Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[fisherlady]

Happy day.... sold 14 hens to a nice couple who had a huge crate with a blanket in it for transport in their mini van. Love that the lady thought to put a blanket in for traction. She really liked the silver pencil/ white rock mix hens. She loved how huge they were.
I love that our feed bill just dropped a Bag a week!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Happy day.... sold 14 hens to a nice couple who had a huge crate with a blanket in it for transport in their mini van. Love that the lady thought to put a blanket in for traction. She really liked the silver pencil/ white rock mix hens. She loved how huge they were.
I love that our feed bill just dropped a Bag a week!

That's awesome! Congrats on the sale! Will you be going to the swap this Saturday at tractor supply in Altoona? I'm hoping to unload some of these chicks lol

I'm very excited! My parents got me a greenhouse for my birthday! It's 5' x 5' x 6'. I can't wait to set it up! I wonder if my lemon trees would be able to survive the winter in it. They're getting a bit big to keep hauling in and out of the house every winter.

 

[Mina MEOWZA]

Hi Y'all! I'm a bit behind after getting my new chicks but wanted to pop in to share some photos!!!

Duchess, the Speckled Sussex:

Nugget, the Buff Orpington:

Dumpling, the Wellsummer:

Little Debbie, the Barred Plymouth Rock:

"Dash," the Mottled Java:

Rosie, the Rhode Island Red:

 

[BullChick]

Adorable!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Hi Y'all! I'm a bit behind after getting my new chicks but wanted to pop in to share some photos!!!

Duchess, the Speckled Sussex:
View attachment 1755590

Nugget, the Buff Orpington:
View attachment 1755591

Dumpling, the Wellsummer:
View attachment 1755592

Little Debbie, the Barred Plymouth Rock:
View attachment 1755589

"Dash," the Mottled Java:
View attachment 1755594

Rosie, the Rhode Island Red:
View attachment 1755595

Gorgeous babies!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Catch up time!

Going to go to swap at Ebensburg Agway in the morning. I have almost 20 laying hens and a handful of teenagers to sell. Hoping weather doesn't mess it up.

Hope you did well! I read later you were able to sell 14. You go girl!

Perry County Pennsylvania here, anyone else here close to me?

Hi and welcome!

Central pa, Bellefonte!

Welcome to the fun!

Hi All,

New to BYC and first time chicken owner but have lived in PA all my life. Just moved to a small farm in Berks County in December and am excited to start my chicken flock. Got 12 chicks 3 weeks ago and they've already grown so much!! Just wanted to say hi!!

Hello to you too! Get ready for chicken math...

I would elevate the coop about 20" on posts, then put hardware cloth around base so the entire basement becomes an extension of the run. Then put skirting and landscaping around it for inspection so it isn't obvious. After inspection some of the skirting can be removed for access from the run and cross ventilation. Keep the side skirting pieces though because you will probably want to put them back on in the winter for a wind break.

This is excellent advice. I remember when I got my shed/coop @Auroradream26 (I think) advised me to have it raised up so that they could have some area underneath. She also advised that I make it high enough to be able to crawl/fit under, in case I have to grab any stragglers. Well I am glad I did! I may have to army crawl, but I am at least able to rescue any that have gotten lost underneath.

It also serves as a dry place for dust bathing, when other areas are too wet.

My chicken flock is starting to look small. I think it's the smallest it's been in a few years now. I sold off my brahmas yesterday and all the Marans a couple weeks ago. Pretty much all I have left are a few Seramas, the silkies, the ameraucanas, and English orpingtons. My turkey flock though has almost doubled in size this year lol

Wow! That does sound small. Do you still have any CCLs?

@AnneInTheBurbs
So I spent yesterday making the round trip trek to the extreme SW Pa border for some fresh blood for the Silver Pencil flock. We lost the last rooster we had to a broken hip the winter of 17/18 so only had our White rock roosters and therefore ended up with mixed breed chicks last year. Not only did I get eggs for the current broodies I got a beautiful 1 yr old rooster to introduce to my 6 pencil hens to start getting pure pencil eggs again (I hope the hens cooperate! LOL).
So long story short.... I haven't forgotten and hope to get you some pure SPR by late summer.... As soon as we can complete integration and confirm fertility.

Thank you dear! I had forgotten myself, haha! I’ll be ready in the fall maybe, but I’m drowning in chicks right now, I’ll update below.

In the wilds of PA today...
View attachment 1749838
not knowledgeable on the species of ducks, but the 'gray' one had a feather in it's mouth..maybe a female? They were beautiful in person.
Then we drove a bit further and a turkey was crossing the road...to get to the other side..sorry, I had to do it!
It is the dark spot on the left side of the road...sorry pic is not better...had an older camera with us. Don't want to take the new one out & have it plop into the creek or something like that.
View attachment 1749846
Spotted a few awesome wild flowers out there too! Would LOVE to have these growing in the yard
They were so thick in some places, you wouldn't want to walk for fear of stepping on them. Gorgeous nature, it smelled so good out there. The creeks are still very high & fast. *(see first pic), Makes for very difficult fishing. DH did catch two more for the freezer...so I am way behind now.
Totally cool with me though, just being out & in the woods...away from "things to do"..very good for the soul. We should all do this more. Whatever your bliss may be.
View attachment 1749849 View attachment 1749848 View attachment 1749847
View attachment 1749853 View attachment 1749859 View attachment 1749860

We have been getting 4 regularly now. They are really happy with the garden & yard freedom.

They look great! Love those flowers. The white ones are Dutchman’s Breeches, because they look like pants in the wind. I just “picked some up” myself from the side of the road where I saw them growing... The yellow ones are Trout Lilies I believe, and the red ones are a Trillium variety.

I do love those spring flowers!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Hi
Picture time!

I had divided and given away a bunch of peony’s and irises last year. I didn’t get around to planting this last bit, and I was surprised to see they just started in the planter anyways!

So I got this picture and text from a neighbor.
Her daughter works at a local hatchery. I blocked out the names for discretion. I told her to bring me what she could, I knew I (or a willing broody) could raise them and sell them as ready to lay pullets. She brought me 40! I asked a couple of chicken raising neighbors if they would like any. One lady took 6, another took 12, and another friend will pick up 4 next week. The rest went to my broody turkey, but I’m not sure if she’ll be okay to keep them yet...

We went Thursday night to see the new Avengers movie (pretty good, but 3 hours long!). We weren’t out too late, but when I came home, my older chicks were on the roof, and two went missing. The only good part is that I’m pretty sure that one was a Roo. The neighbor that took 6 chicks gave me a pair (hen and Roo) of Golden Laced Wyandotte’s that her son had picked up for her at TSC. She didn’t want a Roo, and they are the same age as my older chicks, so it works.

Holy cats do these ducks grow fast!! They need to go outside this week. Unfortunately, I just came down with a cold,
So they will have to be basement dwellers a little longer. They do love to get outside and sit by the pool when it was nice out.

Well a couple of days after I got my chicks from Dennis, I went out to the coop and found a few dead. One of the other birds got them, I suppose. I think it may have been a Tom turkey, but who knows. So I immediately separated them and all has been well. Ruby is an excellent mother, even with the multitude of chicks. I think she has about 16.


Okay, back to bed for now...

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Okay, I forgot to mention that the Muscovy duck with the large brown marking on his head (in the front) has been named Fat Albert. I thought something was wrong with him at first because he laid around most of the time. But he’s just so big. He is also the calmest, though he does bite my hand when i go near him.

I’ve been looking for one of these for a while, an IBC so I don’t have to drag buckets of water every day back through the woods. A neighbor was selling a couple for $50 each, which was the cheapest I’ve seen them around here. Just needs a good power washing.

 

[BullChick]

Feel better!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Wow! That does sound small. Do you still have any CCLs?

No, I sold them all off. There was just no market for them at all around here. I have silkies/showgirls, English orpingtons, a couple Seramas and ameraucanas now. There are a couple other random hens but that's pretty much it.

I hope you feel better soon! Sorry for the recent losses too.

I can't believe they were going to destroy all those chicks! That's so hard to understand. I mean, I know why they do it but it's so cruel. I'm glad that you were able to take them in! 40 is a lot but still!