Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[peepmommy]

Hello out there! Just found this forum and am quite excited to see so many of us Pennsylvanians out there! I'm from Lewisberry (15 mins north of Dillsburg or 20 min west of Harrisburg). Grew up in Gettysburg! Woohoo!

Anyway, at my last count I have 8 hens. 2 RIR, 1 Wellie, 3 EE, and 2 BR. I have lost 25 hens and 4 roos in the past 3 months. These **** foxes/hawks/coons/ and everything else under the sun are attacking them. I am trying to build my count back up. I am expecting 3 EE's and 2 BR's on the 20th. Really want a couple of GLW or a couple of Wellies, but didn't want to order 15 more!

So anyway, Hi out there!

 

[motherhen71185]

Hello out there! Just found this forum and am quite excited to see so many of us Pennsylvanians out there! I'm from Lewisberry (15 mins north of Dillsburg or 20 min west of Harrisburg). Grew up in Gettysburg! Woohoo!

Anyway, at my last count I have 8 hens. 2 RIR, 1 Wellie, 3 EE, and 2 BR. I have lost 25 hens and 4 roos in the past 3 months. These **** foxes/hawks/coons/ and everything else under the sun are attacking them. I am trying to build my count back up. I am expecting 3 EE's and 2 BR's on the 20th. Really want a couple of GLW or a couple of Wellies, but didn't want to order 15 more!

So anyway, Hi out there!

welcome!! I am just south of york!!

 

[fisherlady]

Thanks fisherlady. I have 6 RIR hens so no crowing here. They are not quite three weeks old yet but they are feathering out nicely which means I really need some better weather so I can get more work on the coop/run done.

Got them some grit today so I can start giving them treats and making them a little less petrified of me.

Until you can build the permanent pen you could try using 3 or 4 foot chicken fencing set up on the stakes that can be moved around (available at Tractor Supply and many other places) You can creat a corral of sorts for them to spend some time in out in the yard. Best done if a second person is available to help catch any escapees if one flies over the top. Mix up a bag of tasty treats (I crush up peanuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ and Honey graham cracker) The mix doesn't need to be powder fine, sunflower seeds into about half size and the rest crushed till it's the size of a sunflower seed or smaller.
Take your treat bag and sit on the ground in the enclosure with them. Take a puzzle book or a reading book if you want and just sit with them a while. Pick a phrase to use to call them for treats, if you use the same phrase each time it comes in handy when they get older and you want them to pay attention to you. Offer them some treat on an open hand at ground level. It will take a little while, but the little buggers are ruled by their stomachs! Someone will eventually get brave and the rest will then be jealous and try to beat them to the goodies. If you do this a few times they will probably warm up to you, or at least view you as a source of goodies!

No to the feed store. Yours is probably fresher and better. It may kill your blender, though.

I have to admit, I figure the blender would be shot also... I believe they used to crush it between stones/wheels... but don't know what they use now.

Completed coop!

Beautiful set up! Nicely done!

Just put up some new feeders for my flock. Love them so far. Each holds ten pounds of feed, had a nice rolled lip, couple fins to keep them from flinging, and an adjustable feed level you can slide up and Dow to decide how much flow you want. They were baby pig feeders.

These are interesting... have never seen them before. Can I bother you for a pic of just one closer up? Looks like it should make a great set up for you.

Where can I get laying hens in pa?! I'm sure
Some Amish sell them.. I'm from oxford.. Anyone know?! - and what's would silkies be safe with? Cause I know they're kinda fragile.. New to the chicken world! Helppppp!

Check out the map on the bottom of many of our frequent contributors on this thread. It gives you an idea of where we all are and most of us have chickens available of varying ages. What we do need to know is how many and what breeds you are interested in.... Give us that info and I'm pretty sure you'll find 2 or more likely about 10 folks who can help you out.

I have noticed that IF we can catch one and get it out it does behave much calmer. Stupid birds. My husband picked these out. I knew from the moment I wanted chickens that I did not want leghorns. Do they make good soup

Only if you can catch them!!

We have a friend with them... they lay great eggs, but don't interact with people at all if they aren't forced to, very flightly group. But in the breeds general defence our friend doesn't fuss a lot over them either, so they aren't spoiled like ours are. So maybe not a completely fair assessment.
Another plus he noted with the leghorns is that his flock free ranges all the time, they are very cautious so only has lost one to a hawk (who actually got into their run somehow) and they eat very little in the summer when they can get their fill of bugs and grasses while ranging.

 

[beaglady]

I have noticed that IF we can catch one and get it out it does behave much calmer. Stupid birds. My husband picked these out. I knew from the moment I wanted chickens that I did not want leghorns. Do they make good soup

Not much meat on them. Soup is the best way to stretch them into a meal.

 

[beaglady]

Just put up some new feeders for my flock. Love them so far. Each holds ten pounds of feed, had a nice rolled lip, couple fins to keep them from flinging, and an adjustable feed level you can slide up and Dow to decide how much flow you want. They were baby pig feeders.

Very nice. I thought about those kind if I ever need new feeders. Were they from CL?

 

[beaglady]

Oh, and welcome to all the new folks!

 

[fisherlady]

Let's forget about chicken math for a moment. I just did some egg math. 7 leghorns, 3 dozen eggs a week, 12 more hens of different breeds, 14 bantams (my luck not too many roos) 12 ducklings (sex to be determined) what the heck will I do with that many eggs

and I still want more chicks LOL.

If you can't find friends and family or neighbors willing to buy them you may check into a local food bank. Get contact info through your local govt office or borough secretary. See if they are able to use them and if so you may even be able to consider them a donation for taxes, though I'm not sure what hoops you would need to jump through to do that.
Even if you don't want to use them as a tax deduction you may choose to donate them just because.... another option along those lines is to ask your local church or area agency on aging folks if there are any elderly in your area who may appreciate a dozen eggs once in a while. It may remind the elderly of times gone by and be a much appreciated treat for them.
If all else fails you can use them to feed your dogs and cats and even scramble them to feed back to your birds.

 

[BorderBrigade]

Hi no I actually ordered them from valley vet supply here is a closer up for the person that requested it

 

[pagumby]

If you can't find friends and family or neighbors willing to buy them you may check into a local food bank.  Get contact info through your local govt office or borough secretary.  See if they are able to use them and if so you may even be able to consider them a donation for taxes, though I'm not sure what hoops you would need to jump through to do that.
Even if you don't want to use them as a tax deduction you may choose to donate them just because.... another option along those lines is to ask your local church or area agency on aging folks if there are any elderly in your area who may appreciate a dozen eggs once in a while.  It may remind the elderly of times gone by and be a much appreciated treat for them.
If all else fails you can use them to feed your dogs and cats and even scramble them to feed back to your birds.

Ahhhh good advice, thanks so much. My dogs LOVE scrambled eggs.

 

[chiques chicks]

To whoever was told no to a blender:
If you are looking to crack grain, beer supply stores sell a piece of equipment just for that purpose. Whole grain brewers crack their grain before steeping it.