Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[dheltzel]

Yesterday, I had to drive to Reading, and anytime I saw signs for Pottstown, my brain thought of @dheltzel and ducks! Soon...

LOL. If only you knew that there were new baby chicks in my basement, you might not have been able to resist.
Most of the chicks are Penedesencas, but my first Legbar (a female) hatched Sunday!
In other news, the Mille Fleur leghorns are 3 weeks old and sexable already. Looks like a trio. That little guy should know how valuable he is!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

It seems like interest in chicks is starting! My brooders are full and I thought I'd be raising out all of them since it's still early but in the past couple days, at least 12 have been claimed and a few orders for hatching eggs have come in. The rest of the chicks in this group will be staying to replenish my breeding pens. I need more Marans and silkies! My legbars are going to get picked through and only the best representatives of the breed will stay on to breed. I'm loving having chicks around again

 

[Lelanae]

Synder County!

Welcome from The Borough of Kennett Square!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

LOL. If only you knew that there were new baby chicks in my basement, you might not have been able to resist.
Most of the chicks are Penedesencas, but my first Legbar (a female) hatched Sunday!
In other news, the Mille Fleur leghorns are 3 weeks old and sexable already. Looks like a trio. That little guy should know how valuable he is!

Just give me the code to the garage. I'll leave cash for whatever i take.

It seems like interest in chicks is starting! My brooders are full and I thought I'd be raising out all of them since it's still early but in the past couple days, at least 12 have been claimed and a few orders for hatching eggs have come in. The rest of the chicks in this group will be staying to replenish my breeding pens. I need more Marans and silkies! My legbars are going to get picked through and only the best representatives of the breed will stay on to breed. I'm loving having chicks around again

That's awesome! Do you advertise on Craiglist? I'm hoping to get a few more Bieles from a different line so that I can breed them this year. I love them, and I know I can sell them easily.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Big problem here, I managed to seal them out of the main coop, but there were 100+ in the turkey coop today. I've killed several when they weren't fast enough exiting. In the main coop, I built a trap at the far end and killed over 500 last year!

If you have turkeys, then you must have a pretty large run. Is it covered? I just can't imagine having an invasion like that.

The main pests I see out here are doves, followed by a few finches and some HUGE crows. Crows chase the smaller birds around trying to grab a quick meal.

I haven't been around chickens in almost 50 years since I was a kid, but got a mixed dozen of day-old hens about two months ago.

My wacky run came from designing four 8'x8' squares using 4x4 posts and 6x6 base and 2x4 for the upper portions, with a half portion in the lower quadrant reserved for chicken observation/TV. The entire setup is only 16'x16' and the remainder of the run will be completely screened in with 1/4 inch hardware cloth enclosing the top, sides and extending outward. The outward wires will be covered with raised planter beds for veggies. No wild birds or other critters should be able to get in. I keep redesigning my coop which will go in the upper quadrant in the center of the pic. You can walk through the entire space, but it is only five feet tall since I live in an HOA (Home Owners' Assassination), and unwanted structures are not supposed to be higher than our brick walls.

I also got a 12'x20' tarp to cover most of the run, leaving the Deck and a 4'x8' section exposed behind it, because the sun and fierce rains and wind can be brutal.

Maybe I could put a record player out there with me and listen to some old tunes since I have a huge collection of vinyl records any many record players which I restore on the side. --BB

 

[fangedknight]

Holy crap I'm gone for a couple days and everything goes beserk!! Jeez! The farm show wasn't that long!

Synder County!

Hey!! from Berks County!

Yesterday, I had to drive to Reading, and anytime I saw signs for Pottstown, my brain thought of @dheltzel and ducks! Soon...

Reading!! Dude you should've said something! I'm like 20 ish minutes east of there! You could have come and spent time with the birds if we were home. lol.

LOL. If only you knew that there were new baby chicks in my basement, you might not have been able to resist.
Most of the chicks are Penedesencas, but my first Legbar (a female) hatched Sunday!
In other news, the Mille Fleur leghorns are 3 weeks old and sexable already. Looks like a trio. That little guy should know how valuable he is!

Yaaaaaayyy!!! I still have no idea what kind of crazy I have in my brooder. Also I've got a small problem. MY GIRLS STOPPED LAYING! I mean it's been colder than a witches-- well you know. But holy crap even with two heat lamps in their coop they're just sitting there looking at me. Mom had to buy eggs from the store!!! Ugh I just hope this weather breaks and that's their major malfunction.

 

[aplummer101]

Welcome from The Borough of Kennett Square!

Funny, I work in Kennett. Thanks

 

[OneMountainAcres]

That's awesome! Do you advertise on Craiglist? I'm hoping to get a few more Bieles from a different line so that I can breed them this year. I love them, and I know I can sell them easily.

Yes, on Craigslist and pennswoods.net. I have a few repeat customers now that keep my number and get in touch with me each year. I did a little work on my website this morning and will be editing it a little each day to get it operational. Then I'll be able to have people order through it
Good luck with the beils! They're beautiful birds! That's one breed I haven't tried yet that I wouldn't mind trying. They may be good to use in my "Mountain Meaties" project.
Speaking of which, I did another breeding with a different roo. They're growing so much better with this attempt. They did great last time but this time, they're at about 1 1/2 lbs already at 4 weeks old! I need to get a picture of them. They don't have the big, ugly bald patches that the CX get as they grow. I'm excited to see how they turn out.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Thanks for the info.

Another one of my girl was taken today, sort of. She was killed, and I found her 3 feet in front of my coop, partially eaten. I think she may have gotten left outside somehow, because no one else was injured or looked upset. Her body was fairly cool, and it looks like I may have interrupted the “diner”. Is it bad to be upset that he took one of my great CCL layers, and not one of the old girls? Again, I don’t think they whole flock was attacked, because surely the old white Silkie would be an easier catch than a light CCL that could fly.

This weekend looks to be nice and warm, so I will try to redo my run, at least enough so that I can have them secure for the season. This spring it will get a total overhaul.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Thanks for the info.

Another one of my girl was taken today, sort of. She was killed, and I found her 3 feet in front of my coop, partially eaten. I think she may have gotten left outside somehow, because no one else was injured or looked upset. Her body was fairly cool, and it looks like I may have interrupted the “diner”. Is it bad to be upset that he took one of my great CCL layers, and not one of the old girls? Again, I don’t think they whole flock was attacked, because surely the old white Silkie would be an easier catch than a light CCL that could fly.

This weekend looks to be nice and warm, so I will try to redo my run, at least enough so that I can have them secure for the season. This spring it will get a total overhaul.

oh no, I'm so sorry Do you think it was the fox again?