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I have 12 chicks I hatched out last week for an auction I never got to go to. Barnyard beauties. They came from mostly brown and white eggs with a OE or two mixed in. My main roo is a buff cochin. $2.00 a cute chick if anyone is interested. I'm in upper Montgomery co.
 
For those of you here in south central pa, a couple of questions...

Since I'm a complete newbie I'm a little unsure when to put my chicks out.... I'm seeing as early as three Weeks on the chick raising forum?... With our weather here (cooler), when do y'all put yours out? Just wondering...

Also, how ridiculous are some of the laws around here about having chickens?!? I got my hens because my neighbors have 9 or 10 and my other neighbors are building a coop and getting some so I assumed they were allowed (we live by a freakin' dairy farm!)....

Hubby had me call our township office for information purposes and they said you can only have them if you're in the agricultural zoning and even then only if you have a minimum of 3 acres! Seriously?!?
 
Hen,

I put my chicks out permanently at 4 weeks..but then again, i still have electric in my coop, so turned on the heat lamp for if they want it..though i'm almost positive none of them take advantage. I was putting them outside to play for a few hours at about 2 weeks old. (But then, we had 80s!)

I live in an ag area. We were told by our township commissioner that size doesn't matter, they can't say anything till we have 100s of animals because then it becomes agri business.
 
henchandelier said:
For those of you here in south central pa, a couple of questions...
Since I'm a complete newbie I'm a little unsure when to put my chicks out.... I'm seeing as early as three Weeks on the chick raising forum?... With our weather here (cooler), when do y'all put yours out? Just wondering...
Also, how ridiculous are some of the laws around here about having chickens?!? I got my hens because my neighbors have 9 or 10 and my other neighbors are building a coop and getting some so I assumed they were allowed (we live by a freakin' dairy farm!)....
Hubby had me call our township office for information purposes and they said you can only have them if you're in the agricultural zoning and even then only if you have a minimum of 3 acres! Seriously?!?
Click to expand...

I am a late putter-outter. But I have been told they can go out once they are fully feathered in. I have 6 week olds still in the house.
 
henchandelier said:
For those of you here in south central pa, a couple of questions...
Since I'm a complete newbie I'm a little unsure when to put my chicks out.... I'm seeing as early as three Weeks on the chick raising forum?... With our weather here (cooler), when do y'all put yours out? Just wondering...
Also, how ridiculous are some of the laws around here about having chickens?!? I got my hens because my neighbors have 9 or 10 and my other neighbors are building a coop and getting some so I assumed they were allowed (we live by a freakin' dairy farm!)....
Hubby had me call our township office for information purposes and they said you can only have them if you're in the agricultural zoning and even then only if you have a minimum of 3 acres! Seriously?!?
Click to expand...


Some of mine that are about 5 weeks old are in an unheated, drafty building, where they've been for a week. They're in a separate kennel run, but there are about 18 other birds in the building to contribute body heat. If I had more space in the better insulated brooder building, they would still be there.

As far as zoning for birds, I don't know how most townships ordinanances are written. Our township doesn't have zoning, but we have a farm, so we'd be ag if there were.
 
henchandelier said:
For those of you here in south central pa, a couple of questions...
Since I'm a complete newbie I'm a little unsure when to put my chicks out.... I'm seeing as early as three Weeks on the chick raising forum?... With our weather here (cooler), when do y'all put yours out? Just wondering...
Also, how ridiculous are some of the laws around here about having chickens?!? I got my hens because my neighbors have 9 or 10 and my other neighbors are building a coop and getting some so I assumed they were allowed (we live by a freakin' dairy farm!)....
Hubby had me call our township office for information purposes and they said you can only have them if you're in the agricultural zoning and even then only if you have a minimum of 3 acres! Seriously?!?
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome!! I'm just outside of gettysburg, and we put ours out at four and a half weeks. They didn't have their heads feathered in at that time, but they did fine. No electric in the coop. I had one fly into my lap for the first time this morning to get a snuggle! So excited!
 
Welcome Catlover!

Rodriguez: I've never shot a gun before in my life, but hubby brought home a 22 last night, and I feel certain that I could shoot anything coming to harm my livestock.

I also recognize that my first responsibility is to make my property less attractive to predators so that we are not killing animals, to shoot something is absolutely my last choice. So we worked hard on another run yesterday and into the evening and are seriously considering a LGD.

Momma2my4: I have also had chicks in the house way past feathering out, but there's a girl here on BYC from Maine who gets them out at 6 weeks, in Maine!
 
Blarney, if you want to go to the range and practice, and don't mind driving out to Mechanicsburg, I'd gladly go with you as I have a range permit. I fully believe in being able to protect myself and mine.
 

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