Bay Area BYCers!

[clio]

Hi Jeremy!
Happy New Year !

Yes, it was 28* in my back patio this morning. The girls were a bit slow getting out of the coop, but most were out by 7:30 am. My white cochin who hatched some BCMs on Thanksgiving Day sleeps in a dog crate with the two chicks in my family room...this morning, she wanted to be out and about at 7 am! Yes, I make a warm brunch for my girls also.

I got two beautiful brahmas (gold laced and silver laced) from Allison today for my Berkeley grandkids and a lavender Araucana for myself. Then I went to Sac to get some Scratch and Peck feed that Azure Standard wasn't carrying (grower, scratch.)

Hope to see you soon!

 

[Chicken Lover 1]

Does western feeds sex their chicks

 

[clio]

Hi,

Were you referring to Western Farm in Santa Rosa? I've seen most of their day old chicks as pullets. Call them for details?? They have a list posted by the Chick Room when the chicks start arriving, around the first week in March.

Western Feed and Pet Supply in Sacramento ... I don't know if they sell chicks or not. I go there to buy the Scratch and Peck Feeds I can't find anywhere else. But Azure Standard has just started to have the S and P layer and starter feeds this January.

 

[johnsc22]

Can anyone recommend somewhere to get Buff Orpington eggs for hatching please? Could also be interested in Americauna and Polish breeds. I'm leading an egg hatch project at school and since I'll be left with any we hatch I'd like a breed that I'm interested in to add to my flock.
Also, does anyone have a favorite brand of incubator that they've had a reasonable amount of success with?

 

[jeremy]

Can anyone recommend somewhere to get Buff Orpington eggs for hatching please?

I recommend that you contact Don Chandler, he was selling started birds recently but I'm unsure if he has hatching eggs available right now. He probably can point you in the right direction though, he is the president of the United Orpington Club, if anyone knows he will know.

Could also be interested in Americauna and Polish breeds.

Are you interested in pure Ameraucanas, or do you want Easter Eggers? For pure Ameraucanas I'd suggest contacting Jean Ribbeck, here BYC screen name is pips&peeps. She is also the president of the Ameraucana Breeders Club. If you're interested in just finding Easter Eggers EBAY would probably be the easiest way to find reasonably priced eggs. I saw these eggs recently and thought the birds were very pretty.

Depending on what size Polish you're looking for, large fowl or bantams I may have a suggestion for you. A friend of mine raises show quality bantam polish in many colors. Her website is feathersontheground.com. Her name is Tricia.

Also, does anyone have a favorite brand of incubator that they've had a reasonable amount of success with?

What's your price range? I prefer Brinsea, their digital incubators control temperature and humidity almost perfectly (in my experience), I plan on buying a Brinsea cabinet incubator this spring. For something like a school project something more economical might be the Hovabator Genesis 1588. It has a large view window that makes watching chicks hatch really easy.

I hope you find what you're looking for!

 

[johnsc22]

Thanks for the feedback Jeremy. I'd be happy with Easter Eggers. just after the blue eggs really (my kids get a kick out of them). As for the incubator, I'm not looking to spend huge $$$$ but I don't want the kids to be disappointed (another mom I know got only 1 chick out of about 20 eggs hatch recently and I'd hope I can do better than that!). Anyway, I'll look into your suggestions. Cheers. Claire

 

[chiqita]

Thanks for the feedback Jeremy. I'd be happy with Easter Eggers. just after the blue eggs really (my kids get a kick out of them). As for the incubator, I'm not looking to spend huge $$$$ but I don't want the kids to be disappointed (another mom I know got only 1 chick out of about 20 eggs hatch recently and I'd hope I can do better than that!). Anyway, I'll look into your suggestions. Cheers. Claire

 

Try to get local over shipped eggs. Makes a huge difference with hatching. Also if you are candling for school project don't get anything too dark. Are you looking right now or for eggs in a month or so? I have some easter eggers but atm more then one rooster has access to them.

Farm innovators has a good package that has an OK candler incubator and turner for between 100 and 120 depending on the time of year. But the candler might not be good enough to really get detail in the egg. Also it has small not large top windows. Brinseas are the best but are spendy.

Whatever you do don't get a still air or a little giant.

If you are not doing heavy candling think about coturnix quail they are very easy to hatch. They can also take a still air incubator. Good luck with your hatch!

 

[MamaHenJenn]

I'm in Livermore and a newbie. Raising two chicks now. Looking for a good, affordable, coop for my small yard.

 

[wolftracks]

I'm in Livermore and a newbie. Raising two chicks now. Looking for a good, affordable, coop for my small yard.

If you aren't getting more than 2 .....cough...hack....cough (chicken math) you can get away with even a dog house. And a small one is so easy to make. Have you looked on the site for instructions and ideas yet? If you wanted something you can work with and don't find anything soon, let me know. I have some wood and wire cages I bought to turn into coops and decided I like hoop coops better.


Oh and I also wanted to mention that I have some of my best hatches with a still air LG. You have to tweek them, but I have less problems than with the Sportsman. I have way less stuck chicks with the still air. I think you just have to figure out what works with any incubator. I also used to get great hatches with some homemade incubators. The best one is made out of a styro cooler and works great. Reminds me I want to bring it in from the garage and test it out.

 

[SonomaRoost]

I think I may be done with my coop finally. . .Sonoma,Ca here Chicken math is not adding up quick enough need some more babies!