Yes!
California - Northern
- Thread starter Nifty-Chicken
- Start date
Yep, chicken math is dangerous. I grew up on a farm where we had chickens, ducks, and geese for poultry -- the chickens were all Babcock Leghorns, Pekin Ducks, and Talousse Geese. My mom liked baking with the eggs and the birds were easy for her to butcher for the freezer chest. She wanted Muscovies too but she stopped her duck math when the freezer was full!
Now I'm old and retired and live in a suburban neighborhood where ordnance limits us to 5 hens only/no roo's. 13+ yrs ago we started w/ two pet Silkies hatched from a home school mom who gave them free to us. Then she gave us a white Leghorn and a cuckoo Marans. Later over the years we had more Silkies, Breda, buff Leghorns, blue Bredas, cuckoo Breda, blue Wheaton Ameraucana, Dominiques. I was offered a mating pair of Coronation Sussex but had to turn them down cuz we cant have roo's. We re-homed bullies, some died, some had to be put down at the veterinarian but we always kept birds at 5 hens in our small backyard.
Right now we have a 7 yr old Dominique and 5 Silkies. The Dom she is old and dont know how much longer she will live, so far she's good. If she dies that will leave us with 5 Silkies that will be our last chickens.
Silkies are small in the yard but smart, cute, more quiet than big chickens, and a good size egg for a bigger size bantam, and they don't fly well so they cant fly out of our yard. We divided the yard with deer fencing -- half for vegetable garden and half for chicken yard with new trees, popup canopies. and patio roofs, and dog houses, and benches for hiding areas from hawks. So far no predator losses and our coop is super sturdy if raccoon, possum, cats, or coyotes jump the block wall at night!
Now I'm old and retired and live in a suburban neighborhood where ordnance limits us to 5 hens only/no roo's. 13+ yrs ago we started w/ two pet Silkies hatched from a home school mom who gave them free to us. Then she gave us a white Leghorn and a cuckoo Marans. Later over the years we had more Silkies, Breda, buff Leghorns, blue Bredas, cuckoo Breda, blue Wheaton Ameraucana, Dominiques. I was offered a mating pair of Coronation Sussex but had to turn them down cuz we cant have roo's. We re-homed bullies, some died, some had to be put down at the veterinarian but we always kept birds at 5 hens in our small backyard.
Right now we have a 7 yr old Dominique and 5 Silkies. The Dom she is old and dont know how much longer she will live, so far she's good. If she dies that will leave us with 5 Silkies that will be our last chickens.
Silkies are small in the yard but smart, cute, more quiet than big chickens, and a good size egg for a bigger size bantam, and they don't fly well so they cant fly out of our yard. We divided the yard with deer fencing -- half for vegetable garden and half for chicken yard with new trees, popup canopies. and patio roofs, and dog houses, and benches for hiding areas from hawks. So far no predator losses and our coop is super sturdy if raccoon, possum, cats, or coyotes jump the block wall at night!
Ok. It's hot here in sac also. I make sure they have cool water and some frozen fruits. How big is your flock? What breed?
Nice set up.
You said those are your last chickens, so no more backyard chickens if those silkies get old and were to die?
I also live in suburbia. I really wished I was into chicken when we bought this last house. I would've moved into a rural area instead like Woodland, Galt, even Eldorado Hills. Wish I could have some goats, rabbits, pigs etc..one day when husband and I retire...But good thing we got enough backyard for the chickens, the pool, the koi pond , oh and the kids
can't forget the babies 
.Real estate is so expensive in this part of the state (that's a whole other subject).
Oh and we don't have a max of animals, they said as long as the neighbors don't complain and that you're mess doesn't spill to outside of your property limit. My neighbor on right has chickens and the one on the left has huge noisy dogs. I keep my chicken run clean. So no complaints.
All California is expensive. Friends and family are slowly moving out to other states where there are no state taxes, much lower property taxes, and you get big big homes with lots of land. So far they have moved to Arizona, Idaho, and Texas. We are too old to move.Nice set up.
You said those are your last chickens, so no more backyard chickens if those silkies get old and were to die?
I also live in suburbia. I really wished I was into chicken when we bought this last house. I would've moved into a rural area instead like Woodland, Galt, even Eldorado Hills. Wish I could have some goats, rabbits, pigs etc..one day when husband and I retire...But good thing we got enough backyard for the chickens, the pool, the koi pond , oh and the kids
Real estate is so expensive in this part of the state (that's a whole other subject).
And yes, these are our last chickens. We started with Silkies and ending now with Silkies. We love the little fluffies and their eggs are a good size for a bigger bantam breed.
Pure bred Blue Wheaten Ameraucana (not Easter egger) and Blue Breda
Silly Silkie -- they are good foragers and get straw, grass, and cobwebs in their hair!
Silkies are so cute and fluffy and they are excellent broodies to hatch eggs. They will hatch any eggs -- ducklings, quail, or other chicken eggs, etc.
A half million in sac will give you 1500-1700 sqft home with a 5×10 sqft side yard. You Can pass the soap to the neighbors from your shower to theirs. TERRIBLE!!!
For our brutal So Calif heatwaves we have two insulated 2-gallon Rubbermaid coolers with Brite Tap waterers that screw into the spigot hole. We put giant ice cubes in the water every morning and the girls will even take a "shower" under the nipple waterers!
What we dont like is to hear the neighbor's toilet flushing!
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