Bay Area BYCers!

[chickiesmommy]

Hello from Castro Valley, CA! I'm a new chicken lover!
I have 8 chickens but I'm desperately trying to hatch some more breeds that are on the conservatory list.
I have 3 goofy 11 month old red sex links, 2 beautiful 6 month old French Copper Marans, one 4.5 month old Olive Egger, one 4 month old Easter Egger and 1 super handsome 6 month old French Copper Marans rooster, David. He's been busy with 5 of the layers so I could hatch my own babies but I'm currently trying to expand the flock with Sultans and Salmon Favorelles.

My first two incubating failed miserably. I think it's because they're shipped eggs from the other side of the country. Devastating losses
I'm currently trying to hatch two more batches.
Not sure I'm going to try hatching shipped eggs anymore. It's killer on one's confidence and heart when all is lost

 

[chickiesmommy]

If anyone has Salmon Favorelles or Sultans I'm interested!

 

[westes]

Is there any organization in the Bay Area that is offering classes on how to raise chickens?

I am also interested in identifying any chicken owners in this area who are adventurous enough to want to try to raise the chickens without feeding them any grains. I want a fairly purified diet of insects, plant matter, fruits, etc. I'm trying to keep polyunsaturated fats out of the chickens. I would buy two to three dozen eggs per week from those chickens. If you are interested in talking more about this send me a PM.

 

[jeremy]

Is there any organization in the Bay Area that is offering classes on how to raise chickens?

I am also interested in identifying any chicken owners in this area who are adventurous enough to want to try to raise the chickens without feeding them any grains. I want a fairly purified diet of insects, plant matter, fruits, etc. I'm trying to keep polyunsaturated fats out of the chickens. I would buy two to three dozen eggs per week from those chickens. If you are interested in talking more about this send me a PM.

Pollinate Farm & Garden in Oakland does an intro to/beginners chicken keeping class. I'm not sure how often, probably monthly. They're on Facebook, you could probably find out more info about the classes there. The store is in the upper Fruitvale district and the owners, Yolanda & Birgit are great people!

As far as a grain free diet goes, I actually have never heard of such. I was under the assumption that chickens needed a certain amount of grains in their diet to maintain optimal health. I'd love to hear more about your reasoning @westes .

 

[westes]

Pollinate Farm & Garden in Oakland does an intro to/beginners chicken keeping class. I'm not sure how often, probably monthly. They're on Facebook, you could probably find out more info about the classes there. The store is in the upper Fruitvale district and the owners, Yolanda & Birgit are great people!

As far as a grain free diet goes, I actually have never heard of such. I was under the assumption that chickens needed a certain amount of grains in their diet to maintain optimal health. I'd love to hear more about your reasoning @westes .

Shoot, Pollinate Farm & Garden had their last class on 9/17. Just missed it. I'll inquire to them.

It's not an issue of grain or not grain. It's an issue about finding the kind of grain that is low on polyunsaturated fats, particularly the Omega-6 fats. Why I want to avoid those unsaturated fats is probably a huge topic better left to a health discussion board for humans, not chickens, but the basic idea is that unsaturated fats are extremely fragile chemically and oxidize easily. They get integrated into all of the tissues inside your body and create serious health issues when you get sick or as you age. Starting in the 1950s, the seed oil companies have gotten these oils into the entire food chain, and getting them out of your food is an extremely non trivial thing.

Here's some food for thought: did you know that most vegetable oils for humans - canola, sunflower, soybean, etc - are bleached and deodorized when they are created at the factory. Why? Because they are loaded with polyunsaturated fats that easily go rancid and they have to be processed that way to create the illusion of a more stable product.

In the case of chickens, literally every feed recipe out there is loaded with wheat, corn, oats, barley, soybeans, etc. None of these are a natural food for chickens. If you look at junglefowl, which all chickens descended from, they did not have access to any of those grains in the kinds of quantities people are feeding them. They became essential for chickens only because they are cheap, and because there is a huge industrial machinery pushing them on farmers.

Raising any animal - or feeding yourself - on more natural diets is a non trivial undertaking. It will cost me more money, more time, and it will require a lot of experimenting. That's all okay.

If I end up making a custom feed, it might have tubers like tapioca in it, together with supplemental nutrition. The protein I would get by feeding soldier fly larvae. And add to this the occasional table scraps.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Quote:
Given the choice, my chickens love greens... grass (green and dried), clover, and kale is a favorite. I read a book about the history of early chicken farming up here near Petaluma, and the farmers raised kale to feed the flock (1920s era). Kid's work was to pick kale leaves, put them in the kale chopper, and feed it out.

 

[eyralis]

Posting this for a fellow chicken lover in Tracy, CA! (Stockton area)

Lonely Hen Needs New Home

We have had Miss Elli since she was a tiny chick. She is probably 4 years old and does lay eggs on and off throughout the year.

Miss Elli was raised with another chicken (Fanny Mae), but was killed by a racoon about a month ago. They were inseparable and she has taken it pretty hard, but it starting to venture out and enjoy life again.

Hoping to find her a home where there is a couple more chickens. She is lonely. Aside from following around the neighborhood cats that come by, she likes to stand outside our back sliding door and wants attention...especially a cracker...lol..Hoping that she will make new friends to keep her company.

She would be great for a family who wants an additional pet. Would prefer her not to go to a home that has an excessive amount of chickens.

 

[jeremy]

Would prefer her not to go to a home that has an excessive amount of chickens.

Define excessive...

My flock is probably a bit too large for a solo hen to try and integrate into, good luck finding her a new home!

 

[jeremy]

Hey Bay Area peeps! One of my bantam Orps has decided to go broody again, does anyone have/will anyone have day to week old chicks available in the near future?

 

[chickiesmommy]

Hello all,

I have gone overboard and will need to downsize my flock! I recently had 7 Blue/Splash Wheaten Ameraucana chicks and 5 Olandsk Dwarfs shipped. I only wanted 3 of each but they required a min when shipping for warmth. The Ameraucanas are almost 4 weeks old and the Olandsk are 8 weeks old. I am looking to re-home them before the end of November (to local chicken lovers only). They are all straight runs, however, the Olandsk appears to be all girls and only 1 boy. These are beautiful chicks and if I didn't live in an urban setting, I'd keep all of them!

I live in Castro Valley and would love to find good homes for them. I am asking for $25 for the rare and gorgeous Olandsk pullets ($10 for the boy) and $20 for the Ameraucanas pullets (should know by the end of NOV) or $10 straight run (now). These were bought from breeders.

I can meet within a 20 mile drive from my home.

I can post more pictures if there is real interest. These were the Ameraucanas when they first arrived at 2 weeks old. Thanks!