Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[Mahlzeit]

Sorry I didn't realize the weight of the feather fixer. I've been giving it as an extra protein supplement for the cold. Trying to farm mealworms , it's just a slow process. I've heard agway feed is very good. I was thinking of switching since again I'm already out there. Sometimes I'm neptunes guinea pig with new products they're trying to launch for the chickens. They mostly do horse feed & exotic feed. They supply Madonna stables with feed and the cole bros circus when they come to town.

When did you start the mealworming? I've been thinking about trying.

 

[lindychick]

When did you start the mealworming? I've been thinking about trying. 

I started a little before Christmas. I have some pupae but no beetles yet. I only got about 250 from my local petco. Most of the things I was reading on the tread on here people start with 1000. I figure I have all winter to experiment.

 

[Mahlzeit]

Is it a lot of work?

 

[HippyChippy]

I have not had too much trouble with the cold. I mean, they don't seem to like it, but they do alright in it. I have lost more birds to the heat than the cold. This is winter number 4 for me. I have put Vaseline on those with the really floppy combs and waddles to help prevent frostbite when it is this cold out. I will keep them cooped in tomorrow to preserve the warmth in the coops, but we don't insulate or provide supplemental heat in there. Dry and draft free, as Lapeerian points out, are the key.

 

[HippyChippy]

...

I have not had too much trouble with the cold. I mean, they don't seem to like it, but they do alright in it. I have lost more birds to the heat than the cold. This is winter number 4 for me. I have put Vaseline on those with the really floppy combs and waddles to help prevent frostbite when it is this cold out. I will keep them cooped in tomorrow to preserve the warmth in the coops, but we don't insulate or provide supplemental heat in there. Dry and draft free, as Lapeerian points out, are the key.
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I pressed the wrong button before... sorry

I only have two little Serama girls to help through the winter and as this was my first winter with chickens I was very nervous. I would go out every night and close the coop and open it again in the morning. Then one night I locked them out of the coop and the next morning when I went to open them up I found them roosting on the perch at the top of the run. The run is totally enclosed with hardware cloth and has a wooden roof on half the run and plexiglass on the other half. So they were protected. They were happy to see me but none the worse for their experience. Now, even in the 9* weather we had, I don't close them in. They huddle together either on the perch inside, on the side of the coop or in the nesting box. Most nights they roost on the high perch in the run. They had stopped laying when the weather turned cold and maybe the days were shorter too but when we had the hot spell in the high 50's* they started laying again. They are very sweet little birds. I haven't found anything, food wise, that they get excited about. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[HippyChippy]

Ok, so I am out of control already. I just put in an order for 25 chicks and 3 dozen hatching eggs... it is going to be a busy spring. It is so good to be feeling better!!! Happy new year everyone!

Do you ever sell any of the chicks once hatched or do you just add them to your flock?

 

[queenchick16]

Jerseyhen, did I mention that there is a tractor supply only a couple of miles from the congress. I went last year on the way home.
Got my seeds from territorial.i can't wait. Now to chicken proof the gardens.

Hippy, there will be many people on herein the Spring with chicks, although its a great ride to meet Jersy for a swap.

 

[HippyChippy]

Jerseyhen, did I mention that there is a tractor supply only a couple of miles from the congress. I went last year on the way home.
Got my seeds from territorial.i can't wait. Now to chicken proof the gardens.

Hippy, there will be many people on herein the Spring with chicks, although its a great ride to meet Jersy for a swap.

Hi Queenchick, I'd love to meet in NJ for a swap. I think I'd like to drive up to Wethersfield to that seed place that jersey hen was talking about too and that's next Sunday. I can't drive to the poultry congress though because my husband doesn't think it's fair to put the work of new chickens on my kid's shoulders when we will be traveling at the end of the month... So I will have to wait (very impatiently) until the weather warms up.

 

[HippyChippy]

Notice how I just assumed that some chickens would jump into my bag if I went to the congress....! Lol

 

[HippyChippy]

Those little buggers are really so cute and quite addictive