Calif. N.Central Valley/Foothills - Page 19

Thanks for the report.......We will know not to look for chickens there....LOL

I have the maiden flight of my Hovabator 1588 Genesis hatching today. Some chicks jumped the gun & popped out yesterday. So far I think I have 2 Delawares, 5 Andalusians, a Black Australorp & 2 Wheaten Marans & an EE. Again nothing from those danged BCMs they are always my last.
  Margarete what did you end up with?????? Lots I hope.

I am looking for a couple of Splash Silkies if anyone has a good recommendation. I have grown very fond of their "look".

I haven't gotten the hang of "sticky chicks". It doesn't seem to matter how much I bathe them I can't get them cleaned & as fluffy as the regular ones.
  My batch ended up with 2 Wheaten Marans, 5 Andalusians, 5 Delawares, 2 Black Australorps & 1 EE. I didn't candle as usual so I won't know what's up until after the egg topsies later today. I always try to give the BCMs extra time but I don't even see a pip on any of them so I am not holding out much hope.
  Carrie in Arnold (Substainable Yield Poultry) dropped her cell phone in the laundry so is out of commision for awhile......How about you Margarete???
Denny (Lotsapaints) is supposed to be coming up from Paso Robles this morning to take her extras to the Modesto sales yard. I think you have to be in with birds by 10 & the auction starts at 11. I will wait for her call.

Wouldn't you know that's how it goes......LOL
Lotsapaints did come & we went to the Modesto sales yard & dropped of birds then to Noah's Hof Brau for lunch then to feed stores looking for split peas that she uses to up the protein in her feed. She said her area was out. We didn't find it without spending a minimum of $200 for an order at the Seed Factory in Keyes, but she did take home a list of what they carry. I bet it wouln't take very many of us to get together to hit the minimum order from there.
  She went home with a Black split Ameraucana cockerels to use to breed OEs, 2 baby Wheaten Marans chicks & a young started pair of Fitzgerald Wheatens.
  She left me with 3 flats of eggs to try. Alot of them are Turkeys 2 types, Bourbons & one that starts with a "A".....LOL & alot of the Indian River eggs. She said to candle them all at 10 days. Some of them are alittle older. I need to start doing that,....seriously.
I did my egg topsies today out of the Genesis. I had about 6 eggs that had chicks in them but none but one was full term. I am going to wash it out & start her eggs in it. Ray set up the Little Giant with more drip line too so maybe I will do both incubators. My Brinsea is about full except for the hatcher shelf that doesn't turn. I have alot of my eggs in there plus the Salmon Faverolles, Silver Dorkings, White Crested Black Polish & Patridge Pens.
  Aaron, my son, built another grow out pen from a peach bin today so I will have room when the time comes to move birds from the brooders again.

That's great I love those days that so much gets accomplished. And.................I would certainly love anyday that someone was cleaning my house for me......LOL
Tomorrow I think is a "nothing" day or so it seems right now............. I do think I have a customer coming over to bring back some birds that turned out to be cockerels. She hatched a dozen of my hatching eggs & lives in town & can't have the roosters....LOL

The temperature displayed in downtown Sonora hit 105 degrees today, but Mymotherlode.com
is saying it's 100 degrees right now. I just moved my favorite three girls outside a few days ago. Because we're moving, I put the coop frame and walls on hold so the coop wont take up too much room in the van. The girls have a large dog "igloo" and a dog fence around them, a piece of plywood on top for additional shade, food, a bowl of water for bathing, and cold water for drinking. The pen is in green grass and dandelions about a foot tall. Anything else I can do/should do for them besides throw them in the creek for a swim along with the dogs LOL?