California - Northern

[capayvalleychick]

I found my first Blue Egg layer from the UofA egg!

Nice! Looking forward to mine. She's a pleasant little pullet, not too flighty.

So excited...finally just bought Lightroom 5. Time to take RAW-processing to a whole new level

I have no idea what that means, but those photos are beautiful.

Where does everyone here keep their feed? If I were to get a weather-proof container, could I just keep it in the run?

In 2 of my coops, I keep it in the coop. I have some in the feed barn, some in the pig barn. I prefer having it right there handy in the coop. No problems with vermin here... 10 cats plus a few chickens who eat mice.

Well, that would be because, if I'm remembering right, GSD's are upright, loose-eyed workers. Meaning that when they're herding, they don't crouch or do the intense stare that BC's do.

You are correct. I think BCs are the only breed that do the crouching and they (most of them) have the more intense drive- all the time. They will work the longest and are usually the best herding breed. They are soft (sensitive), so in a situation where the stock is going to fight back, another breed with less sensitivity and more drive to fight back, like a GSD or Australian Cattle Dog is usually chosen to work. Except for a few remaining lines, most GSDs were bred away from herding instinct and used for other working situations after WW11. So very few GSDs can actually herd. What you see in them is purely prey drive, which is what has been bred into them. I have English Shepherds, a very unique herding breed that herds more out of a desire to maintain order/enforce the rules. They are upright herders and only have the desire to work when they see a need. So, they are relaxed and can be trusted around chickens etc. They also have a guardian instinct which means many of them want to protect their stock (not eat them). They do need training so they know the rules or they will make their own.

I have 3 mulberry trees so they really like the branches with berries on them! They totally strip those branches! They don't eat the leaves of some of the other branches from bushes but they do like to hide under them.

I did some research and found out that mulberry leaves have similar nutrition to alfalfa. They plant them as pasture in parts of S. America.

I have some exciting news! Anybody looking for country property? Zoned Ag- you can have as many chickens as you want and no one will complain about roosters crowing. Next door to me, so nice neighbor. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/16520-County-Rd-56_Guinda_CA_95637_M19192-39650
20 acres, nicer than what it looks like in the listing. They don't show the land.

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: Let me see..................missing abdominal cavity = raccoon......................missing head = skunk...................or in my case, missing leg = skunk through a fence.

My conclusion on a dead previously asymptomatic chicken during the summer, most likely cumulative effects of excessive heat. DH suggested cirrhosis of the liver from too many wine coolers during the heat.

Also always the fallback, too stupid to live (that would be chicks that drown in 1/4" of water).

 

[ronott1]

Let me see..................missing abdominal cavity = raccoon......................missing head = skunk...................or in my case, missing leg = skunk through a fence.

My conclusion on a dead previously asymptomatic chicken during the summer, most likely cumulative effects of excessive heat. DH suggested cirrhosis of the liver from too many wine coolers during the heat.

Also always the fallback, too stupid to live (that would be chicks that drown in 1/4" of water).

Yes, chickens just die sometimes.

 

[juststruttin]

I am feeling a little overwhelmed with the number of breeds and projects, not to mention my feed bill. I decided to downsize and will be letting a couple of my breeds go. Here are the breeds I am discontinuing.

I already sold:
1) Lavender Orps
2) Welsummers


Here is what is going next :
1) Swedish Flower hen flock
2) Crele Penedesencas I am keeping a couple Crele Penes to breed to the Cream Legbars to create more Amelias but I am not planning on breeding F2
3) Olive Egger f2: (Crele Pen X Cream Legbar). This flock is the result of breeding the Cream Legbars to the Crele Penesenca.

 

[ronott1]

I am feeling a little overwhelmed with the number of breeds and projects, not to mention my feed bill. I decided to downsize and will be letting a couple of my breeds go. Here are the breeds I am discontinuing.

I already sold:
1) Lavender Orps
2) Welsummers


Here is what is going next :
1) Swedish Flower hen flock
2) Crele Penedesencas I am keeping a couple Crele Penes to breed to the Cream Legbars to create more Amelias but I am not planning on breeding F2
3) Olive Egger f2: (Crele Pen X Cream Legbar). This flock is the result of breeding the Cream Legbars to the Crele Penesenca.

I hope the downsizing goes well and am happy to hear you are going to keep breeding the Amelias as F1. I do love mine and they keep laying eggs in the heat! I was only going to keep three but am happy to have 5 of them.

 

[Miss Molly]

I am feeling a little overwhelmed with the number of breeds and projects, not to mention my feed bill.  I decided to downsize and will be letting a couple of my breeds go.  Here are the breeds I am discontinuing. 

I already sold:
1) Lavender Orps
2) Welsummers 


Here is what is going next :
1) Swedish Flower hen flock 
2) Crele Penedesencas  I am keeping a couple Crele Penes to breed to the Cream Legbars to create more Amelias but I am not planning on breeding F2
3) Olive Egger f2:   (Crele Pen X Cream Legbar).  This flock is the result of breeding the Cream Legbars to the Crele Penesenca.

I here ya... But I can't decide who goes...

 

[ronott1]

I here ya... But I can't decide who goes...

I am selling Three of my Older girls and will be processing a couple of Bresse this weekend.

I anyone is interested, I have four white Bress pullets and two Bresse Cockerels. Send a PM and I will make you a Deal before they become Chicken Dinner....

 

[BCollie]

Quote:
Thank you Lightroom 5 is a program to edit light and colors in pictures, especially pictures taken in the RAW format on a camera.

No kidding about BC's having intense drive wanting to work all the time. It does cause quite a few problems, actually, and is the reason my dog(like many other BC's) can't be around children.
True that BC's are very sensitive, BUT not all of them. I know of many people who work their Border Collies on cattle...check out this link.

I once thought about trying Nelly on cattle, but I just wouldn't be able to watch such a huge animal kick at her.
She does like a challenge when she's working. She got a bit bored with dog broke sheep, and unless I was in there working her&not the instructor, she'd just lay down and watch them. But that changed when we started to work in the larger arena area with sheep that were less dog-broke, she would happily work with the instructor on sheep that were a bit more challenging. In fact, here in my house, my cat has learned the best thing to do is stand up to dogs(personal&foster) if he doesn't want to get chased. Unfortunately he thinks it's a good idea to attack my dog when she's not looking...She'll just be walking by and all the sudden this cat jumps out and starts to scratch her. HE thinks it's a good idea, until my dog turns around and starts to herd him. Him attacking her turns it into some kind of fun game for her where she all the sudden thinks "this sheep is rebelling! I GOTTA HERD IT INTO A CORNER!"
So in other words...she's completely ignoring the cat, the cat attacks her, so she starts to herd him...and then the cat starts complaining by angrily meowing. I have the weirdest animals.

 

[BCollie]

Quote:
I assume I would get grit at my local feed store...what is it called? Just 'grit'? How much should I get & how much should I give to them?

 

[Miss Molly]

I am selling Three of my Older girls and will be processing a couple of Bresse this weekend.

I anyone is interested, I have four white Bress pullets and two Bresse Cockerels. Send a PM and I will make you a Deal before they become Chicken Dinner....

I currently have four Bresse hens and one Bresse rooster. They will probably be a breed I won't keep. I really like them, I just need to down size a bit.