California-Southern

[estamets]

Cool! I've been debating only using it in the actual coop for litter - especially to help keep feet/eggs clean. do you use any bedding in the run? My run is just loose dirt since I dug out the pad and laid wire down, then put dirt back over the wire.

Just dirt for us! I throw a big pile of leaves in there whenever I rake, too. That gives them something to do, and mulches the leaves down for me to remove and compost later.

 

[sol2go]

Anyone in orange county use sand for their coop/run bedding? I'm in the final stages of finishing my chicken coop and want to put sand in both the run and coop. I need about 20 cubic feet. Where did you buy it? How much did it cost? It's about 30 bucks for 9 cubic feet at home depot.

I do! It works fabulously. I only use it under the roost, so I just needed one bag (50#?) from Home Depot. It's about 1" thick, and that has been plenty.

Adding to the topic -

The sand was too cold for my application, although I'm near the coast if that makes a difference. My friend uses only Sweet PDZ under the roosting areas like kitty litter, and her coop is amazingly clean, although she also scoops it out everyday. My roosting areas utilize white pine shavings; I have too many coops to clean them every day.

I have dirt in the run and like @estamets I add leaves which have been beneficial at many levels. I only use leaves as they are raked up, not from storage i.e. in plastic bags, to avoid mold etc. Some of the wood shavings from the coop end up in there as well; both the leaves and wood shavings contribute carbon to offset the ammonia.

I have noticed that some sand is too fine and seems to be in the air when the chickens take the inevitable dust bath; the same is true for a more loamy mix. It ends up in a fine layer on everything, so I imagine they are breathing it in too.

 

[socalifgal]

Just joined myself. So very happy to have found this site. I'm located in Garden Grove. I have 1 RIR, 2 EE, 1 GSL, and 1 Australorp. Raising chicken can be addicting. I wish that I could get more breeds, but the city ordinances doesn't allow me.As a child,I always wanted to live on a farm. I guess this is the closest it's going to get, at least for awhile. So as for now, I'm loving life as a part time farmer or should I say ranch hand. Three of my girls are 20 weeks, and not laying yet. It's like anticipating the live birth of an animal or child. Just have to be patient and hang in there. Should be any day now!

 

[Marthab1953]

Just joined myself. So very happy to have found this site. I'm located in Garden Grove. I have 1 RIR, 2 EE, 1 GSL, and 1 Australorp. Raising chicken can be addicting. I wish that I could get more breeds, but the city ordinances doesn't allow me.As a child,I always wanted to live on a farm. I guess this is the closest it's going to get, at least for awhile. So as for now, I'm loving life as a part time farmer or should I say ranch hand. Three of my girls are 20 weeks, and not laying yet. It's like anticipating the live birth of an animal or child. Just have to be patient and hang in there. Should be any day now!

Welcome to BYC and the Southern California Thread!

 

[perchie.girl]

Just joined myself. So very happy to have found this site. I'm located in Garden Grove. I have 1 RIR, 2 EE, 1 GSL, and 1 Australorp. Raising chicken can be addicting. I wish that I could get more breeds, but the city ordinances doesn't allow me.As a child,I always wanted to live on a farm. I guess this is the closest it's going to get, at least for awhile. So as for now, I'm loving life as a part time farmer or should I say ranch hand. Three of my girls are 20 weeks, and not laying yet. It's like anticipating the live birth of an animal or child. Just have to be patient and hang in there. Should be any day now!

Welcome To BYC

from San Diego.

deb

 

[staar82]

Just joined myself. So very happy to have found this site. I'm located in Garden Grove. I have 1 RIR, 2 EE, 1 GSL, and 1 Australorp. Raising chicken can be addicting. I wish that I could get more breeds, but the city ordinances doesn't allow me.As a child,I always wanted to live on a farm. I guess this is the closest it's going to get, at least for awhile. So as for now, I'm loving life as a part time farmer or should I say ranch hand. Three of my girls are 20 weeks, and not laying yet. It's like anticipating the live birth of an animal or child. Just have to be patient and hang in there. Should be any day now!

Welcome from Tustin!

 

[Sylvester017]

Well, this sucks! I waited 6 months for an identifiably sexed Breda "pullet" juvenile but our Ilse turned out an Ichabod when "she" crowed 9 days after arrival. We specifically stated we were willing to wait whatever time was necessary to be shipped a definite pullet and this is what we got! Breeders can't even tell the sexes of their own breeding stock. This guy was shipped at 41/2 months and they're supposed to be identifiable at 12 weeks. Now we've got to re-home him to Riverside where he'll have a forever home and not be someone's dinner! Poor guy arrived a bit underweight, with chewed off leg/toe feathers to the point of bleeding, had cocci, had round worms, and within a couple days showed signs of CRD so he cost another $110 in vet bills and lab tests. The breeder said they'll reimburse but not before giving us a hard time as if all those problems were our fault. Hey I've got the photos, vet bills, and dates to show he arrived this way! I deserve to be reimbursed just for the fact that we were sent a cockerel and not a pullet as ordered. We've plumped him up with health care and a good varied organic diet and he's getting hefty! He is a very fascinating breed - he's curious, looks into the camera lens, eats out of our hand, is unafraid, lets us pick him up and pet him - really delightful - now if only he was a pullet as ordered!

 

[DrTacosMD]

Well, this sucks! I waited 6 months for an identifiably sexed Breda "pullet" juvenile but our Ilse turned out an Ichabod when "she" crowed 9 days after arrival. We specifically stated we were willing to wait whatever time was necessary to be shipped a definite pullet and this is what we got! Breeders can't even tell the sexes of their own breeding stock. This guy was shipped at 4[SUP]1/2[/SUP] months and they're supposed to be identifiable at 12 weeks. Now we've got to re-home him to Riverside where he'll have a forever home and not be someone's dinner! Poor guy arrived a bit underweight, with chewed off leg/toe feathers to the point of bleeding, had cocci, had round worms, and within a couple days showed signs of CRD so he cost another $110 in vet bills and lab tests. The breeder said they'll reimburse but not before giving us a hard time as if all those problems were our fault. Hey I've got the photos, vet bills, and dates to show he arrived this way! I deserve to be reimbursed just for the fact that we were sent a cockerel and not a pullet as ordered. We've plumped him up with health care and a good varied organic diet and he's getting hefty! He is a very fascinating breed - he's curious, looks into the camera lens, eats out of our hand, is unafraid, lets us pick him up and pet him - really delightful - now if only he was a pullet as ordered!

Wow that does suck. Did you just want a pulley for laying purposes? I read that bredas were originally meat birds.

 

[Rekon]

asteria01, did you ever pick out some chickens for LA? I'm in the Inland Empire and we have quite a few breeds which do very well here. L.A. would be even easier and milder in climate. Just make sure they have access to shade, water, and dust baths (they live their dust baths), and they should do fine. Many bantam breeds are great in SoCal weather.

 

[socalifgal]

I have a Rottweiler/ shepherd mix who loves to chase birds in the yard. She is pretty well trained now, but it took a lot of effort on my part. I had her on a long leash and every time she gave those chickens a look of attack I would redirect her by pullling on the leash. It depends on the relationship that you and your dog have. I have learned a lot from Cesar Milan. He has a YouTube video on the dog and chickens. I don't recall the name of it but it's a very informative. It will just require a lot of work from you, But it is well worth it. To this day she protects the chickens when my friends or sons bring their dogs.