Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[stake]

Are there bio concerns with open walks? We are planning on letting our birds use our side yard, around 20'x40', sharing with our dog

no bio concerns...but without a roo to keep your girls in the yard they may wander...I've chased mine around my neighborhood more than once...Now they've learned and come to me when they see me and never leave the yard...its a learning curve....hope this helps...

 

[chiques chicks]

Are there bio concerns with open walks? We are planning on letting our birds use our side yard, around 20'x40', sharing with our dog

There are always bio concerns. Wild birds can carry disease, soul can harbor pathogens. But it isn't ant different than going to the site is for us, IMHO. I don't sweat it, but the possibility of my flock being wiped out is always there. Two neighbors have poultry, there are wild birds everywhere, only so much I can do.

 

[dheltzel]

There are always bio concerns. Wild birds can carry disease, soul can harbor pathogens. But it isn't ant different than going to the site is for us, IMHO. I don't sweat it, but the possibility of my flock being wiped out is always there. Two neighbors have poultry, there are wild birds everywhere, only so much I can do.

Agreed! Keeping chickens is fun, or at least it should be. All the obsessing that professionals so is more than I could take. I want the best I can do for my chickens, emphasis in "I can do", some things I just can't do for reasons like time, money, etc.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

He will most likely look similar in color to this.

Thanks for the picture!

Hello Birdsboro Berks County here. 2 Red Sex Links and 2 LIR Buffs and looking for more.

You can always find more chickens here....

It was nice meeting you in person, I'm glad the chicks went to someone who appreciates their genetics. wingstone, you're Rhodebar's grandkids are really spreading out across the area.

They'll be spreading into Bradford County soon hopefully!

I am about 35-40 minutes south of 80... but nowhere near flat here, our house is on a ridge at over 1900 ft... Too early in the year!?! It's never too early for chicks.... just ask our broody hens!! A few more pics of Gracie's latest... she ended up with 6.... she's going to have her wings full in a couple of weeks!

So cute! She really is a world class broody! Question for you, do female silkies make different funny chicken noises, or is it just the Roos? My boy makes this squawky gargled call, hard to explain!

Wasabi: I got my original chicks from Pickering in the last week of Feb a couple of years ago....I kept them inside 8 weeks then out to the grow out pen....they probably could've gone out earlier...depends on where you live....if this is your first time with chicks here's a couple of things to think about... 1 free range of penned 2 cold hardy 3 bears confinment 4 broodiness 5 egg color 6 LF or Bantem also consider: 1 you will have some loses or may get an unwanted roo or two...get extas 2 build a coop twice the size of the number you think you want 3 whatever you think you want now...as you learn more you will want different breeds (hint extra coop space).... my two cents...

Excellent advice, and let me add again...Make the coop bigger than you think you need. Iheard the advice but did not need it, I am sorry now.

Welcome new people! Chicks now? Only 120 quail eggs and two dozen chicken eggs in the incubator. Keeping mice out of feed? I store it in metal trash cans. Don't worry about the coop. My runs are large and open, not much reason to worry about bio, wild birds are in there all the time. I just hope for the best. Plenty of people here with lots of breeds that are willing to share.

I'm pretty low key here too. I keep my feed in a big plastic locking box, and don't worry about in the run. I try to keep my girls safe from predators more than biohazards, buts that's just me. I figure I can't prevent everything, so I just try to focus on the big obvious issues.

Are there bio concerns with open walks? We are planning on letting our birds use our side yard, around 20'x40', sharing with our dog

My birds free range in my small suburban backyard with my dog. I think the biggest danger is being able to trust your dog. My dog was desensitized early with the young chicks, so she doesn't bother them at all. In fact, the hens peck at my pitbull mix if she gets to close to them! Gross reality though, on occasion, I have seen my chickens picking out corn from the dog poop. So be sure to clean that stuff up. Oh, ands some dogs do eat chicken poop too. Maybe I should stop now....

 

[fisherlady]

So cute! She really is a world class broody! Question for you, do female silkies make different funny chicken noises, or is it just the Roos? My boy makes this squawky gargled call, hard to explain!

We certainly got lucky when we found her! She is the only Silkie we have, and honestly we can't be certain she is a pure silkie, though she most likely is, but hatchery quality.... the woman we bought her off of didn't know if she was from a group she had gotten at a feed mill or a mix chick hatched from the original group..... it was a pretty poor situation that she was in at the time but as best we can figure she was nearly a year old when we got her almost 3 years ago.
As far as noises.... I don't know if it is a silkie trait, but she has a funny purring trill.... sort of sounds like a Tribble (if you are a Star Trek original series junkie) and her daughter does it also. Sometimes it is soft and melodic and sometimes it is rather sharp. It is hard to describe but it is a bit different than any of the noises the other hens make. And she can certainly squawk an alarm when she thinks there is a problem nearby!
I don't have any pure silkie roosters, and only ever hatched 3 of her eggs, 2 were hens and one rooster who had a very squawky, harsh crow.

 

[emorems0]

I live in New castle,pa.is there anyone on here in this area that wants to go in on an order for chickens? The site I'm using requires a $25 minimum, and our order only adds up to $12. Quote:
Originally Posted by dheltzel


Too bad you are so far from me, I'd have you come over and look at my chicks. Not worth the drive unless you are heading to the Philly area for other reasons.

If I were you, I'd order extra pullets of some very popular breeds (Ameracaunas and Barred Rocks are a safe bet). Then when you have them, post on Craigslist to sell the extras for a profit, it might cover at least the postage, might even get your chicks for "free". Though I have to be honest and tell you that the price of the chicks is the cheapest part of keeping chickens.

Hey neighbor! I'm just down the road in Ohioville/Industry (about 15 minutes west of Beaver). I could actually (theoretically) ferry some of dheltzel's chicks to you since I make fairly frequent trips back home to Allentown. Next trip home isn't until the first week of March though. I actually bought a couple of chicks in Collegeville (near Philly) last summer and drove them cross state because I couldn't find what I wanted out here (I think they were 4 weeks old at the time), the rest of ours we hatched from eggs. We have 2 RIR and 3 Black Australorps (including 1 rooster).

 

[dheltzel]

We certainly got lucky when we found her! She is the only Silkie we have, and honestly we can't be certain she is a pure silkie, though she most likely is, but hatchery quality.... the woman we bought her off of didn't know if she was from a group she had gotten at a feed mill or a mix chick hatched from the original group..... it was a pretty poor situation that she was in at the time but as best we can figure she was nearly a year old when we got her almost 3 years ago.
As far as noises.... I don't know if it is a silkie trait, but she has a funny purring trill.... sort of sounds like a Tribble (if you are a Star Trek original series junkie) and her daughter does it also. Sometimes it is soft and melodic and sometimes it is rather sharp. It is hard to describe but it is a bit different than any of the noises the other hens make. And she can certainly squawk an alarm when she thinks there is a problem nearby!
I don't have any pure silkie roosters, and only ever hatched 3 of her eggs, 2 were hens and one rooster who had a very squawky, harsh crow.

Do you think the writers of Star Trek got the idea for Tribbles from someone's pet silkie?
Possible, I think. I used to tell "city kids" that I got my silkies by crossing a chicken and a rabbit. Teenage boys can be mean like that.

 

[Wasabisclucks]

Hey neighbor! I'm just down the road in Ohioville/Industry (about 15 minutes west of Beaver). I could actually (theoretically) ferry some of dheltzel's chicks to you since I make fairly frequent trips back home to Allentown. Next trip home isn't until the first week of March though. I actually bought a couple of chicks in Collegeville (near Philly) last summer and drove them cross state because I couldn't find what I wanted out here (I think they were 4 weeks old at the time), the rest of ours we hatched from eggs. We have 2 RIR and 3 Black Australorps (including 1 rooster).

thanks for the offer, my wife and I have been all over the map on the issue. We may go to kittanning, they have what we're looking for, waiting another six weeks for the minimum order to go down, or just roll the dice with the feed mills.This is a great sight,I hope I'll be able to contribute with more than questions soon.Thanks again, I'm on my way to Bruce Mansfield to payroll the budding hobby. Talk to you later

 

[wingstone]

wow. busy group.
no quote's and can not remember who said what but..

I have a purring silkie also, more like a soft snoring at times.
Bio hazards are all around....I was often told by the vet that stopped when we had the pigs that the sparrows we have all over the place is the biggest threat we would have. and I can see many large production houses from the yard, but was told that I am a threat to them because of the openness and the wild birds...and as far as people, if u show up with crap all over your shoes I may tell you to stay in the car but otherwise I do not worry about it..except CC with him I would have to inspect his toes since he often is barefoot or very little footwear.

Dheltzel, those little stories of the teenage boy may be why so many misconception are around with the city folks. but then I will admit sometimes I just let things go and agree with them because I am not in the mood for the argument...

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

wow. busy group.
no quote's and can not remember who said what but..

I have a purring silkie also, more like a soft snoring at times.
Bio hazards are all around....I was often told by the vet that stopped when we had the pigs that the sparrows we have all over the place is the biggest threat we would have. and I can see many large production houses from the yard, but was told that I am a threat to them because of the openness and the wild birds...and as far as people, if u show up with crap all over your shoes I may tell you to stay in the car but otherwise I do not worry about it..except CC with him I would have to inspect his toes since he often is barefoot or very little footwear.

Dheltzel, those little stories of the teenage boy may be why so many misconception are around with the city folks.   but then I will admit sometimes I just let things go and agree with them because I am not in the mood for the argument...

My Silkie Roo doesn't purr so much, but every once in a while he just goes "Waaaahhh!". I have to try to get a recording, it's just really funny. The hens don't respond at all when he does it.

I know I am probably considered "city folk", but I remember when I was still doing nails I had a client who only bought brown eggs because "they always taste better". She wouldn't listen to reason that it wasn't about the egg color, but what the chicken ate.