stumpknocker
In the Brooder
- Feb 18, 2015
- 11
- 2
- 22
We had a lovely sweet little banty chicken last your that we got at of all places the San Jose Bird Mart, which generally deals in finches, canaries, softbills, and parrots. We got her in February 2014 and successfully integrated her into our small flock of mixed standards. I have no idea how old she was when we got her, and she passed in September.
"Fall" (I put that in quotes for the SF Bay Area) came and finding another became difficult. Shortly after, we tried hatching eggs with no success (3 times!). Then as "winter" hit, no new eggs were shipping by so we decided to hit up some of the Poultry Shows and try and pick up one in the sales areas. We actually were able to learn of one breeder, but alas by the time we got to her, even thought she had a trio (one roo and two hens), the were already spoken for. We went to 3 shows and in each case the birds in the sale cages were either taken (if there were any at all) and even though there were several in the shows, they were not for sale (beautiful birds right before my eyes but not for me!).
Our last show was 28Feb, the poultry show in Fresno, a 2.75 hr drive from Castro Valley. Once again, we get there and zippo, birds in the contest but none for sale.
So, I decided to do a Craigslist Fresno search, and found a person selling chicks, but the phone number was wrong. Then, just as I was heading out, I called another guy who added a post just that Saturday. Bingo! On a country road virtually in the middle of nowhere, there was a guy with a small feed stand that had 50+ chickens in a pen. Although I was instructed to only pick up one by my wife, I ended up getting two Mille Fleur Belgian D'uccle hens. They readily sidled up to our porcelain hen and he pal, a Mille Fleur Roo (with a rooster collar).
I love these birds. Such sweet personalities.
Best of luck to all of you as we head into spring.
"Fall" (I put that in quotes for the SF Bay Area) came and finding another became difficult. Shortly after, we tried hatching eggs with no success (3 times!). Then as "winter" hit, no new eggs were shipping by so we decided to hit up some of the Poultry Shows and try and pick up one in the sales areas. We actually were able to learn of one breeder, but alas by the time we got to her, even thought she had a trio (one roo and two hens), the were already spoken for. We went to 3 shows and in each case the birds in the sale cages were either taken (if there were any at all) and even though there were several in the shows, they were not for sale (beautiful birds right before my eyes but not for me!).
Our last show was 28Feb, the poultry show in Fresno, a 2.75 hr drive from Castro Valley. Once again, we get there and zippo, birds in the contest but none for sale.
So, I decided to do a Craigslist Fresno search, and found a person selling chicks, but the phone number was wrong. Then, just as I was heading out, I called another guy who added a post just that Saturday. Bingo! On a country road virtually in the middle of nowhere, there was a guy with a small feed stand that had 50+ chickens in a pen. Although I was instructed to only pick up one by my wife, I ended up getting two Mille Fleur Belgian D'uccle hens. They readily sidled up to our porcelain hen and he pal, a Mille Fleur Roo (with a rooster collar).
I love these birds. Such sweet personalities.
Best of luck to all of you as we head into spring.
