Bay Area BYCers!

[KristyAnn]

I would be honored

 

[Lucie Blume]

After our first winter with chickens, we put sand in our run.  We rake it out every once in a while and toss some new sand in it.  The sand drains fast and the poop just disappears into it.  The girls also love to dust bathe in it.

Sand is a fantastic idea. Thank you so much. We will do that this year.

I wish I had a pic to post of our silkie hen Sugar. When it rains, she gets covered in mud. We call her Pig Pen then, after the Charlie Brown character.

 

[BluesChicken]

I know that much of the rest of North America considers us a bunch of weather-wussies, but seriously now...do we need to do anything for our flock with the temps dropping into the 20s??

 

[Thorn]

Sadly, San Jose has an ordinance that prohibits roosters :-( Several here have spoken about bringing one for a visit to get some fertilized eggs If you have cool neighbors you might be okay but if someone complains you will have to find him a new home.

 

[KristyAnn]

trade to a good home. He needs care that I unfortunantly cannot provide at this time. The girls love him and he makes there day, but all he tries to do is fly away and I can't stand do keep him confined. My husband doesn't want to give him up, but realistically this boy Chief can do better somewhere else where he can roam free.

.

 

[Plough]

Curious if anyone knows of any groups or organizations, support group to be able to join in south bay, specifically San Jose for/about chickens or urban farming.

I've looked at the local farm park (Prush) but the only thing I see there is more just a gardening style group [vegilution]

 

[KristyAnn]

Yeah, that'd be good use. I haven't heard much on one either.

 

[chiqita]

I also havnt. Besides master gardners.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Curious if anyone knows of any groups or organizations, support group to be able to join in south bay, specifically San Jose for/about chickens or urban farming.

I've looked at the local farm park (Prush) but the only thing I see there is more just a gardening style group [vegilution]

There is the sv-chickens group on Yahoo. Some of us get together for dinner several times a year, and I am hoping to set up a more regular event.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I use wood chips - not shavings - in the run. If you get the playground mulch or turn the regular landscaping wood chips a few times in a concrete mixer (An OdJob will work, but it takes a lot of loads) to break off the splinters they work very well. I don't bothers spinning them - I just set them in a pile to weather a bit.

I change them once a year. Since they don't hold water like bark mulch, and gradually decompose, when pull them I use them to replace aging mulch around trees and yard plants. I don't have to fertilize my fruit trees or my front yard, which is in native plants.

Once in a while, go out and rake them over in the run. You can lime and then rake (use the non-caustic garden lime), turning them and mixing them. It's a great way to use chicken manure without having to constantly clean it up.