Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[chiques chicks]

And welcome to all the new people from Lancaster county! Great to have you!

I've been busy trying to keep up with the outdoor chores all summer. All the storms brought down limbs and trees and the farmer next door kindly dumps his in my field so I can use the wood!

And if anyone needs weeds, I have a bumper crop this year!

 

[MamaFreeRange]

Unless they are frozen to the point of cracking, I haven't found any difference. Ideally, you collect eggs more often in super cold conditions to avoid them getting frozen.

I wonder if it would be safe and effective to put a heating pad in the bottom of the nestbox. Might make them linger in there longer that needed, like not wanting to get out of a warm bed. Had anyone ever tried this? Maybe pad in the bottom with some 1/4 HW cloth over it, then pine shavings. Would that get too hot and start a fire?

That's a good idea! And I don't think it would be a fire hazard if you used something meant to be near animals. Like maybe a reptile tank heater (The kind you lay under it), or maybe a seed starter warming pad??. Something along those lines. I had wondered about maybe hanging a light above each nest, but, I wonder if that would be "annoying" to the hen trying to lay there *shrugs*

 

[ErinsFlock]

If I don't sell these at the next swap(s), I'll have them for another month (which I'm not hoping for). If I don't sell them, I'd love for you to take them.

I would love that, please let me know!

 

[wingstone]

Rough night. Can't get my act together. Something caused chaos in my main run. I have a cockerel with it's head ripped off, but body is still breathing. I want to put it out of it's misery, but can't figure out how. Any ideas? I don't want the grandsons to happen upon the massacre. I'm pretty upset.

Large shears from the shed, the kind used on tree limbs, or a hatchet.
A large rock if need be, remember he has been traumatized, so make this as quick as possible.
Afterwards, go inside and have a drink, you earned it, unfortunately these things will happen and we need to do our part in not letting them suffer.


I would come over and do this for you if it wasn't so dang far away

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Hello Pennsylvania people! I'm fairly new and my husband and I are in the stages of planning our coop. I have a question about ventilation and drafts. We live in Southeast Pennsylvania so we get bad winters, how can I properly ventilate my coop without making it too cold for them? We won't be able to run electricity to the coop this year, unfortunately but I've been reading that they don't really require it.

Any insight yall can provide would be wonderful and super helpful.

Thank you!

Welcome! Listen to the advice on here, I built my coop last October and everyone has great tips. The only thing I didn't listen to was to make my coop bigger than I think I will need it. I regret that now!

Hello everyone! I am so happy I found this thread. I am new to chickens, we got our 4 girls 2 months ago. My husband is already working on building a bigger coop, I am just in love with these girls and ready to add more to our family! We live about 35 miles north east of Pittsburgh, just wondering if anyone else is close.

Welcome to the fun!

Haha. I believe in that too, my husband is on the fence, lol. He works second shift and is paranoid he won't finish in time or money will need to get used elsewhere.

I want a black Australorp, buff orpington, silver laced and golden laced Wyandotte, barred rock, Easter Egger and salmon faverolle.

Oh you'll finish it in time, and if you don't, you'll make do.

The green label next to my posts says "Overrun with chickens", and that is too true. Last week I passed the "500 chicks hatched" marker and the incubator is still cranking. I added 40+ eggs tonight to hatch for a friend. You think someday we'll be in a program to help us overcome our obsession?

Luckily, I can quit anytime I want . . .

"De Nile" is not just a river in Egypt! . You couldn't stop now if you tried!

How cool!! Thanks for the warm welcome!! 
Since I am right on Main street (the main drag into) and even though the lady of the city said there are no limits, I really AM limited to the amount I can have and still be able keep things semi-quiet, tidy and "in control" I'm only wanting around 4 or 5 more to add to my existing 5. I have asked a woman here in Punxsy to please keep two of her hens for me (ready any time I am), I would want probably 2 more. I HAVE to stop there...right?! lol This is NOT good...I am finding it very VERY hard to find my self control. Noone told me chickens were addictive!!! Help. P.S. Yes, I only want hens for now. Any large, cold tolerant breed at least decent with children. Marans...Orpingtons, Barred Rocks...etc. Not too picky, so long as they like laying Would love to stay in touch also...as I will eventually, actually NEED more chickens lol 

I think you are my sister from another Mister! Welcome! I have one Barred Rock, one Buff Orp, One Black Australorp, One Silver Laced Wyandotte, and two bantam Langston mixes. I also have a pitbull mix whom we love. I started with getting 4 laying hens, then I got 5 in case we had a tragedy. After the tragedy I replaced the 1 with 2 small girls. Hubby and I live in suburbia on less than a half acre lot. I love having chickens!

I have a banty Polish in with my large hens. She rules the roost. I guess she didn't get memo she is smaller than everyone else lol I have my Polish in with my Barred Rocks, Golden laced wyandottes, Cuckoo Marans and a barnyard mixed hen. She talks everyone listens. lol She is older than everyone else but even when I had the other girls that were older, she ruled the roost.  (I turned over my flock)

Right? My two Bantam girls boss everyone around, and their previous owner said they were the ones who were always bullied.

Ever have one of those evenings? I showered around four, and again 3 hours later (I had a hair treatment in). I went to collect eggs about fifteen minutes later. I saw the one pen of turkeys needed water. I went to fill their water, and while putting the base back on, I was showered with liquid fertilizer that I hadn't noticed in the base. I guess I should add that I was doing this above my head.
So, back into the house, and try to get the dogs out of my way without touching them or getting crap on anything. I am happy to say I am kinda clean now. The dogs needed out, and that meant walking through the grass which I am convinced is crawling with slugs out to kill me.

How do you have so many slugs if you have chickens?

Rough night. Can't get my act together. Something caused chaos in my main run. I have a cockerel with it's head ripped off, but body is still breathing. I want to put it out of it's misery, but can't figure out how. Any ideas? I don't want the grandsons to happen upon the massacre. I'm pretty upset.

So sorry to hear that. Good luck with him.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Love this picture but Dang it! Someone has gone broody! And she has been an excellent layer. At least my other girls are starting to lay......

 

[MamaFreeRange]

Welcome! Listen to the advice on here, I built my coop last October and everyone has great tips. The only thing I didn't listen to was to make my coop bigger than I think I will need it. I regret that now!

Welcome to the fun!
Oh you'll finish it in time, and if you don't, you'll make do.
"De Nile" is not just a river in Egypt!

. You couldn't stop now if you tried!

I think you are my sister from another Mister! Welcome! I have one Barred Rock, one Buff Orp, One Black Australorp, One Silver Laced Wyandotte, and two bantam Langston mixes. I also have a pitbull mix whom we love. I started with getting 4 laying hens, then I got 5 in case we had a tragedy. After the tragedy I replaced the 1 with 2 small girls.

Hubby and I live in suburbia on less than a half acre lot. I love having chickens!
Right? My two Bantam girls boss everyone around, and their previous owner said they were the ones who were always bullied.

How do you have so many slugs if you have chickens?

So sorry to hear that.

Good luck with him.

Well, I FINALLY get to meet my long lost sistah! lol

Methinks I'm going to love having chickens as well. We live in VERY close proximity to a dentist's office. In fact, when they park, they are staring in my back yard! It is HIGH TIME we build that fence I've been talking about. Sure...we have one now, but, it's a chain link...no privacy. Come income tax, we're building!! My own little chicken/garden sanctuary, right here in town Thora (our Pitty) will just love it! Maybe you can come visit my sanctuary someday!!

 

[artsyrobin]

hey everyone, hope its ok to post this here, my daughter and family are in Pittsburgh, she called to say her 13 year old has run away, he is in Murphysborro, i am in oklahoma so can't do much but get the word out and ask for prayer..

 

[wingstone]

Thinking of changing my fermented feed to all grains and top dressing that with a little dry 16% grower pellets..

One of the reasons that I can sell. My products at a lower cost is I use what I can to keep cost down...

I have corn (in the process of getting a hammer mill for this)
I have wheat
I have barley
Trying to figure a way to use the soybeans without the cost of somebody roasting them.
I have feeders of oyster shell hanging in all pens
All have dirt available, I believe they get some needed minerals from the dirt..even my quail gets pans of dirt and sand for this purpose.

I have these things at a small cost (no middleman to pay)..
How doable does this sound, without adding lots of other supplements..

I credit the soybeans for keeping my birds laying all winter long last year, but roasting pans of beans in my oven was a pain....it was the only thing I did differently last winter and I never got the winter time drop in eggs.

 

[K3UG]

Fresh transplant to Chester County from California here. I built a coop in California and had 7 hens and plenty of eggs for my use, and friends too.. I'm hoping to do something similar at my new place here in Lower Oxford Township in the spring.

Anybody familiar with the ordinances in this area?

Thanks.