Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[Cheeky Chick]

I just saw this and what struck me was how quickly the birds all died without power. My hens don't need life support. Think about this the next time you're tempted to buy the bonus mega pack of chicken at the grocery store.
http://dcist.com/2012/08/chicken_death.php
Factory farming sucks.
I hope you guys do get your own turkeys and that you eat that for a celebration instead of something that has lived a sad little existence in a metal hangar.

That was my ultimate point when considering Meat chickens. (My daughter is really upset about it) but I told her-the birds we buy at the store, come from unknown conditions, eating who knows what kind of feed, having a hard and torturous existence until they are killed. Our birds live a great life, eating treats, bugs, good quality feed, have the ability to free range, and pick at anything they like in the yard. Why support torture?

Our Turkey would be just a pet though. We go to my SIL for Thanksgiving, and there's no way she'd eat a "real" turkey. She thinks the eggs and chicken you get in the store are made there.

 

[Imprfctme]

Good Morning, folks! It's nice and crisp outside! Good morning for a long walk or run. (Or a good coop cleaning-that's what I'm about to do)

I have a question. We are starting a compost pile next to the chicken coop, and I use fresh hay for the girls bedding in the pen. Can I use that in the compost bin? Not ALL of it, since there's SO MUCH, but some of it? My husband says yes, I just wanted to see if anyone else here had any experience with this. I'm raking the coop out today, and it just seems such a waste to toss all that good chicken poop fertilizer in the garbage. (I can't believe I just typed that)

What would you do?

Hey, I have been composting my poopy bedding from the start and it makes for excellent compost. We add the grass clippings and kitchen waste and with the extra shavings I seem to have a good wet/dry balance. I think it's supposed to be 2 parts dry, 1 part wet, although I may be too dry.... still sort of figuring out composting.... anyway...

We had a mini-composter made out of plastic and it just seemed to be a really good way to make flies instead of nice dirt. Then we built our own compost crib out of used wooden pallets. You can find YouTube videos on how to do it. I started with two sections and built a third. You use one for "fresh" stuff, and then rotate it out to the next two. At the end you have nice, dark, dirt - hopefully! Once the garden goes fallow and the chickens have scratched it up to their heart's content I'm going to spread the dirt on it. The only drawback is that I get a lot of surprise plants, mostly cherry tomatoes, but that can be a good thing too. It's sort of fun to see what pops up. Last year we had a cantaloupe. If that bothers you then don't put any seeds in the composter or cook them first.

 

[Imprfctme]

That was my ultimate point when considering Meat chickens. (My daughter is really upset about it) but I told her-the birds we buy at the store, come from unknown conditions, eating who knows what kind of feed, having a hard and torturous existence until they are killed. Our birds live a great life, eating treats, bugs, good quality feed, have the ability to free range, and pick at anything they like in the yard. Why support torture?

Our Turkey would be just a pet though. We go to my SIL for Thanksgiving, and there's no way she'd eat a "real" turkey. She thinks the eggs and chicken you get in the store are made there.

I really do wonder about some people. There was a town debate not far from here about whether or not people should be allowed to keep chickens, and one of the women voting against it said, "Well just get your eggs from the store!" as if there was any other way to get eggs. I wanted to sit her down in front of some battery hen footage.

I don't really tell my children the truth about chicken nuggets and battery hens, they're still too little. I think my youngest has an inkling about it though, she asks questions about where "the other chickens" live and whether or not they are dead now. I suspect I have a future vegan on my hands.... I think it would be great although her dad would probably flip out.

 

[smkchick]

Hey, I have been composting my poopy bedding from the start and it makes for excellent compost. We add the grass clippings and kitchen waste and with the extra shavings I seem to have a good wet/dry balance. I think it's supposed to be 2 parts dry, 1 part wet, although I may be too dry.... still sort of figuring out composting.... anyway...

We had a mini-composter made out of plastic and it just seemed to be a really good way to make flies instead of nice dirt. Then we built our own compost crib out of used wooden pallets. You can find YouTube videos on how to do it. I started with two sections and built a third. You use one for "fresh" stuff, and then rotate it out to the next two. At the end you have nice, dark, dirt - hopefully! Once the garden goes fallow and the chickens have scratched it up to their heart's content I'm going to spread the dirt on it. The only drawback is that I get a lot of surprise plants, mostly cherry tomatoes, but that can be a good thing too. It's sort of fun to see what pops up. Last year we had a cantaloupe. If that bothers you then don't put any seeds in the composter or cook them first.

I had one of those mini-composters and had the same experience. I bought a wood slat one, but I'm going to take it down and move it so I can rotate the pile. I have it in a corner next to an open pile of poopy bedding/scraps/clippings, etc. I figure I'll take the pins out, collapse the box and just assemble it next to where it is. Then I'll have two piles of different ages and a box to put new stuff in.

My brother got the most awesome veggies from what he calls "visitors from the compost". Some hybrid squash and tomatoes the size of soccer balls.

I've heard, though, that too much chicken poop as fertilizer gives lots of green, but not too much fruit/vegetable. That was my experience this year with the store-bought poop I used in the spring.

 

[smkchick]

And speaking of vegan, check out http://www.vegansoapexchange.ecrater.com. I stopped at their booth at the NJ State Fair and bought some soap. Not cheap, but fabulous. I just ordered more online, including some for Laura for her b'day next week. The sent some great free samples. Real nice people, too. The soap lasts and the scents are fantastic. My favorite is lavender/evergreen, but the patchouli is nice too.

 

[magsrags]

Well....interesting fact. 49 days after hatching out their eggs 2 of my 3 broody moms have begun laying again! FINALLY. Its been since June since I've gotten a fresh egg from them.
I notice only the silkie still breaking up treats for the peeps out of the 3 moms as well. The other 2 are gobbliong everything up like they are "done with that mommy stuff".

I guess I'll keep my dh agter all. He went out and bought $300 worth of lumber and a nice screen door to rebuild my coop/run area on his vacation.
Post holes are dug and posts drying in their new cement shoes.:<)) I'll add pics as it gets more interesting.
No more bending opver for eggs.....sigh. Love it! They will have their own little deck as well I think.

 

[Cheeky Chick]

I really do wonder about some people. There was a town debate not far from here about whether or not people should be allowed to keep chickens, and one of the women voting against it said, "Well just get your eggs from the store!" as if there was any other way to get eggs. I wanted to sit her down in front of some battery hen footage.

I don't really tell my children the truth about chicken nuggets and battery hens, they're still too little. I think my youngest has an inkling about it though, she asks questions about where "the other chickens" live and whether or not they are dead now. I suspect I have a future vegan on my hands.... I think it would be great although her dad would probably flip out.

I don't mind my vegetarian kid-she has a job and buys her own Morning Star "meats" and even cooks them herself sometimes. My boys are 100% USDA Carnivores. They like vegetables, my middle guy likes his starches (and Lord know he needs them! SO SKINNY!!) but they like meat. Lots of it, cooking optional. When she decided to become a veg, all we said was that if we didn't see her eating balanced meals, she'd be eating meat faster than she could say "Bacon".

I think people who have no clue where their food comes from need to be shown what goes on at some of the "meat factories". I'm all for eating meat, but the conditions those poor animals live in force me to seek alternative means of providing my family with food.

 

[stoopid]

Rosie, and anyone else that uses Agway in Port Jeff....
Whenever I bought feed, it has usually been around $14-15.00 per 50lb bag, I usually go to Riverhead.
We all have heard about the corn SHIrT and prices going higher, I heard around 20%.
About 2 weeks ago I got feed in Riverhead and it was like $16 something.
Last week I was in Port Jeff, and got a bag of chick grower. They charged me $19.75.
I started planning on getting rid of some birds..... thought this is gonna get crazy.
I went to Agway in Riverhead today. The SAME feed, SAME SKU, I was charged $15.15!
WHAT the F????? I plan on going back th PJ and ripping someone. That is just insane!
Just warning you... I'm not spending any more money in PJ!

 

[Cheeky Chick]

Rosie, and anyone else that uses Agway in Port Jeff....
Whenever I bought feed, it has usually been around $14-15.00 per 50lb bag, I usually go to Riverhead.
We all have heard about the corn SHIrT and prices going higher, I heard around 20%.
About 2 weeks ago I got feed in Riverhead and it was like $16 something.
Last week I was in Port Jeff, and got a bag of chick grower. They charged me $19.75.
I started planning on getting rid of some birds..... thought this is gonna get crazy.
I went to Agway in Riverhead today. The SAME feed, SAME SKU, I was charged $15.15!
WHAT the F????? I plan on going back th PJ and ripping someone. That is just insane!
Just warning you... I'm not spending any more money in PJ!

I don't doubt it-I no longer go to that Agway-even though it's around the corner from my house. It's the neighborhood. Port jeff has more money theoretically, than Riverhead. They adjust accordingly. Walmart in Setauket vs Walmart in Middle Island does the same exact thing. Setaukets prices are MUCH higher than Middle Island. Gas prices as well. We drive down to Horseblock road to get gas-20 cents cheaper!! It's ridiculous. I'm going to have to go to Riverhead Agway from now on, and when the PJ location becomes an empty lot, they'll have had it coming. I did order my last bag of feed from Brians Aquarium-I get my hay there too-I'm not sure what the price was since I also had to get dog food, cat food, bird food, and some other stuff, but I think it was comparable to Riverhead Agway. I've gotta get dog food today, I'll find out.

Is it really all about the corn from the droughts? I've heard some say it was because corn is being used for Ethanol too. Jeez. I wish I lived where the girls could just free range for everything. Cut down on all that stuff.

 

[Cheeky Chick]

Well....interesting fact. 49 days after hatching out their eggs 2 of my 3 broody moms have begun laying again! FINALLY. Its been since June since I've gotten a fresh egg from them.
I notice only the silkie still breaking up treats for the peeps out of the 3 moms as well. The other 2 are gobbliong everything up like they are "done with that mommy stuff".

I guess I'll keep my dh agter all. He went out and bought $300 worth of lumber and a nice screen door to rebuild my coop/run area on his vacation.
Post holes are dug and posts drying in their new cement shoes.:<)) I'll add pics as it gets more interesting.
No more bending opver for eggs.....sigh. Love it! They will have their own little deck as well I think.

OOOh Lucky!!! I can't wait for pictures!!