Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[heatherscooby77]

Have you been weaning them off the light??? How many are there??? I let mine out at 4 weeks. I give them a rubbermaid container with hay in to snuggle if they want to. They are in 12x12 foot area. There is usually at least 20 in there. My chicken coop is a converted horse barn. They usually don't have feathers on there head/neck yet.

As for your laws, as long as all the neighbors have the chickens, and nobody complains about it. They will prob never know! Have fun, try not to keep roosters though!!!!

For those of you here in south central pa, a couple of questions...
Since I'm a complete newbie I'm a little unsure when to put my chicks out.... I'm seeing as early as three Weeks on the chick raising forum?... With our weather here (cooler), when do y'all put yours out? Just wondering...
Also, how ridiculous are some of the laws around here about having chickens?!? I got my hens because my neighbors have 9 or 10 and my other neighbors are building a coop and getting some so I assumed they were allowed (we live by a freakin' dairy farm!)....
Hubby had me call our township office for information purposes and they said you can only have them if you're in the agricultural zoning and even then only if you have a minimum of 3 acres! Seriously?!?

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Missy, THANK YOU!! Mechanicsburg is not too awful far, don't be surprised if I take you up on this! My SIL said he'd come out this weekend and check things out. He had his fox hunting license this year but didn't get anything.

I'm a bit conflicted as like Beaglady said, probably a momma fox feeding her kits, I don't really want to lure her back here. It's my job to make my chickens inaccessible to her so she'll go get some of the umpteen million wild rabbits I keep seeing.

 

[missydcpc]

I understand that...and it's something I've tried to explain to the kids. Other animals need to eat too, I'd prefer if they don't eat the chickens...

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Opinion time!!!!

I understand that going to see birds at a person's property is fun, but is it so awful when a person tells you that they would prefer to meet in a public place instead of meeting at their house?

It just bugs me to think someone knows where I live, what I have and know that they can come get it without me being here.

Anyone else think this cynically?

 

[heatherscooby77]

No that is not cynical at all! I do the same thing. Its also biosecurity. I am not hiding anything about my chickens, I am just protecting them from theft.

Opinion time!!!!

I understand that going to see birds at a person's property is fun, but is it so awful when a person tells you that they would prefer to meet in a public place instead of meeting at their house?

It just bugs me to think someone knows where I live, what I have and know that they can come get it without me being here.

Anyone else think this cynically?

 

[mama2my4]

Opinion time!!!!

I understand that going to see birds at a person's property is fun, but is it so awful when a person tells you that they would prefer to meet in a public place instead of meeting at their house?

It just bugs me to think someone knows where I live, what I have and know that they can come get it without me being here.

Anyone else think this cynically?

Not at all. What I do (because I feel it is safer for me) is have them come to the house. But typically I have the birds in question separated out and in the garage. I have 4 little ones that are with me 24/7 so it is hard to go meet someone. But, I have on occasion sent Hubby

 

[beaglady]

I have had people come to my house, sometimes, to pick up birds. They are not random strangers that have creeped me out from Craigslist, though. Generally, they've been folks from various forums, and were folks I liked and considered as online friends. Actually one of them IS one of my real life best friends now.

 

[heatherscooby77]

I can agree with that. If I "know" the person even from here for example, I would have them come to the house.

I have had people come to my house, sometimes, to pick up birds. They are not random strangers that have creeped me out from Craigslist, though. Generally, they've been folks from various forums, and were folks I liked and considered as online friends. Actually one of them IS one of my real life best friends now.

 

[mama2my4]

I have had people come to my house, sometimes, to pick up birds. They are not random strangers that have creeped me out from Craigslist, though. Generally, they've been folks from various forums, and were folks I liked and considered as online friends. Actually one of them IS one of my real life best friends now.

Funny how that works out, huh

 

[Aeropennchick]

I agree that first and foremost, this is biosecurity, as well as protection of your property. I can see that someone might be initially insulted, but if they have the chicken's best interests in mind, they should get over it and realize that it is safer this way. I can tell you that as a recent chick buyer, it was nice to be able to see the conditions that the adult birds were being kept in, and the overall health of the flock. But I did not interact with any of the animals except the chicks I had come to purchase.
At my house, we have lots of shotguns and two big dogs (and one little dachshund!) - I'm not too worried about theft

Maybe you should get a flock dog if you are worried about that sort of thing?

Opinion time!!!!

I understand that going to see birds at a person's property is fun, but is it so awful when a person tells you that they would prefer to meet in a public place instead of meeting at their house?

It just bugs me to think someone knows where I live, what I have and know that they can come get it without me being here.

Anyone else think this cynically?