Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[dheltzel]

this is how I look at it......the chickens are gonna eat bugs, I would rather be feeding them something I have a little control over.....

I have thought about this,,,,,I am sure the bugs they get out of the ground could just as easily be carrien a disease.......If I were to worry about everything out there that could be a hazard, the poor birds would never see daylight.......

Just my opinion, you have to draw the line and do your own research on what you believe to be accurate and worth the chance.

Maybe I'm overly cautious, but that's my excuse for not raising them. Crickets are supposed to be easy too, and I have to think the chickens would have a lot of fun catching them. But escapees are a lot more problematic. OTOH, I think you could sell crickets locally and make some $$, then feed the ones you don't sell to the chickens.

But crickets could carry diseases too.

What interests me most now is outdoor culturing of maggots, either house flies or soldier flies. I've seen pics of containers containing rotting meat, hoisted high in the air to keep the smell down, then the mature maggots crawl out the holes in the bottom and drop to the ground to pupate -- right in the middle of the chicken run. Poor maggots -- never knew what ate 'em!
Cheap too, on a working farm there is no shortage of free breeding stock for maggots. Should keep the overall population down to give them a more attractive breeding area than the manure.

 

[eweaber]

These are soooo cool! Love that the footballer is made from a training sled. And how handsome are you!? Not at all how I pictured you in my head.

@DHetzel: I've thought about the Mareks/meal worm issue, but was thinking....what if I got my starters from Wingstone? Perhaps she has a closed 'flock'? Of meal worms and no signs of Mareks in her birds?....just a thought.

Thanks, I was the preppy, jock, football player growing up. For some reason, after I got married and had kids, I turned into a redneck. I started hunting, trapping, bought some goats, and then chickens and ducks. It drives my wife nuts, and she won't admit she is a little redneck herself.

 

[chiques chicks]

Lancaster PA

Welcome! Lots of us around you! What kind of buyers do you have? Better question among these folks, what do you want?

 

[chiques chicks]

Question if anyone might know:

I see people talk about swaps at tsc. Why do some do this and others don'tl I've asked at mine and they indicated they aren't permitted.
Just wondering.

 

[chiques chicks]

Maybe I'm overly cautious, but that's my excuse for not raising them. Crickets are supposed to be easy too, and I have to think the chickens would have a lot of fun catching them. But escapees are a lot more problematic. OTOH, I think you could sell crickets locally and make some $$, then feed the ones you don't sell to the chickens.

But crickets could carry diseases too.

What interests me most now is outdoor culturing of maggots, either house flies or soldier flies. I've seen pics of containers containing rotting meat, hoisted high in the air to keep the smell down, then the mature maggots crawl out the holes in the bottom and drop to the ground to pupate -- right in the middle of the chicken run. Poor maggots -- never knew what ate 'em!
Cheap too, on a working farm there is no shortage of free breeding stock for maggots. Should keep the overall population down to give them a more attractive breeding area than the manure.

Old fishing trick for chumming: buy a can of dog food, punch some holes in the bottom. Hang over stream. Wait. The flies will do the rest themselves.
Should work over a chicken run.

 

[sgtmom52]

Lancaster PA

and

I'm in York County.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

[COLOR=0000FF]This was the image I had of EWeaber in my head...reminiscent of the Metal Show teacher from my high school....[/COLOR] [COLOR=0000FF] [/COLOR]

I would be happy to supply mealworms...... This batch has been going strong for about 3 to 4 years now,,,,,,,,either send me your addy or let me know when you will be in the area..... just a side note.....you could always test for mareks in the worms( i think, not sure how they do that)...then as long as you are not adding more worms from an outsie source, you should be good...

Thanks! Will send you a PM!

Lancaster PA

Welcome to the circus!

Thanks, I was the preppy, jock, football player growing up. For some reason, after I got married and had kids, I turned into a redneck. I started hunting, trapping, bought some goats, and then chickens and ducks. It drives my wife nuts, and she won't admit she is a little redneck herself.

Lol. I'm turning into a redneck myself after getting married. DH is coming around. Although I like the term "homesteader" better.

 

[eweaber]

Lancaster PA

Lebanon, south of town.

 

[eweaber]

Lol. I'm turning into a redneck myself after getting married. DH is coming around.

Although I like the term "homesteader" better.

Favorite saying:

If you don't like my Redneckedness, don't look.

 

[BullChick]

Lancaster PA