Bay Area BYCers!

[PetRock]

Thank you, Jeremy! I told Monet what you said and she immediately replied, "I'm with him!"

We'll be watching those breast feathers for sure!

 

[clio]

Quote:
Cheryl,

I asked my friend who is part of the Sacramento 4H Cavy/Guinea Pig group about her Sebastopol geese, and here is her response tonight: (she has acreage with geese, chickens, goats, and llamas; one of her guinea pigs was a model for the movie "G-Force")

That's an interesting question. The males get very protective during the
Spring and will go after people. If she just had males, or just females it
may be OK. But geese are very protective and I am not sure they would be
happy by themselves.

This Spring three males came at me at the same time. I told them to back
off, and the oldest one (Romeo) recognized my voice and backed off, but the
other two came at me. I reached down and grabbed them just behind their
neck and held them loosely and told them off for a few minutes. Now I just
have to tell them to back off and they do. But I wouldn't call them
friendly.

There are some of the larger geese that are considered friendly geese. My
Brown Chinese don't come after me either, but they are very noisy.

Terrie

-----Original Message-----

Subject: Re: Sebastopol geese

thanks ... are the Sebastopol geese friendly? She plans to have them at a
place in Lafayette where there are educational programs, etc.


Jeremy,
This same friend also has the neatest goats .. about the size of medium size dogs.

 

[jeremy]

So I may have the opportunity to go in on a landshare with a good friend of mine soon, we're looking at property now to either lease or maybe even buy, depending on the price. We've only been looking at small acreage amounts, no more than 3-5 acres with an existing water source on sight. Also it has to be relatively close to Oakland, within an hours distance one way. We hope to find something to suit these needs by the end of the year and start breaking ground in early 2012.

That said, I would be moving my Blue Wheaten Ameraucana and English BBS breeding flocks to the potential property as well as expanding my chickening to include a third flock, I'm SUPER excited about this part of the deal.

I've narrowed it down to a list of 10 breeds that I am considering, I've got a looong while to research each individually and find sources for quality stock to start my own line with. What do y'all think? Of the breeds listed below what would YOU raise? Why, or why not? Have you kept any of these breeds in the past or do you right now? What do you like about them, what do you dislike?

Here's the list...

-Delawares
-Coronation & Light Sussex (keeping the the Light Sussex to breed towards better feather quality)
-Lavender Silkies
-Buff Ameraucana
-Blue, Black, Splash Sumatra
-Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Penedesenca PROJECT (Wheaten Pene rooster over Wheaten/BW Marans)
-Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Marans
-Welsummers
-Cream Legbars (from Greenfire Farms)
-Tolbunt Polish (

Maybe if I won the lottery...)

We'll be looking at a couple of lots next weekend up towards Fairfield and Vacaville, I'm really excited about getting more chickens and being able to GROW more of our own foods. I'm also thinking of doing a small fruit tree orchard on the site, depending on the size of the property. I've got so many ideas already, my mind has been racing these past couple of days with plans!

 

[wolftracks]

Oh Jeremy that would be cool.

Those are some of the areas I've been looking also. They're close to Travis AFB and the cemetery where Bill is buried.

I haven't found anything out there that I can afford, but still looking.

Good luck and hope you get something nice.

I see you like the Wheaten Penedesenca project. Mee too, but I need the hens. LOL

I loved my Wheaten Maranas, but I love Marans, so there ya go.

The Tolbunts! I wish. I used to raise Polish a while back and had tons of them. Now I can't find BLP hens anywhere and I have a lonely roo, but yes on the Tolbunts.

Wellies are another breed I love and have finally collected a few and hatched some out in LF and in bantam.

Miss my Sumatras too. I've been looking for some nice ones, but haven't seen any close to what I had and don't know if I want to get them and work on them.

You're as bad as my with adding breeds. I also keep adding colors of my breeds. I really need to find that property.

 

[cherylcohen]

Quote:
Hi Laurie!!
Haven't heard from you for a while on BYC ... I agree with what you've posted

Jeremy,
Goats are quite independent in many situations. I know a lady who raises small goats in Petaluma and, they seem to be great. But, I also know of others who have goats as companions to llamas, etc. and those goats can be a handful...besides the head butts, you may not have a garden left - goats eat everything in sight! Heights do not deter them-they have climbed over fences into neighbors' properties, more than twice.

Cheryl,
Sebastopol geese, like many geese, can be very defensive and not too friendly around children. The Sebastopol geese are beautiful with their ruffle feathers; I have friends who have them, so they're a common sight to me. But, sometimes they do get very defensive. I can ask my friends for Sebastopol geese sources locally.

New challenging project?? Lav. orpingtons? Julia is so sweet! How about phoenixes? Long sweeping tail feathers.

Still having the bday party for your young friend in May? My broody cochin #2 is setting on six BCM eggs, week #2 done, and week #3 starting.

Your 1/2 English Orp now just stands around waiting to be petted

Have you ever given them a bath, now that the weather is warmer?

sure chicken SPA DAY! yes I've given the silver pencils and a few others a bath, it's really easy, fill the sink with warm water and they just melt...they love it make sure to have something like a rubber mat of towels on the bottom so they have sure footing

 

[cherylcohen]

Quote:
Good for you Kim, I can't wait to be able to cut back my numbers. My feed bill is waaaaaay out of control. In fact I am off to Tractor Supply today for more Start & Grow. I think I have a $2 coupon I printed around here somewhere.
So you have more BCM??? Is that what is hatching & pipping????

OMG I have 2 $1 coupons and forgot. I'm off to pick Dakotah up and stop for feed.

I have no idea what's going on with these BCMs. The inner membrane seems so much thicker then with the other breeds. I had 7 mixed chicks out and still no BCM so I pipped them. They were wrapped so tight, when I pierced the membrane 4 were barely breathing and didn't make it. One wasn't as wrapped and started peeping as soon as the membrane was pierced and he's the only BCM I have out of this hatch. I had 14 in, but the others were late quiters about day 16. I find that so yucky when I check them.'

I'm trying to get time to take some BCM eggs to you. I think I have 13. For some reason I only got 2 eggs yesterday before I had to leave and there were birds in the boxes, so don't know what's up with that. Hopefully you can get some of these to hatch out. I sure hope so, cause 1 or 2 per hatch ain't gettin it!

I set all the other eggs last night. Finally got 2 from the new girls that I didn't drop or weren't stepped on.

OH.............Cheryl???? Which of the girls is Fanny and which is Saddie? One had more broken feathers if that helps.

I have 4 new BCM roos. All Wade Jean, but there's one with yellow legs. That seems to happen a lot with that line doesn't it? Anyway I have him if someone wants him. I think she said he is 3 months old.

Wish I has a couple of birchen hens to go with this new cockerel. I like dark birds for some reason. I know everyone love the Wheatens and I loved our roo and wish I still had hom and the pullet I hatched out with him, but I like seeing blues, lavs and blacks out there. Now those cocoa chicks???? I can't wait to see what thos look like. I thik they'll be the only ones I keep out of this mix if I get pullets. They'll be great layers. Didn't get a chocolate one though this hatch. Darn.

OK I'm off like a prom dress!!!!!!!!!

Gotta get things done.

#5 band is Fanny

 

[cherylcohen]

Quote:
Cheryl,

I asked my friend who is part of the Sacramento 4H Cavy/Guinea Pig group about her Sebastopol geese, and here is her response tonight: (she has acreage with geese, chickens, goats, and llamas; one of her guinea pigs was a model for the movie "G-Force")

That's an interesting question. The males get very protective during the
Spring and will go after people. If she just had males, or just females it
may be OK. But geese are very protective and I am not sure they would be
happy by themselves.
This Spring three males came at me at the same time. I told them to back
off, and the oldest one (Romeo) recognized my voice and backed off, but the
other two came at me. I reached down and grabbed them just behind their
neck and held them loosely and told them off for a few minutes. Now I just
have to tell them to back off and they do. But I wouldn't call them
friendly.
There are some of the larger geese that are considered friendly geese. My
Brown Chinese don't come after me either, but they are very noisy.
Terrie
-----Original Message-----

Subject: Re: Sebastopol geese

thanks ... are the Sebastopol geese friendly? She plans to have them at a
place in Lafayette where there are educational programs, etc.
Jeremy,
This same friend also has the neatest goats .. about the size of medium size dogs.

Thanks for the info, nope not going to work then, it's a place where kids are around so probably not a great idea. Well actually in these pens the kids won't be allowed in - you know how nutz I am about bio security...

 

[cherylcohen]

Quote:
So cool this is happening for both of us at the same time. I'm going to add wheatens/blue marans to my mix and get back into the coronations as well (I think replacing Sir Giles might be too hard) Tolbunts I'm on a hunt, but also considering New Hampshires

 

[jeremy]

Kim, I have to only pick one, remember?

Cheryl, this is something I have been wanting to do for a long while, mostly for the gardening space. The new chickens are just a bonus that sweetens the deal even more.

We produced about 60% of the total fruits and veggies we ate last year with food from our gardens, with this new space we would love to get that number somewhere closer to 80% or even 90% of what goes from the ground to our dinner plates. With this extra space we will also have the ability to grow out more roosters specifically to process, too.

I'm considerong the W/BW Marans, but I want a line that has DARK egg color, that's my number one priority. So did you sell your Coronation Sussex flock? I thought you retained them at your place in Clayton? What breeding birds do you have right now then? Just the Buff Laced Brahmas? The Coros are very pretty, your pictures have shown me that. I'm not too fond of a white bird though, that's also why I'm hesitant to get back into Delawares, that's what's got me on the fence about the Sussex.

Tolbunts are probably a project bigger than I can take on right now. They are just so inbred that there are so, so many problems with the variety. If you're lucky enough to hatch any chicks the few that do make it out of the shell sometimes die for no reason at all only days later. The inbreeding has caused issues with fertility, hatchability, ability to thrive and grow, etc. It's a breed that needs A LOT of time, effort and dedication put into it in order to bring it back from a place that is basically near extinction. At least in the US. I'm honestly surprised someone hasn't imported another line, like Greenfire. But the thing is most people don't have the patience to take on a real breeding project with real challenges like this breed is facing, they just want pretty "eye candy" for their yards.

If you want GORGEOUS, AMAZING New Hampshires you should get them from Doug Akers, if you look up kathyinmo's NHs you will see what I mean. She bought a trio from Doug and those birds are beautiful.

 

[jeremy]

Oooh, I forgot one breed on the list of maybes! True tufted, rumpless Araucanas! In AOV colors.

I'll take Tolbunt Polish off in order to add the Araucanas.