Bay Area BYCers!

[annaraven]

Anyone know where I can buy Marek's vaccine in the bay area? Or plan on doing it this week and will have leftover vaccine? (I only have four chicks and can come to you.)

 

[jeremy]

Sam's Downtown Feed in San Jose used to carry it. It was like $15 for a bottle.

 

[AlpineButterfly]

Hello all!

I wanted to let you all know that the Silicon Valley Tour de Coop is coming up in September, and they are currently looking for coops to be on the tour!
The more coops available, the better the routes will be! And just because it is called "Silicon Valley", if they get a few coops in an area further away, they can make a little local route there!



Last year I went, and had a really great time talking to people about their coops, and general urban farming and environmental ideas. They were just like me! So this year I signed up to show my coop.

If you are interested in possibly showing your coop, or helping to organize, or just want to register to go on the tour, visit the website www.tourdecoop.org

It's a lot of fun!

 

[wolftracks]

Anyone know where I can buy Marek's vaccine in the bay area? Or plan on doing it this week and will have leftover vaccine? (I only have four chicks and can come to you.)

Also try Close on Industrial in Hayward.

 

[jewelzbird]

I live in Mountain View and have had chickens for 2 years now. Just got my first complaint from the neighbor behind me who works nights and doesn't believe in earplugs for sleeping I guess.  He cited "Mountain View Code" though no specific portion of it and made veiled threats of "involving law enforcement".  Fortunately, my husband answered the door, not me  I'm ******!  Mtn View doesn't have a noise ordinance.  They do have a nuisance ordinance covering animals which I would be violating if the chickens squawked for 10 mins continuously or 30 minutes intermittently.  That doesn't happen every day but it probably happens sometimes.  Not sure how to handle this.  Wait it out and call his bluff?  Get rid of the top noisemaker (one hen is responsible for probably 75% of the noise here).  Get rid of the chickens, buy a gas powered leaf blower and fire it up in the backyard every morning at 9am?  Move to Salinas and buy a farm?  Ha ha, not an option  Anyway, anyone ever had a ****** off neighbor?  How did you handle it?

I'm in compliance with chicken code with the exception of having one extra hen.  I can't be sure I satisfy the requirement for being 25 feet from an occupied residence with my pen since I can't measure on other peoples property but it looks like I am ok just eyeballing it.

And BYC cesored a word starting with "p" that means extremely mad.  Not peeved, the other one.  weird.

Any news in your neighbor? I worry about this too.

 

[naturechick7]

Hi chickenfu,

I too have had these same concerns, especially when the gals decide to loudly celebrate each other's laying at 6am. Amazingly to me, I have not had any visits from unhappy neighbors. I guess the other city noises such as dogs barking, etc., have helped our cause. However, I had done some research on the topic which I am happy to share with you!

A great suggestion is to offer your neighbor some of your delicious eggs. The gesture itself is a peacemaking one. After all, fresh eggs are like edible gold! If you are able to have a conversation, you can try explaining hens lay approximately every 22 hours, so there will be times in this cycle where they are laying early in the morning. The good news is, like you said, it isn't all the time! Production slows in the winter too, so they tend to be quiter then. Sometimes giving people information as to why they are hearing this squaking gives them some reference. That, along with some fresh eggs every now and again....
I had also heard it suggested to get rid of the noisiest gal. There was some feedback that perhaps the "next in line" would take her spot in noisiness. In my experience, certain breeds and certain individual chickens are just loud... so in your case if your neighbor still proves to be hostile, offering to get rid of the noisiest girl will also put you completely within the legal limit and may be your best bet.
If this complaint came after two years, chances are the guy was having a bad day. Hopefully, you will be able to come to an agreement and keep the gals. Good luck!
Lana
Redwood Family Farm
PS: on their particularly noisy, early mornings, sometimes I will distract them with a yummy treat such as watermelon or something that will take them a little while to eat.

 

[badbrownie]

Hi All,

We're building an 8x4 enclosed chicken run/coop at the end of our backyard in Castro Valley and are looking to purchase 3 chicks that are (in a perfect world) silent and prolific egg layers. The coop is at the end of our backyard and close to the end of our neighbor's yard. It's maybe 60 ft from their house. I'd like to be a good neighbor and am looking to understand what I can realistically expect in terms of chicken noise. We're building an enclosed coop for them. Should we put padding in it to muffle their noise? I've not heard of anyone doing that. Do chickens make most of their noise in the coop (laying-song I think I heard it called here) or might they be loud outside of the coop too?

The advice I've picked up on so far is that Buff Orpingtons are good layers and should be purchased as chicks so they'll be more docile (quiet?).

Can I have confidence I can keep their noise if I get them as chicks?
Can I get chicks in June or are they just a spring thing?
Am I planning on the right breed? If not, which would you recommend (no blue eggs please. The wife is put off by the thought)

Thanks for helping a chicken noob.

 

[wolftracks]

My Sportsman I'd on the Fritz, so I have some hatching eggs for sale. I'll be in Hayward tomorrow, so if someone is looking please pm me for prices and breeds

 

[jewelzbird]

Your plan is good. You hopefully have a yard they can range around in during the day. If not, a bigger run would be good. My buff Orpington is a sweetie! She only gets noisy when she lays eggs. No need for padding in the coop. They are silent at night if they have a dark (but ventilated) coop. I find if I close them in at night (verses leaving the coop open to the run) they don't wake us up quite so early. I get up and let them out around 7am. Hopefully your neighbors are up by then. My girls do call for me a bit if I lag, but not loudly. Just little clucks. The big noise is a minute or two at egg time. Because Obviously, the world needs to behold the egg has been lain!!!! Chicks are any time of year. Enjoy your girls. Welcome to chickens!!!

 

[badbrownie]

> You hopefully have a yard they can range around in during the day. If not, a bigger run would be good

I'm afraid we're just intending to give them a 32 sq ft run plus a raise coop of about 12 sq ft. we're not planning on having them free range in the yard at all. Will I regret that plan for any reason?