UPDATE: Chickenless No More!!!!! : D

[2DogsFarm]

Thanks to whichever COTHer pointed me at the BackyardChickens BB,
I now have five 9wk old pullets making their cute selves at home in my coop :D

Introducing:
The Delaware Sisters: Noodle & Salad
The Black Star Twins: Extra Crispy & Markena
&
The Houdan Queen: Ms Misty Cologne

If I were not technologically damned I could post pics...
Instead I will do the Happy Hen Dance
<*<*<*<* <*
8< 8< 8< 8<8<
!! !! !! !! !!

(okay - Queen of StickArt I am not)

[Everythingbutwings]

How about this on the Poultry One forums (http://poultryone.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3456)? If you scroll down, you come to a poster who was hatching a bunch in April. Central Indiana hens is the title.

[f4leggin]

Have you tried this website?

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com

I am getting my first order from them next week - but my sister has been ordering from them for a few years and says they have excellent customer service (should your chicks not all survive the first few days etc..).

Jill

[JSwan]

Hmmmmm.....

If you want instant layers..... you probably want someone's old hens. Then you can have your layers and then get a few chicks to bring up as replacements.

No farms around you at all? Feed store? My feed store is a central location for gossip, news sharing, farmer chats on the loading dock.

That's how I find stuff I need - chatting on the loading dock.

Is that a possibility for you?

The hatcheries will send you pullets and they're cheap but the shipping - Lordy.

[Sakura]

We just bought six more Black Australorps off Craig's List (hatched Feb 6)... The folks who we bought them from ordered a straight run from McMurray Hatchery and were overwhelmed by the time the chickens got this size... out of the whole order only four were roosters and they had no need for all the eggs that would be rolling in a few weeks from now.

Sometimes we see fancy breeds on Craig's List too... we have two Japanese Phoenix chicks we bought off CL... The roosters are supposed to grow extravagant tail plumage... But they are not nearly as friendly as the BAs...

[pippa553]

Oh I wish you were closer! I have a buff orpington, an a. aracauna and wyandotte laying hens that I would like to find a new home for. Turns out my backyard would be more suitable for bantams.
Have you visited http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/index.php? There might be someone there that can help you.

[2DogsFarm]

Thanks all but.....

f4leggin: I've drooled over the McMurray site for breed selection, but I do not want chicks - the later in the season it gets, the less chance I have of getting eggs until next year, if they're going to lay at all!

Everythingbutwings: I'll check that link - mostly I've been on the Backyard Chickens site (thanks to another COTHer)

JSwan: I've been shmoozing the feedstore guy who has chickens, but my hinthinthints haven't paid off...yet...
They had some Silver Wyandotte chicks that lasted 3 weeks & I was tempted, then they disappeared. Didn't have the heart to ask where they went.
And I did price pullets shipped from one place - O'Brien? - and YIKES!
Those hens truly would have had to lay golden eggs to make it worthwhile.
So far the neighbors have offered me roosters - NTYVM

Sakura - tried CL once and found nada, maybe I'll take another looksee...

pippa553 - how far are you from Crown Point,IN?
If you have hens I will pickup (within reason)

[Catersun]

two thumbs up for the barred rocks... we have a pair... "Hooter and Melons" They are good layeys!

[deltawave]

Buff Orps ARE laying hens. Called "dual purpose", but I bought them for eggs. :)

Oh never mind, I realize what you mean now--grown up, producing hens and not babies. Sorry!

Craigslist often has ads for laying hens--probably past their prime but still worth a look.

[Auventera Two]

Go on Craigslist for your area and put an ad out there. You'll get 25 emails in the first 2 days. That's what I did! :eek: I bought 4 New Jersey Black Giants that way.

[2DogsFarm]

Aaarrrggghhhhh!
Apparently Craigslist is a Banned Site here at work...
Will give it a try from home ;)

[deltawave]

Someone is advertising a free laying hen near me--I'm on my way to Indianapolis Friday morning, 2Dogs . . . do you want to do a cross-border chicken deal? :)

[Gunnar]

Someone is advertising a free laying hen near me--I'm on my way to Indianapolis Friday morning, 2Dogs . . . do you want to do a cross-border chicken deal? :)

:lol::lol::lol::lol::D

[allpurpose]

Someone is advertising a free laying hen near me--I'm on my way to Indianapolis Friday morning, 2Dogs . . . do you want to do a cross-border chicken deal? :)


This doesn't sound legal to me...:lol::lol::lol:

[2DogsFarm]

Someone is advertising a free laying hen near me--I'm on my way to Indianapolis Friday morning, 2Dogs . . . do you want to do a cross-border chicken deal? :)

YES!
I sent you a PM ;)

Poor Freebie will be an Only Hen until I can get my others - will that be okay?

[deltawave]

Sent you a reply--lone hen is already spoken for, SORRY! :( But do scour craigslist and/or post a "wanted" ad there--it truly is amazing what you can find, even in the non-newsworthy sections. ;)

[ybiaw]

I can't believe, after all this time, you're still Chickenless! I thought by now we'd see posts of "HELP! I HAVE TOO MANY EGGS!" or "My chicken keeps sneezing, does it have Avian Flu?" :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[2DogsFarm]

Ybiaw: I am indeed still chickenless and pitiful :(
I make periodic visits to my empty coop and sit inside imagining how happy it will be full of chickens & chicken poop & eggs &......
Sad, isn't it?

On the flipside - I still need to get my fencing redone - neighbor who promised to "take a look" has finally finished his so I can start bugging him to redo mine.
But that won't stop me - my future hens will have plenty of room in the coop.
Coop has a nice predator-safe screendoor they can look out of, and I will freerange them when I'm at home until the fencing is done.

I Swear, There SHALL be hens at 2 Dogs Farm!!!!
Does that sound anything like Scarlett O'Hara?

[kookicat]

Do you have a local animal rescue place? They might have some looking for a good home.

[Tiempo]

I f you change your mind about babies, I might possibly have way more than I need soon.

My 2 Blue Ameraucanas have gone broody and stolen eggs from all my other hens to sit on.

The 'mothers'

Blue Andalucian
Ameracauna
Buff O
BLRW
Speckled Sussex
Buff Amer.
Japanese banty
OEGB (mille fleur)
Polish
Cuckoo marans
black copper marans.

The possible fathers..

Japanese banty
OEGB
BLRW.

OMG...I think I've become a trashy back yard breeder :eek:

Do I now need to go to auction and pick up a couple of pretty colored mares with dubious conformation and an ornery stallion with cow hocks, an upsidedown neck and an oh so pretty tail? :lol:

[2DogsFarm]

Well, I tried Craigslist last night and NADA for NW Indiana except for one lady with some RIR (not snooty/colorful enough for me)

kookicat - good idea about the local AC, if this weekend doesn't work out for me I'll try that

Tiempo - as tempting as your muttchicks might be I really don't want chicks with their mortality rate, heatlamp needs, unknown egglaying stats...
(can you see why I never had kids?)

That said: I may have an appointment with Chicken Destiny this weekend.
A gal from the BackYard Chicken BB has 9wk old pullets of various breeds and we may do a deal Sunday.
I could come home the proud owner of 4 or 5 interestingly-colored future hens :D

All you COTH Poultry Enablers say Hallejulah!

[deltawave]

Yay! I hope you get your chickies soon. :)

[JSwan]

You guys sound like a bunch of drug dealers or mafioso or something.

Hey - you wanna chick? I got one right heah. Fell of a truck yesterday. Tell you what - you gimme 10$ for da chick and I'll throw in 3 egg cartons.

You think I"m kiddin'? You want I should get my cousin? Now that chicks gonna cost you 12$ and I'm gonna throw in a rooster just to teach you some manners.

:D

[2DogsFarm]

Updated my original post :o

[deltawave]

Congratulations. :)

[Tiempo]

Thanks to whichever COTHer pointed me at the BackyardChickens BB,
I now have five 9wk old pullets making their cute selves at home in my coop :D

Introducing:
The Delaware Sisters: Noodle & Salad
The Black Star Twins: Extra Crispy & Markena
&
The Houdan Queen: Ms Misty Cologne

If I were not technologically damned I could post pics...
Instead I will do the Happy Hen Dance
<*<*<*<* <*
8< 8< 8< 8<8<
!! !! !! !! !!

(okay - Queen of StickArt I am not)

Congrats!!!!

I love the name Extra Crispy!! I have a hen named Purina because she keeps trying to feed herself to the dogs :mad:

[2DogsFarm]

Congrats!!!!

I love the name Extra Crispy!! I have a hen named Purina because she keeps trying to feed herself to the dogs :mad:

"Purina" BwaHaHa!!!
I picked the names before I got them and it's kinda eerie how they are fitting.
Noodle is the smartest/bravest - found the feeder & water right away.
Salad "tosses" herself onto my lap whenever I make one.
Xtra Crispy (I'm already customizing her name) took a while to warm up to me.
Markena & Misty Cologne were named for friends.
Who knew chickens had so much personality?

[Calvincrowe]

Congrats! We just opened up our outdoor chicken run so the girls have access to a much larger piece of former horse pasture. But, the Four Blondes--my Buff Orpingtons all share the same name... I'm not very inventive, haven't yet figured out how to go out into it. Sigh. Hopefully, when I put the 9 new chickens (9 weeks old) who are currently living in my spare stall out, they'll show the old ladies the way.

I love my ladies, I just wish my dogs weren't so eager to, er, 'love' them back.

[2DogsFarm]

Silly BO hens!
If your 9-weekers are as brave as mine seem to be they'll show the Blondes what's what.


The fencing to my henyard is in some {ahem} disrepair.
But in cleaning out the coop/garden shed I found a good solid t-post and may try using that today to replace the one fencepost that has rotted at the ground.
I think the rest of the fencing is sound enough to hold 5 juvy hens in until I can get it repaired/replaced.

Neighbor is waffling about redoing the fencing for me.
Since he took me up on my offer of free spare fencing material (from my pastures) I was hoping guilt would do the trick :mad:
But if I have to pay someone, so be it.

[kookicat]

Congrats! :D

[pippa553]

Oh! I'm glad you checked out the backyard chicken BB. It's a great resource and very very active! Lots of horsey people too. Good luck with your new flock :)

[Oldenburg Mom]

Well 2Dogs, after reading your thread you've got me hooked! I've joined the BYC BB ... and I'm starting down the chicken road, just like I started down the baby road in 2003!!

Coop construction comes first ...

Oh, BTW, did you know that chickens have HOCKS???????

[2DogsFarm]

Well 2Dogs, after reading your thread you've got me hooked! I've joined the BYC BB ... and I'm starting down the chicken road, just like I started down the baby road in 2003!!

Coop construction comes first ...

Oh, BTW, did you know that chickens have HOCKS???????

:yes:Yup - chicken hock is the lowest part of the "drumstick"
MuaHaHaHa!!!
Resistance is Futile - once you get yourself some hens you'll never turn back.
I myself was lured in by a thread on this very forum started by one of those danged chicken-owning COTHers!

Days Until 2DogsFarm can expect the First Egg:
105 (give or take...)

[Oldenburg Mom]

I fell in love with the Buff Orpingtons. I mean, just saying the name makes me giddy,... how pathetic is that!!! :lol:

I wonder if we have to worry about hock injections ....:confused::lol:

[2DogsFarm]

Oh, Oldenburg Mom, you are a Goner :lol:

Buff Orp was one of my first Desired Breeds, along with the more pedestrian Barred Rock and something called a Partridge Chantecler < from an article on Heritage breds in Hobby Farms magazine.

But, Alas, in my part of Hoosierland the BO hen is a rarity.

So I bided my time...haunted the Buy/Sell/Trade & Chickenstocks/Swaps forums on BYC...

And ended up with Delawares (another Heritage breed) Black Stars - described as "egg-laying machines" and something I never imagined owning: a Houdan (Who dat?)

So go on and fill your Dream Coop - it's a lot like playing Barbies :winkgrin:
& Be sure to report back here with your Chicken Update!!!

[Oldenburg Mom]

I must be a REAL goner ... :lol: I was also born in Lafayette. :D Yup, you guessed it. Dad's an engineer. :lol: I've been getting ready for "clucker-oos" my whole life!!

[2DogsFarm]

LaFayette, IN?????

I must admit to being merely a fairly recent Hoosier Immigrant from the Big City (Chicago).
But you are in VA now?

Tell Dad to get busy engineering a coop & run.
Better have him do some nestboxes too ;)