Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[TillyPeeps]

@dheltzel I would love to take some of those MWs off your hands this spring, but I'm worried that I will already be overrun with poultry. Ok, that's never stopped me... But I'm also pretty far out of the way chicken-train-wise. I think you're about 3 hours SW of me.

If you decide that you really want MWs, I can bring some to you. I'll pick up my chicks from @dheltzel on Feb. 24.

 

[TillyPeeps]

I may have some poults hatching tomorrow. Midget whites and a couple others, I forget the breed. Eggs from Dhetzel. I usually let me broody raise them for so that would be less work for you, I don't have room to keep them. She is stil sitting on 4 eggs, and I put them under her on New Year's Day.

That's really exciting. Pictures please! Love to see poults hiding under mama chicken's wings.

 

[fisherlady]

Thank you

I guess I'd better wrap the low section with plastic to keep pine shavings in.

One of my heating pads are made for chicks, so it will never automatically turn off. I bought the other one from amazon, and many reviewers said they used it for their pets and it never
auto off. I think I'll set both up for the chicks.

I bought the clear rubber floor runner from WalMart, I think it was like 2ft x 6ft, cut it in half long ways and attached it around the base of an old wood play pen to make a brooder, holds up to pecking and snagging and helps keep warmth in just a bit....

Used cheap plastic zip ties to attach it, just poke small holes through it, it is strong enough it doesn't rip.

 

[carriestewart]

Hey Carrie! Welcome. I'm in Southeast PA, met someone at 4-H in Montgomery County last night that raises Brahma, not sure what variety or quality or even if this is too far for you. Ray from PA (FB name = Rays Marans) may raise them, I know he breeds to the Standard and has some large fowl Partridge....not sure if they are Cochin or Brahma, sorry if this is no help, it's all I've got.

Thanks so much for your reply and the information. I'll look into Rays Marans. If you ever think about it, could you get information on the Brahama breeder in Montgomery County?? Again, thank you.

 

[chiques chicks]

I'm just curious how anyone is getting turkey eggs this time of year. Of course mine are outside, little to no cover. When mine decide to begin laying, I should have bourbon red eggs and if the strays hang around, some combination of royal palm x wild type. There is one of each of the Palm and two hens one tom wild type, so who knows. If I could catch the palms, they'd be in a run separated. Of course since they are free range strays, I'll have to find their nests.

Heck, I'm barely getting chicken eggs. Today is the first any ventured out of the coop since Friday, and only the Swedish flowers, the orpingtons refuse to leave the coop.

 

[brightpennies]

If you decide that you really want MWs, I can bring some to you. I'll pick up my chicks from [@=/u/249441/dheltzel]@dheltzel[/@]on Feb. 24.

I'll be away at the beginning of March, and the family member who has agreed to check on my feather kids has stipulated that no new duties be added before then (such as caring for peeps). Thank you for the offer, though! I don't think I'll be brooder-ready until late March anyway.

@dheltzel, that sounds adorable! Practicality hasn't been a priority

 

[dheltzel]

I'm just curious how anyone is getting turkey eggs this time of year. Of course mine are outside, little to no cover. When mine decide to begin laying, I should have bourbon red eggs and if the strays hang around, some combination of royal palm x wild type. There is one of each of the Palm and two hens one tom wild type, so who knows. If I could catch the palms, they'd be in a run separated. Of course since they are free range strays, I'll have to find their nests.

Heck, I'm barely getting chicken eggs. Today is the first any ventured out of the coop since Friday, and only the Swedish flowers, the orpingtons refuse to leave the coop.

I put a light in the turkey and peafowl shelters because past experience is that they won't sleep inside without a "night light" (and all possible roosts removed from the runs). I've seen them all stand outside, on the snow-covered ground rather than venture into that "dark place" with the feed and roosts.

 

[chiques chicks]

That would be it! Part of my shelter caved in under the snow, but they rarely used the rosters under the covered portion anyway. Not enclosed, just covered. The strays generally sleep in the trees, as do the feral chickens.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I'm just curious how anyone is getting turkey eggs this time of year. Of course mine are outside, little to no cover. When mine decide to begin laying, I should have bourbon red eggs and if the strays hang around, some combination of royal palm x wild type. There is one of each of the Palm and two hens one tom wild type, so who knows. If I could catch the palms, they'd be in a run separated. Of course since they are free range strays, I'll have to find their nests.

Heck, I'm barely getting chicken eggs. Today is the first any ventured out of the coop since Friday, and only the Swedish flowers, the orpingtons refuse to leave the coop.

Mine started laying in December. A combination of artificial light and coming of age. They've been laying like Champs lately, 5-6 eggs a day from 6 hens. My incubator is running like crazy! first poults of the year.

I have BCM hatching today. 5 are out and in the brooder already with 10 more pipped 17 total in lockdown. It would be so awesome if they all hatch. I couldn't see into any of the eggs the entire time and they were the first ones to go in to my new (to me) GQF 1202.

 

[SilkieSensation]

[COLOR=0000FF]@Anne, hatching tomorrow? That's exciting! Poults are so sweet. Thank you, started poults is a great offer, but the midget whites are a little small, I'm looking for a bigger bird.


Aurora, even Newport is quite a drive from here, are you near State College? My son may be headed there for a conference in a few weeks, is that far from you?[/COLOR]

I think someone in your area has Bourbon Reds, but I can't remember who. Besides the Midget Whites, I have Royal Palm and Mottled Blacks, with maybe some Silver Dappled or Mottled Silver Dappled. Anyway, they are not much larger than the Midget Whites. One really cool thing about the MW's is that they are good layers (for a turkey), Some of my poults started laying at about 6 months of age (in August) and have laid non-stop since then, except for the ones that go broody. It's weird, the parent hens never went broody all last year, this year their daughters are going broody quite a lot. Midget Whites also always win the taste tests run by the Ark of Slow Food people. Bourbon Reds usually get second place, so you won't go wrong with either breed.

Anyway, if you are interested in any of mine, I have lots and will make you a really sweet deal, since I'm fixing to be overrun with turkeys if they keep this up.

I would LOVE a big batch of midget white eggs if you want to part with some! PM me with prices or what you would want in trade. I have coturnix laying.