Oregon

[ibreathe4u]

Anyone else here dying in the heat? My birds look so tired in this heat. I even bought a kiddie pool to dunk them in when I see signs of too much heat. My turkey chicks, on the other hand, love when I squirt their yard, they play in the water. D'uccles run...

My poor girls are miserable! I gave them each a cool bath yesterday. I wish I had some misters set up to make a "cool area" for them. We'll see what today brings.

 

[ibreathe4u]

I can't wait to get up there and start growing a garden and learning how to do that kind of thing!

I moved here from AZ. I lived there for 40 years, no one had gardens. We bought a house last year here in Portland and now I have my first thriving garden. I'm so excited. I never thought I'd be able to keep plants alive (much less chickens). Our friends and family back home think we're crazy hippies, but we don't care, the lifestyle here is wonderful!

 

[Corona~Barb]

Hi Rikki, we are moving from So Cal to Oregon and found our spot in Roseburg...not too far from Eugene. We had previously lived in WA state and didn't want quite that much rain when we return to the Pacific Northwest.

I only have 4 EEs right now and will be rebuilding my flock once we get settled. Have 4 turkey hens and 1 tom too. Oregon is a beautiful world away from the dry hot desert!

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I don't know a lot about what happened with Farwest, but what I do know is this...

One of his huge 15,000 egg incubators fried a ton of eggs this year and completely screwed up his ability to fill orders, and he shut the doors.

He is currently working with a lady that I do NOT trust, who is trying to buy up birds from anyone she can, to supply eggs for the hatchery, so he can reopen next season.

That is very good information, if rather sad. I'd love to see a local business succeed with quality product and service. It would be great to have that resource within driving distance. But ... a lot of damage could be done with bad product.

Is there a hatchery in the area you'd trust?

 

[Tammy N]

I don't know a lot about what happened with Farwest, but what I do know is this...

One of his huge 15,000 egg incubators fried a ton of eggs this year and completely screwed up his ability to fill orders, and he shut the doors.

He is currently working with a lady that I do NOT trust, who is trying to buy up birds from anyone she can, to supply eggs for the hatchery, so he can reopen next season.

he told me he had health issues and some other things . i hope it works out for him and that those that have paid get reimbursed and he can then carry his head high again

 

[BGMatt]

Asked in Washington thread too, but want to get my friends across the river's thoughts too. Lately I've been pondering what breeds and varieties are most desirable to the backyard/homesteading/pet chicken folk? I've made no secret that I'm a show person with a huge interest in maintaining high production qualities, but that often leads to a disconnect with the strictly backyard/homestead/pet folks. No agenda here, just have had more time than usual to think due to surgery recovery keepin me inactive, so hoping for some honest answers and discussion.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Asked in Washington thread too, but want to get my friends across the river's thoughts too. Lately I've been pondering what breeds and varieties are most desirable to the backyard/homesteading/pet chicken folk? I've made no secret that I'm a show person with a huge interest in maintaining high production qualities, but that often leads to a disconnect with the strictly backyard/homestead/pet folks. No agenda here, just have had more time than usual to think due to surgery recovery keepin me inactive, so hoping for some honest answers and discussion.

I am gonna be raising LF Faverolles for my meat chickens. Docile and large with a lot of meat yield. Breeding Silkies for pets and showing. Gonna work on Blue Wheaten Marans Project to get it recognized.

 

[OR4-hmom]

BCMatt, I sell jams, pickles, etc. at our local farmers market, I get asked all the time what my best sellers are. I can pack Strawberry/Rhubarb for a month and not sell a jar, the next week sell every jar I have. I've never figured out a pattern.

I have my personal favorites (partridge and brahmas) so I'm sure the same holds true with others. If I had to guess it would be a breed not commonly available through hatcheries. Polish have a rough time with shipping in my experience. Others want an egg a day. God luck in your search.

 

[BGMatt]

Oh I'm not searching. I have all the breeds I need or want, just spawning some discussion because I have such a different mindset from a lot of people on here, not good or bad just different so curious to what is important and what breeds and varieties people find fit that best.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Oh I'm not searching. I have all the breeds I need or want, just spawning some discussion because I have such a different mindset from a lot of people on here, not good or bad just different so curious to what is important and what breeds and varieties people find fit that best.

I have a variety of breeds for my layers. But the other three are what I plan to breed. I may create some OE with the Marans boy over my blue egg EE since they are the big "thing" right now.