT you will need more storage for feed (so you can take advantage of sales), for extra feeders and waterers (I have 3 sizes for 3 differerent age birds), and medications/DE/bales of wood chips than an inexperienced chicken keeper can envision.

Don't make the mistake I made. Make sure everything you build is easy to clean and/or you can walk inside it. (I made my run 4 feet tall with take off roof panels. Worked until a bird laid an egg in the run and I had no way to get it out. Sigh) And don't put your roosts at head height or across the pop door area. (Ok, so I made more than one mistake. LOL)

THEN decide on a couple of breeds you want to try and get a couple of them. Get them local if possible, the chicks will be healthier. Once you have tried a couple of breeds add more chickens, either of the same breed or other breeds you want to try. What works for me might not work for your chicken rearing style, so you have to experiment with breeds that work for your situation.

If you can't have a rooster, you don't want breeds that are known for their broodiness. Broody hens just sit on eggs trying to hatch them. With no rooster the eggs will never hatch and the broody won't lay eggs until she "breaks her brood". Silkies are one breed that people keep around because they go broody often. That would be a breed you would want to avoid. They are also not known for their prolific egg laying.

If you don't want to grow your flock to large DO NOT get an incubator. Having one will entice you to buy, barter or beg people for hatching eggs. And hatching chicks has it's own set of challenges. Or, I should say, raising the chicks without a momma hen has it's own set of challenges...dust being a big one and having to provide safe heat for 4 weeks straight being another.

The last bit of info I would impart is research now and get birds in the spring. Many chicken breeds don't lay many eggs over the winter (daylight is too short), so you would be feeding a bunch of freeloaders for the winter. Also, come spring just about everyone on here will have chicks. Some pure breed at regular cost, some discounted and many "who's your momma" chicks for free. (Cuz we are addicted to hatching chicks and only keep one or two from each hatch and *now* what do we do with the rest?)

I thought my favorite breed was Ameraucanas. I was wrong, my favorite "breed" is "who's your momma" birds. They are healthier, lay more eggs and have a wider range of colors and personalities. My second favorite would be my D'uccles. They are very friendly, but lay very very tiny eggs. Kids love the eggs and I trade them with a friend for hatching eggs when one of my birds goes broody, cuz her eggs are 100% fertile. Mine are hit or miss on fertility, even with 2 roos running around.

 

[rancher hicks]

Joining this forum may have been a bad idea....im awaiting my chicks in october...and I already want more...My husband just joked that I caught chicken fever..or bird flu. How do you guys handle all the choices? I feel like there is so much variety and beautiful birds, and I keep saying...I will use all the eggs...I have a useless cat....but chickens can actually do me some good...They are beneficial to my garden (under control)....I love to cook...so eggs are great...I just keep making more excuses to have more. I didn't even want chickens to begin with. I only started my research because I was pressured into getting some ...now I feel like its a drug...I am spending my days and nights combing through chicken books and on the web. The librarian thinks I am crazy because I have been there four times in one week for chicken books.

So now I have to ask....if I decide to add four more to my flock.....before it ships out to me....what would your favorites be for this area? I am in southern ny. I cannot have roosters where I live, but being here makes me want to move lol....

Help

Hey that's what I did. I even took them out two and three times. Learned something new every time. Talk to a realtor and see what your options are. You might be surprised.

I wish you the best.

Rancher

 

[Adoravachick]

Even though my daughter named her silkie "rainbow star" this is exactly why I call her "Paris" LOL And she CAN SEE! She gets left out there sometimes all alone squawking away looking for everyone, and it's funny because if they're all under the porch, they come out when they hear her and they look so aggravated that they had to leave their spot under the porch to come fetch her.

Paris!!!!

 

[Sallysec]

thank you all for your wisdom

much appreciated...I already am thinking of a second coop.....and the original plan was four to six....but the best plans of women and chickens...lol

There is no help. Sorry. Only enabling.

With that said I will repeat what someone already said "build the biggest coop you can afford". You don't have to fill it. Ever. BUT you will need more storage for feed (so you can take advantage of sales), for extra feeders and waterers (I have 3 sizes for 3 differerent age birds), and medications/DE/bales of wood chips than an inexperienced chicken keeper can envision.

Don't make the mistake I made. Make sure everything you build is easy to clean and/or you can walk inside it. (I made my run 4 feet tall with take off roof panels. Worked until a bird laid an egg in the run and I had no way to get it out. Sigh) And don't put your roosts at head height or across the pop door area. (Ok, so I made more than one mistake. LOL)

THEN decide on a couple of breeds you want to try and get a couple of them. Get them local if possible, the chicks will be healthier. Once you have tried a couple of breeds add more chickens, either of the same breed or other breeds you want to try. What works for me might not work for your chicken rearing style, so you have to experiment with breeds that work for your situation.

If you can't have a rooster, you don't want breeds that are known for their broodiness. Broody hens just sit on eggs trying to hatch them. With no rooster the eggs will never hatch and the broody won't lay eggs until she "breaks her brood". Silkies are one breed that people keep around because they go broody often. That would be a breed you would want to avoid. They are also not known for their prolific egg laying.

If you don't want to grow your flock to large DO NOT get an incubator. Having one will entice you to buy, barter or beg people for hatching eggs. And hatching chicks has it's own set of challenges. Or, I should say, raising the chicks without a momma hen has it's own set of challenges...dust being a big one and having to provide safe heat for 4 weeks straight being another.

The last bit of info I would impart is research now and get birds in the spring. Many chicken breeds don't lay many eggs over the winter (daylight is too short), so you would be feeding a bunch of freeloaders for the winter. Also, come spring just about everyone on here will have chicks. Some pure breed at regular cost, some discounted and many "who's your momma" chicks for free. (Cuz we are addicted to hatching chicks and only keep one or two from each hatch and *now* what do we do with the rest?)

I thought my favorite breed was Ameraucanas. I was wrong, my favorite "breed" is "who's your momma" birds. They are healthier, lay more eggs and have a wider range of colors and personalities. My second favorite would be my D'uccles. They are very friendly, but lay very very tiny eggs. Kids love the eggs and I trade them with a friend for hatching eggs when one of my birds goes broody, cuz her eggs are 100% fertile. Mine are hit or miss on fertility, even with 2 roos running around.

Okay so here it is, I am building a coop that is 8x10 (I should really say my husband is) I already built a run we planned to attach that is 8x3 ....I also planned to let my birds free range in the back yard and have some fenced off sections of garden for them to work in as well. So I ordered eight birds already thinking they need 10 feet each....
so far this is my order that is placed with mypetchicken ...(I thought they were close being in CT only to find out they are actually shipped from ohio...mistake one I guess...but I hope they all arrive well).
2 Easter Eggers
1 Australorp
1 Ancona
1 Golden laced wyandotte
1 jersey giant
1 barred plymouth rock
1 rhode island red

So here is where the problems began....I looked at the silkies and didn't want them...thought they kind of looked like poodles (no offense) ...but now I hear everyone talking about them...and I keep looking at the cute little puffs ....and the mille fleur duccles....are looking really pretty now too....and when I placed the order I wanted a maran for those beautiful eggs...and now I like the cute little bantam sizes and figure you get more chickens for small space..
and now I feel like I should keep the 3 by 8 run as a bantam run and attach a mini coop to it and maybe get three or four of these cute little chickens....and the hamburgs on my pet chicken are so adorable..... so can someone tell me that the bantam sizes dont do well in new york and I should just stop looking because it will be cruel to keep little birds like that outside....

PS I already have been stalking the Brinsea website and facebook page for an incubator.its just a little one..but shhh that is for next year (hope my husband doesn't read this

especially since I have him reading on here too...I am praying he catches chicken too). Although I like the idea of letting a hen do the work I don't mind...I am home all day already and am looking forward to the chicks for the winter....This weekend I plan to sterilize a bathroom for the brooder to go into....in the basement....

So if you all had to do it all over again, would you skip certain birds and jump to others? I guess I might wait for more chicks til the first are set in their home...but I thought it would be easier to get them acclimated together....maybe just two more....do any of you guys do mystery boxes? I like that idea....and now I see you guys all talking about auctions and shows....are there any down here? I am in rockland....so jersey is almost closer....

 

[Sallysec]

Cass do you have a picture of the tiny eggs?

 

[blacktop240]

I'm from Saugeries which is about 40 min or so south of Albany. Personality and laying I love my red sexlinks. I get 9 eggs out of 10 days usually now. I also have buff and lavender orpingtons, Silkies, Cayuga duck, white crested black polish and a silver laced polish cockerel. Oh and can't leave out the Chinese painted quail. I started off with just wanting a few chickens for eggs... Yeah that worked! Now I have a few more then I planned but wouldn't trade them for anything. If it's egg production and personality sexlinks are amazing. They like to fly up and just hang out on a shoulder like a parrot. If it's quirky small and killer looking pet polish silver laced or the silkies. Anyone near me on this thread?

 

[Henicillin]

I'm from Saugeries which is about 40 min or so south of Albany. Personality and laying I love my red sexlinks. I get 9 eggs out of 10 days usually now. I also have buff and lavender orpingtons, Silkies, Cayuga duck, white crested black polish and a silver laced polish cockerel. Oh and can't leave out the Chinese painted quail. I started off with just wanting a few chickens for eggs... Yeah that worked! Now I have a few more then I planned but wouldn't trade them for anything. If it's egg production and personality sexlinks are amazing. They like to fly up and just hang out on a shoulder like a parrot. If it's quirky small and killer looking pet polish silver laced or the silkies. Anyone near me on this thread?

Welcome to the NYS thread! There are several of us in the Capital District and surrounding areas, so you're near plenty of new friends.

 

[Henicillin]

Well today's our anniversary and you know what that means..................... a bath and clean underwear.

36 years and 36 baths and 36 changes of underwear. Gonna shave and get a haircut too.

Our song is "Still Crazy" by Paul Simon.

Happy anniversary! I hope you bought new clean underwear for the occasion.