Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[Blarneyeggs]

Had a little surprise this afternoon, they weren't supposed to hatch until Saturday.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

So I am REALLY worried now. My white silkie rooster I use to breed is sick..... I think. I picked him up today like I always do because he is a sweetheart and loves to be picked up, but when I picked him up a WHOLE bunch of gooey saliva stuff came out of his mouth for like 20 seconds! I am worried he cant breathe. I watched him eat and drink when I put him back down. What is wrong with him?

I've done this before with one of my girls. If I hadn't been treating sour crop in one of my other girls, I would've had no idea what it was and panicked. Hoping everything is fine

 

[dheltzel]

Yes, Whitmore Farm.

Thanks for the heads up about chick availability.

Are you selling chicks? How is that working out. Seems a little more profitable than the egg selling I was doing, but I have never looked into the market. I'm way too busy these days to start any chicken business. Just want to a hobby for me and my daughter to share, and help better/maintain a breed of chicken.

I think it's fun because I like to hatch chicks, but never have room to keep them all. I bought a used cabinet incubator a little over a year ago because I got tired of juggling the eggs around in my styro hovabator, and fiddling with the temps (that's funny to me when I write it now because I'm now juggling eggs in a very full cabinet incubator that holds 288 instead of 42). As of last weekend, I had hatched 432 chicks since early Dec when I started incubating.

My niece and I are doing this together as a fun project (she loves animals) to make some money for her college. It is a lot of work on my part and if I didn't find it fun it would never be worthwhile, but we have made some money and the season is just getting started. My main goal is to fill what has become a huge gap in the local chick availability. I built a flock last year of breeds that I was expecting to be popular and so far I've been very accurate in what we decide to breed. I've been "tweaking" my breeding pens to adjust to the market. The best part is I have made lots of friends (customers) and they keep coming back for more or sending their friends. I am going to slow the advertising because I have a lot people on waiting lists already.

I've had lots of people drive over an hour each way (and one person 2.5 hours each way) just to buy a few chicks because there is no where closer they can get all the breeds that we have. I feel good about being able to sell someone the exact breeds they are looking for at a price that is fair for both of us.

For anyone attempting this, my advice is to get the best stock you possibly can and go the extra mile to make your customers happy. You still will need a lot of "luck" (aka hard work), but that should be a given.

 

[dheltzel]

Had a little surprise this afternoon, they weren't supposed to hatch until Saturday.

What kind it that? Weirdly colored shell.

 

[troyer]

That isnt a recent pic. is it?

2 years ago late summer.

 

[BullChick]

Omg! Next week will have several days of 45*ish temperatures here, and it will be going to the low sixties by next weekend!!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Talk about broody!

http://m.wgal.com/news/eagle-shakes-off-snow-in-nest/31631074

That as awesome!

Omg! Next week will have several days of 45*ish temperatures here, and it will be going to the low sixties by next weekend!!

I can't wait!!!

Plans for this year include hopefully selling our home and moving to one with more property. Has anyone here sold a house with chickens in the backyard? They're not really allowed in our township, but we have a nice understanding with our neighbors. Would it be a viable option to possibly have one of my nice chicken friends foster my girls (and boy) for a bit while we make the sale and the move?

We are waiting for our kitchen to be done before we start putting the house on the market. It's been since Dec. 15th.

Remember: more acreage means more chickens a bigger garden!

 

[fisherlady]

I took the liberty of making a list for fisherlady...

Perfect!! I love it! I'm at work on my mobile, finally getting to check in...this weather has made for a miserable week on crew, I finish my 72 hours in the morning and am so ready for a break! hopefully I will be able to hibernate for the weekend! I don't want to have to go anywhere!

 

[Blarneyeggs]

[COLOR=0000FF]Had a little surprise this afternoon, they weren't supposed to hatch until Saturday.[/COLOR]

What kind it that? Weirdly colored shell.

F3? Olive Egger, I usually cross back to a Marans each new breeding to darken the green color, but this little one has an Orpington as a father, mostly because, I LOVE Orpingtons, but I also have a thing for blue colored birds and I really appreciate the head and large dark eye on my Orps.

I took the liberty of making a list for fisherlady...

Perfect!! I love it! I'm at work on my mobile, finally getting to check in...this weather has made for a miserable week on crew, I finish my 72 hours in the morning and am so ready for a break! hopefully I will be able to hibernate for the weekend! I don't want to have to go anywhere!

72 hrs! Wow. You deserve to put those feet up.

 

[fisherlady]

72 hrs! Wow. You deserve to put those feet up.

I work 24 hours a shift, 3 shifts in 5 days on my 'long week'. It was a busy week and had extra time at the end of a couple of the shifts, so actually ended up with 75 hours. I have worked the schedule for over 20 years though, so to me it is 'normal' but it sure wears on a person after a while. In the summer my schedule is easier because I use my vacation time to shorten my long week for June through September.