Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[joyfulshepherde]

Interesting and good layers? A lot of really interesting birds aren't great layers and a lot of great layers aren't that interesting.

For interesting, I can probably have a dozen Swedish flower hen eggs by next weekend easy. Fair to good layers, light tan egg, interesting looking lawn ornaments and pretty friendly. Mine survived the winter with open windows in the coop, a lot.

Mount Joy

Wow, that's saying a lot for their survival powers, given our rough winter! The pictures in the breed section are really pretty! I will PM you.

 

[My peeps]

@My peeps I can enable you with bantam cochin eggs! Actually, I have 3 chicks right now that I'll need to find homes for. They're yours if you want em.

@wingstone there are always rabbits... Are they in season all year? Squirrel is also really good. Go fish in the creek for some trout or something. Farmers stands are opening. Dandelions are really good for you and can be found in the backyard.

Let me see what hatches and I may just take some cochin eggs for my next hatch. I wish I could take the chicks right now too. Hubby will kill me! We already have 5 chicks in the garage right now. I need a bigger coop but this is the second one in 2 years that he built and he said thats it. I knew I should have went bigger......

Where are you located? We might be able to find some local hatching eggs that will give you a better percentage. I have some breeds that are almost 100% fertile and hatch consistently 80 - 90%.

Just being neighborly (pretty sure that what we are calling it now).

I'm right outside of Pittsburgh. Neighborly does sound better than enabler! lol

When I saw you were going to Kennywood I about spit out my coffee! I'm either not looking or you are the only PA resident in SW PA on this thread!

Hubs drives school bus and I tag along when it's his school day there.

Glad to see someone from my neck of the woods!

I hope the rain holds off for you.

It ended up being a wonderful day. The best I've had at Kennywood in many, many years. The lines were short, the weather was great and I had a blast with my kiddos. There aren't many of us from this part of the state. I'm from Elizabeth. Where are you located?

 

[stake]

Hi there from Chester County. How many chickens do you have in your flock? I'm up to 3 now. It's my first year and everything is new to me but I'm loving it.

Howdy Sammy:

Bunch of us from the SE.....I'm at 15 if you count the babies....and many different breeds...

 

[stake]

Most of my fencing is 2x4 wire on t- posts. Attaching method: zip ties. Some are actually wired on properly.

I go through zip ties by the hundreds. I use them to connect all sorts of things "temporarily".

Ditto....I also use landscape ties around the bottom and either staple or use a ss screw with large washer to attach....

 

[joyfulshepherde]

Hey Jen, I'm in Lititz too! I am no where near the point you're at in "chicken growing", but I wanted to share a little knowledge I've gleened with you. There's a thread I stumbled on when trying to figure out how to get my girls laying for me; https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/608787/feeding-chickens-black-pepper. The members posting there seem to have had success... I have yet to have success myself, but I only brought my girl's home last Friday. We bought them at The Green Dragon small animal auction, which is held every Friday at 6pm. This is also an alternative for you if you must get rid of your BO's... we paid $17 for 2 of our girls and $17.50 for the other 2. We have adult RSL's, however I noticed the adult BSL's and BO's went for a little more and I think outside of chicks, pullets, roos and Bantams, that was all they had in the way of hens that night.

Maybe this helps and maybe it doesn't, but thought I'd at least share with a neighbor lol. Good Luck!!

It's so neat that you're in Lititz! Your coop looks really fun. I hope you're enjoying your new chickens! I didn't even know that the Green Dragon auction is every week. In Ephrata? I think I saw 1 flier and thought it was annual. Thank you for that bit of information! I am quite a newbie at chickens, too, as my 2 year olds are my first ever. I still have a lot to learn. However, it is all very interesting. Looking at hatching again because the kids like the chicks and the hatching process. And it's really not very difficult when the hen does it for you! Best wishes with your girls!

 

[mimischicksnat]

Let me see what hatches and I may just take some cochin eggs for my next hatch. I wish I could take the chicks right now too. Hubby will kill me! We already have 5 chicks in the garage right now. I need a bigger coop but this is the second one in 2 years that he built and he said thats it. I knew I should have went bigger......

I'm right outside of Pittsburgh. Neighborly does sound better than enabler! lol


It ended up being a wonderful day. The best I've had at Kennywood in many, many years. The lines were short, the weather was great and I had a blast with my kiddos. There aren't many of us from this part of the state. I'm from Elizabeth. Where are you located?

I'm south of Pittsburgh in "Little" Washington. I'm glad it turned out so well for you! It can be a great time when the lines aren't 2 hours long.

 

[joyfulshepherde]

I went to put the Muscovy eggs into the hatcher for lockdown tonight and I found 2 of the 10 were pipped. It's only day 31 and they were in the turner with only about 30% RH. I had no idea they would start 4 days early.

I sure hope they will be ok. They are in about 80% RH now, maybe that will rehydrate them enough to get the rest of the way out

This is my first time with Muscovies.

Hoping it goes well!

 

[BullChick]

I told the neighbor that her chickens were out this morning. She said they had dug a hole last night. She has had weasels kill her flock numerous times, but didn't think to fix the hole.

All day I was shooing the chickens away from my flocks and my gardens. I guess tomorrow we will have another discussion on keeping her chickens off my property.
In other news, my BBW are humungous! I lowered their feed to 24% (from 28) last week. I will be lowering that again within a week. They make me laugh (I have never seen a turkey before 3 months ago. I have still not seen an adult one) when I am standing next to them, and they are just "there". It is like seeing a Great Dane for the first time.

 

[fisherlady]

I told the neighbor that her chickens were out this morning. She said they had dug a hole last night. She has had weasels kill her flock numerous times, but didn't think to fix the hole.

All day I was shooing the chickens away from my flocks and my gardens. I guess tomorrow we will have another discussion on keeping her chickens off my property.
In other news, my BBW are humungous! I lowered their feed to 24% (from 28) last week. I will be lowering that again within a week. They make me laugh (I have never seen a turkey before 3 months ago. I have still not seen an adult one) when I am standing next to them, and they are just "there". It is like seeing a Great Dane for the first time.

She said the chickens dug a hole last night?? Maybe I am confused... but I haven't known any chickens to stay up at night digging, and I know they can dig nice little pits to dust bath in, but sounds like maybe she has some other critter doing the digging?
Hopefully you can work it out so they don't keep bothering your garden!

I'm glad the turkey are working out so good for you! Definitely sounds like they are an entertaining bunch!

 

[KlingKlan]

It's so neat that you're in Lititz! Your coop looks really fun. I hope you're enjoying your new chickens! I didn't even know that the Green Dragon auction is every week. In Ephrata? I think I saw 1 flier and thought it was annual. Thank you for that bit of information! I am quite a newbie at chickens, too, as my 2 year olds are my first ever. I still have a lot to learn. However, it is all very interesting. Looking at hatching again because the kids like the chicks and the hatching process. And it's really not very difficult when the hen does it for you! Best wishes with your girls!

Yes it's in Ephrata and it's every Friday, not sure if it's all year long but I know it's at least Spring, Summer and Fall. They also have special Saturday auctions... not sure how often, maybe once per month?! I heard about the Saturday auction on here 2 weeks ago and we went to that one, our family has decided we like the auctions lol! I know Root's does it too, however Green Dragon's are a lot cleaner and you can buy/sell in lesser amounts (that opinion is based on my very limited experience).

I decided to get adult chickens or older pullets so we would get eggs sooner (that's supposed to be the whole point)... well this has been a learning experience to say the least

!! However,it's only been a week and we already LOVE the girls, go figure hehe! Hubby is already talking about getting more so we can have the mixed flock I originaly intended... yup, we're hooked

.