Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[Aerwan]

Washington Co, PA southeast corner. Looking to start my first flock...are there any local farms that have chicks?

 

[SilkieSensation]

I just reset all the mouse and rodent traps...............my big cage has not caught anything yet the peanut butter bait is gone............I realized I did not set it up well enough.............so lets hope who-ever is out there has gone in , eaten the PNB and now thinks it is safe!    and now..........I have a better set up  ( I hope) and he will be captured!   Hahhhhahahaha!

Not sure what I will do with a live, caught , critter I despise...............but I still want to catch him and keep him away from my girls!

may it be tonite!

Fill bucket all but 2 inches with water, put lid on, wait about 4 hrs to make sure he wasn't really good at treading water. Dump to dispose.

 


thanks dheltzel!   wow  30 eggs is quite a large number!   I hope you also share pictures. 

I will have to find a way to contain this hobby.   I am just getting 5 chicks next week.    I have then gone over my limit as I live in a suburban area  with a smallish yard

I think it would be cool to do the incubator thing with eggs.  I

I cant have a rooster............so to further this developing addiction I am already thinking that maybe 2015 will be the year of male and female quail ...........since I could raise them without much space and they could produce fertile eggs etc!    

But one thing at a time............

2014 is the year of 5 chicks and new raised veggie garden beds,   maybe even a "fruit cocktail tree"  , and a new coop!
2015  year of quail..........likely coturnix if I had to decide right now.

Plus what I have reading about quail eggs is that they are more nutritious than chicken eggs.............small but quite healthy.  

I have in mind enjoying the decorative eggs too............in small craft activities for myself and some friends...................

This type of hobby does not seem to be boring to me!   Always something more to read and learn about and enjoy!

Last year when I was tired and relaxing I got a lot of enjoyment out of just sitting in the yard and watching the chickens funny antics...........
Once its warm enough , I sure look forward to that too!

I just did the "lockdown", moved them off the turner so they can settle into their hatching position. There are really 26, 15 of which are mixed breeds, the last of my "test hatches". My first 2 hatches were interrupted by a power failure, so I set these thinking the others were a lost cause. Some of them will be the "olive eggers" that are all the rage now. Personally, I prefer bright blue or dark brown, but the more different colors the better for egg sales, so these will join the laying flock if they hatch (and are hens). The other 11 are the special ones, 5 of the German New Hampshires and 6 Blue Bredas (rare and very odd looking chickens, but lay kinda small white eggs).

I thought I heard a peep, but it's probably the power of suggestion, I'm really willing these guys to hatch well. 

This is the first batch I tracked the weights on, and the amount of weight they lost was all over the place, 8 - 15%. Some of that is due to the scale only having a resolution of 1 gram, so rounding errors play a part. If I sum the weights, the average loss was 11.6%.

Does anyone know what a really worrisome percentage would be? I think that since they are all in a range on both sides of the ideal 13%, that my humidity is probably OK, but does anyone know if I'm right about this or if I should adjust the humidity?

I don't even monitor humidity. If air cells look small I remove water containers, if too big add water containers. Always add 2 more containers for lockdown than were needed for incubation.

 

[stake]

Washington Co, PA southeast corner. Looking to start my first flock...are there any local farms that have chicks?

Howdy from the other end of the state...Chester Co....

 

[barbiegirl]

Washington Co, PA southeast corner. Looking to start my first flock...are there any local farms that have chicks?

Hi and welcome from the Poconos! I am sure someone by you can help you out with new chicks. Good luck

 

[jmayday]

Downingtown pa here. chester county as well

 

[PAchickenlover]

Does anyone have Cream Legbar eggs?

 

[PAchickenlover]

Wing, just thought I would let you know that 26 of the 30 eggs you sold me are developing! I am so happy! Thank you so much!

 

[LisaYolkUm]

Downingtown pa here. chester county as well

hello! I am in Chester county as well! welcome to this group

 

[pagumby]

Washington Co, PA southeast corner. Looking to start my first flock...are there any local farms that have chicks?

Welcome

 

[fisherlady]

Washington Co, PA southeast corner. Looking to start my first flock...are there any local farms that have chicks?

welcome to our little piece of the web.... there are a few folks in your area, not sure what your flock goal is though, which may help...
lots of eggs to sell, birds for butchering, both? Banty, large fowl? Kids involved so you want some ornamental or super calm ones for them, is color of the egg important? Olive, green, blue, white, brown or really, really brown? Particular feather colors or patterns you like or don't like? Do you want birds prone to being broody or is that not an option because of yard restrictions?

Off the top of my head I can think of 2 breeders within 1.5 (probably less) hours of you with a lot of nice birds to choose from, and I don't know how far SilkieSensation is from you (she recently moved so I don't have a good handle on time frames to her new place) but she has a variety of birds also.