Best place to buy poultry supplies?

idiganthro

idiganthro

Member
I've been researching and preparing to start a small "backyard flock" of laying hens. I've gotten a small coop, and most other supplies, however, I'm having a hard time finding Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. You're supposed to mix this with the bedding material on the floor of the coop to control mites and odors. Where is the best place to purchase this, and other poultry supplies? I'm having a harder time than I thought I would with all the farms in this area.

I want to get everything set before even thinking of introducing residents to the coop.

p.s. If anyone is selling pullets in this area, please let me know! I hope to get 3-4 pullets of various breeds.
 
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buttercupp

Member
idiganthro said:
I've been researching and preparing to start a small "backyard flock" of laying hens. I've gotten a small coop, and most other supplies, however, I'm having a hard time finding Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. You're supposed to mix this with the bedding material on the floor of the coop to control mites and odors. Where is the best place to purchase this, and other poultry supplies? I'm having a harder time than I thought I would with all the farms in this area.

I want to get everything set before even thinking of introducing residents to the coop.

p.s. If anyone is selling pullets in this area, please let me know! I hope to get 3-4 pullets of various breeds.
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The Henyard in Loveville and they can tell you where you can get pullets.
 
idiganthro

idiganthro

Member
Actually I found a Mennonite gentleman who builds gazebos- he's going to build me a coop following a picture we found in a poultry magazine. I can't wait! Oh, and the supplies feed, bedding, etc- and LOTS of good advice- I got from Joe Stauffer at Stauffer's Feed Mill. They will definately be getting my business! Joe also referred me to his nephew for the coop.

Still looking for someone selling Easter Egger, Black Australorp, Sussex, Delaware and Rhode Island Red pullets...
 
ArkRescue

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
You can also buy fewer than 25 chickens from MyPetChicken.com - they will ship as few as 3 but I recommend buying at least 5-8 at a time - they love company <g>. I just bought 3 then 7 more. The easter eggers they have are so adorable ! I also received a group of 5 assorted rare breeds too plus a couple Black Stars that I heard prodice eggs well.

I went all out for this newest pen I built to do it right and I put 1/2" hardware cloth in the ground under the coop to keep out rodents and predators that burrow under from outside the coop. The hardware cloth also prevents them from making holes for dust bathing - I gave them a bin to dust bathe in with DE and sand/dirt - they love it! I am also using the deep litter method to keep the pen/coop clean :starcat:

The outside of the pen is also similar to hardware cloth but about 1". I also bought a shed kit for $100 that I used for the coop. I have 3 coops made with those kits now. The kit has everything you need except the roof cover! I can show you mine if you like? PM me. Another lady on here bought one of the kits to make her coop - all she had to do was add the pen around the coop.
 
idiganthro

idiganthro

Member
ArkRescue said:
You can also buy fewer than 25 chickens from MyPetChicken.com - they will ship as few as 3 but I recommend buying at least 5-8 at a time - they love company <g>. I just bought 3 then 7 more. The easter eggers they have are so adorable ! I also received a group of 5 assorted rare breeds too plus a couple Black Stars that I heard prodice eggs well.

I went all out for this newest pen I built to do it right and I put 1/2" hardware cloth in the ground under the coop to keep out rodents and predators that burrow under from outside the coop. The hardware cloth also prevents them from making holes for dust bathing - I gave them a bin to dust bathe in with DE and sand/dirt - they love it! I am also using the deep litter method to keep the pen/coop clean :starcat:

The outside of the pen is also similar to hardware cloth but about 1". I also bought a shed kit for $100 that I used for the coop. I have 3 coops made with those kits now. The kit has everything you need except the roof cover! I can show you mine if you like? PM me. Another lady on here bought one of the kits to make her coop - all she had to do was add the pen around the coop.
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Thanks for your reply! I already have an A frame coop that a Mennonite man made for me and he did a wonderful job. My food and supplies I picked up at Stauffer's Feed Mill. Mr. Stauffer has all kinds of advice and information!

I've gotten two pullets so far, a Delaware and a Black Austrolorp. I've clipped their flight wings and plan to allow them to start roaming in our fenced yard in the late afternoon/evening when we are home so keep watch for roaming cats, etc.

I also have been checking Craigslist for outside dog pens that I may end up using to keep them corraled if letting them roam the yard doesn't work!

Now, I'm on a mission to find 2-3 Ameruacana/Aruacana ("Easter Egger") pullets. I'm not ready to brood chicks yet, and hope to find some that are about 16-18 weeks of age.

Feel free to post of PM me with any more information, suggestions or experiences about your chickens! Also, I'd love to see the pix.
 
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robinripley

New Member
clipping wings

idiganthro said:
I've clipped their flight wings and plan to allow them to start roaming in our fenced yard in the late afternoon/evening when we are home so keep watch for roaming cats, etc.
/QUOTE]

I have never understood clipping the wings of chickens. Ours go out for walks on the property. Once they were attacked by a hawk or eagle and the ability to fly into the trees to escape is what saved the hens.

BTW, they now only go for walks when I can be around to supervise. It's heartbreaking to lose a pet chicken to a predator.
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R

robinripley

New Member
clipping wings

robinripley said:
idiganthro said:
I've clipped their flight wings and plan to allow them to start roaming in our fenced yard in the late afternoon/evening when we are home so keep watch for roaming cats, etc.
/QUOTE]

I have never understood clipping the wings of chickens. Ours go out for walks on the property. Once they were attacked by a hawk or eagle and the ability to fly into the trees to escape is what saved the hens.

BTW, they now only go for walks when I can be around to supervise. It's heartbreaking to lose a pet chicken to a predator.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
ArkRescue

ArkRescue

Adopt me please !
Our barn cat just looks at the chickens when they roam free and most times the chickens recognize the cat as a threat and run after her to chase her away LOL. The cat RUNS too !

I don't clip wings but I do watch out for them due to the predators from above. Most chickens will notice them and run back to the coop but some others don't see them and would get nailed if I wasn't there to chase the rest back into the coop.

That's why I am putting up a fenced area with a net top that I can use to let them roam and eat grass when I'm not there. When I'm there I can let them roam but they seem to head for the woods to forage ??? I want them to stay in the grass of course.

robinripley said:
idiganthro said:
I've clipped their flight wings and plan to allow them to start roaming in our fenced yard in the late afternoon/evening when we are home so keep watch for roaming cats, etc.
/QUOTE]

I have never understood clipping the wings of chickens. Ours go out for walks on the property. Once they were attacked by a hawk or eagle and the ability to fly into the trees to escape is what saved the hens.

BTW, they now only go for walks when I can be around to supervise. It's heartbreaking to lose a pet chicken to a predator.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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