Maine

[Jazor]

...

Who in Maine has Leghorns? ...

I also know Sunflower Farm Creamery (Cumberland) has a mixed flock with a white leghorn who seems to always be off doing it's own thing: sitting in the loft of the barn judging the goats, running around the yard squawking, or generally free ranging about the farm. It doesn't seem to pick on anyone, and is actually in plain sight more than the rest of their birds. Believe they've got a mix of australorps and orpingtons, which are docile birds. No bullying I've seen in my trips out there.

Thanks LG. My chicks are 10 weeks and I think I'll put them in with the flock in a separate pen this week. Maybe I'll be able to mix them in after a month or so....

I put my littles in the barn anywhere from 8-10 weeks in the small coop, then after 2-3 weeks (depending how old they are when they go on) I will start opening their coop door. This lets them go out and free range with the bigs, if they choose to. It also allows the bigs to get into their coop, which forces some socialization. If there are any signs of fighting (aside from the typical chest bumping) I close them up and try again a few days later.

Eventually they will have to mingle with the bigger birds and establish their own place in the order. It seems to take 4-7 days for my birds to go from being the "new kid" who gets chased away from food, to being established in the order comfortably. Some faster than others, but it seems to be a good enough system. My 17 week old pullets are now in the main coop, and the ... I don't even know (12 week old?) chicks are now starting to come out of the barn and mix in with everyone else on their own. Wont be too much longer before the pullets in that bunch are moved to the main coop and the second coop is strictly for bantams from that point on.

As a side note: my **** turkeys think the barn is their vacation home--I've got one that every night will go to roost in the small coop with the 12-ish week old chicks on their roost. One that goes into the main coop and sleeps in the window to their run. One that gets into the duck pen and sleeps on top of the ducks' house, which they don't really seem to care for. If they didn't taste so good, I'd wonder what their use was. Dumb turks. Funny though.

 

[lazy gardener]

He was hatched on 4/1 with the rest of the youngsters. This morning, there was much less drama, so I'll just watch and see how he does. He's quite pretty, and hopefully carries the blue egg genetics. came from a blue egg, so, we'll see. He'll be the lone roo with 15 girls to tend, but of course, he has his heart set on the alpha hen. Every time he pegs her, she gives him what for, as do all of the hens.

 

[buckabucka]

Small world! I just packed up my excess cockerels and 9 older hens. In four years, I have never lost a single bird to predators, and only lost 3 adult birds to natural causes, so I was feeling torn up about getting rid of these hens.
When I got to the house where I was delivering them, there were ducks, chickens, and rabbits. After some conversation, I found it was TayFray (not sure I spelled that right), who's been on the forum! I am so happy!
I know ultimately, these birds will die, change hands, or go to the stew pot, but for now, I know they are in good hands and I am greatly relieved. I hope my Welsummers will lay a few of their beautiful eggs for her. My coop seems quiet, but more spacious now, - a much more reasonable number to keep in that coop for winter. I'm going to integrate the 7 pullets into the hoop coop where there is more space. I had to go to "downtown" New Sharon, so I picked up some different feed while I was there.

 

[Branch Chickens]

I had to go to "downtown" New Sharon, so I picked up some different feed while I was there.

I love "downtown" New Sharon. When my husband and I were living in Wilton, we looked at renting there to try to cut his commute to Augusta. Also got my father's Toyota Camry stuck on a snowmobile trail in the woods there when my husband and I were dating. We mistook it for an actual road. That's a fun memory.

 

[dowgirl71]

He was hatched on 4/1 with the rest of the youngsters. This morning, there was much less drama, so I'll just watch and see how he does. He's quite pretty, and hopefully carries the blue egg genetics. came from a blue egg, so, we'll see. He'll be the lone roo with 15 girls to tend, but of course, he has his heart set on the alpha hen. Every time he pegs her, she gives him what for, as do all of the hens.

Is this the one that you'd originally traded me for?

 

[dowgirl71]

If I were home I'da hepped ya with them cockerels, though they'd be destined for an all expenses paid holiday to freezer camp.

I've actually given some thought to what I'd do with my older hens (when I have em and they're gettin on). I figure if they're good brooders and moms and can still work the compost heap, they're still useful to me even if their laying days are behind them. The Bible does say, if you don't work, you don't eat.

On a different note, (or speaking of eating?)
Where do folks in the Bangor zone buy their feed? Blue Seal, TSC a local mill?

I usually get my "girls" feed from Aubuchon Hardware. They have the Purina brand. On another Bangor note: the next chicken/farm swap is on Saturday, August 23rd at the TSC on Broadway.

 

[Tnic]

I usually get my "girls" feed from Aubuchon Hardware. They have the Purina brand. On another Bangor note: the next chicken/farm swap is on Saturday, August 23rd at the TSC on Broadway.

There's a slim chance we'll be home by then, but a very slim chance.

 

[ducklucky]

As far as integrating, there are many different ways to do so, but will give you my successful experiences. Raise up those babies indoors until you can't take it anymore, and put them out in a separate pen, and where the free ranging hens can see them. When they get adjusted to the outdoors, let them out to range also. Eventually, they will integrate. We currently have our best RI Red cockerel courting the 3 year old hens, he hangs out with them all day, but still comes back to his night pen. When I pet the older girls, they put their butts in the air, so still open to breeding I suppose. They haven't been "laid" for two years now, so...

Probably because the hen coop is so darn dirty right now, it is on the list.

To those of you who get rid of hens after a few years, I don't get that. My 3 year olds lay more eggs than we can eat, spring, summer, fall. Why do yours stop, is it the breed? Just curious. We even get a few eggs in the worst of winter.

But integrating need not be a task, it's a gradual process, you can't just throw them together, although have had success with that too if they are all young and within a few months of each other. My roo is almost 4 months and feeling his oats, very handsome and super friendly, and he and his brother and sister live with the ducks right now. They were in with the guineas, but the guineas started attacking them. So put them in with the ducks in the outdoor pen, and they coexist peacefully so far, but hope they will go by themselves to the coop once it is cleaned out. Rough winter, y'all know, layering and layering. But everyone seems to be getting along, and he is courting one hen in particular, and she seems open to his advances. As far as the young lady, she will probably have a more difficult time, but she does mingle and they don't bother her. Who knows, we just hope no one gets hurt, but those guineas were BRUTALLY attacking, must be coming into sexual maturity, so the hormones are raging.

I do have an extra RI Red cockerel, hatched 4/26 hatchery, very healthy, handsome and friendly, and will give him to a good home. He disguised himself as a girl for quite a while, so he may be, well, a happy rooster. Anyway, he is here to a good home.

Good luck to you all as you integrate all your spring babies and like us, get everything cleaned out for next winter. At least we all have good fertilizer and compost material!

 

[buckabucka]

Originally posted by ducklucky
"To those of you who get rid of hens after a few years, I don't get that. My 3 year olds lay more eggs than we can eat, spring, summer, fall. Why do yours stop, is it the breed? Just curious. We even get a few eggs in the worst of winter."

For me, I needed the space to add younger birds that I hatched (trying to add a new breed), but also at 4 years old, they do slow down in egg production, and yes, it does depend on the breed. I have a hatchery black copper Marans that I swear only laid 16 eggs in her 4 years here. The Barnevelder and Welsummers are still laying, but not very frequently anymore. The white leghorn is still productive, as well as the Easter eggers. I let them go just because there were others I was more emotionally attached to. My Crossbeak EE very rarely gives off an egg, but she is a pet to me.

There are breeds that are very productive year-round and for a long time, but I select breeds that are less productive, but good yard art. And I insist that they all lay different colors. It is just what interests me.

 

[lazy gardener]

Is this the one that you'd originally traded me for?

Yep! He's a looker, and gets to stay if he can behave himself. I'll post pics of him and the SLW when i get around to it.

As far as integrating, there are many different ways to do so, but will give you my successful experiences. Raise up those babies indoors until you can't take it anymore, and put them out in a separate pen, and where the free ranging hens can see them. When they get adjusted to the outdoors, let them out to range also. Eventually, they will integrate. f

That's pretty much what I did, with the additional step of putting them in at night in the lower level of the coop, sectioned off, then I took out the divider, and gave them a couple of extra perches in the "outer coop" and left the loft door opened so they could go where they wanted.

Re: Roosters, mine still in jail, except for the one who gets to stay. I have available, free for the taking: Black sex links, (EE x PBR) look like barred rock with a bit of red bleeding, with pea comb. RIR x EE, nice looking birds with good size, mild mannered. I also have a couple of nice Pioneer girls for sale. If anyone wants them to put some size into their flock. I'm betting they'd lay a nice big egg. Very mild mannered, but not feed thrifty. Out foraging daily with the rest of the flock. Freezer camp day is Saturday. PM if interested.