Bay Area BYCers!

[cherylcohen]

so you are good to go...start incubating

 

[jeremy]

Aren't you suppose to at least wait a month for unwanted semen from a roo to "clear out" of a hens system?

I know I've read somewhere that they can hold on to semen for much longer than 2 weeks.

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
Already have. LOL


Jeremy I've always heard 3 weeks and I know my blue AM roo had been gone a while when I hatched out 3 OE blue chicks. LOL I was happy to see those but disappointed when I only got the 3 and all the ohters were pure after that. I was kind of hoping for at least 10.

So doesn't matter if I have them mixed when I sell them as long as once they start laying pure eggs I can build up from there. There's a decent market for mixes with people who just want layers, so not worried about hatching out something that's mixed if that happens. I'll just keep it up till there's no doubt.

 

[Country Chick at Heart]

Hi Everyone!

A fellow BYC'er was kind enough to remind me that I could post to folks a little more local! I had posted in the wanted section that I'm looking for two Black Astralorp chicks. I learn something new about this site every time I'm logged on!! Thank goodness you're all here!

I do think I found them in Mill Valley, but if someone closer to the Tri-Valley area of Dublin/Livermore/Pleasanton has any fuzzy girls that they need homes for I'd really like to hear from you. Thanks again!

 

[Anna_B_Happy]

Quote:
I have a black australorp hen that I got from little cluckers as a chick and she grew up to be a beautiful black with beetle-green iridescent coloring and very friendly. And huge. Check out littlecluckers.com

Anna B

 

[sewandgrow]

Quote:
I have Black Australorps from Lowell & Bruce Sherman in Pine Grove & so does Carrie of Subtainableyieldpoultry.com out of Arnold. I'm in Turlock in the San Joaquin valley. I sporatically hatch them out along with others chicks.

 

[Anna_B_Happy]

Hi everyone,

I have some blue-laced red wyandotte juvenile chicks from Foley's that are about 10 weeks old now. Foley's is very well known on BYC for high quality wyandottes. Here is a link to their website with photos of full-grown birds. http://www.foleyswaterfowl.com/blrwyandotte.htm

I have a few each of both roos and pullets. Please PM me if you are interested.

Thanks,
Anna B

 

[Country Chick at Heart]

Many "THANKS!" to Anna_B_Happy and Sewandgrow for your suggestions. I checked out both locations and have book marked them for future reference, but I think Mill Valley is a little closer to me. Can't wait to get the girls! My mom has raised many Astralorps and they are just great birds - too bad she doesn't have any right now! Again thank you!

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
I have Black Australorps from Lowell & Bruce Sherman in Pine Grove & so does Carrie of Subtainableyieldpoultry.com out of Arnold. I'm in Turlock in the San Joaquin valley. I sporatically hatch them out along with others chicks.

Hi SF BYCers!

Just curious, are these show quality Australorps? I bought an Urban five pack of BA's from cackle in February and I love them. I also have three "RIRs" from Ideal and two of the Red Hybrids(they are too dignified to be called sex links

. The sex links were 20 week old pullets and were amazingly good at picking up the coop and egg laying routine. The Australorps are now 12 weeks old and have been in the big coop for two weeks. They have finally figured out the roosts but have not figured out how to go home at night. They cram themselves under the nest box of the little coop where the Red Star chickens are. Yesterday I tried herding them to the coop after getting them out from under the nest box. Tomorrow I am finishing the run on the big coop and will try leaving them in there for several days to see if they pick up the going home routine.

The RIR's are six weeks old and are very different from the BA's. Last night they were very noisy and since they had fresh food and water I figured it was time to freshen up the brooder. I put them outside and cleaned the brooder. The Red Sex links were out and one was playing the dominance game and chased the RIR chicks back into the house!

Ok, to get back to the Show Quality BA's, are they like the Heritage RIR chickens, where the superior egg laying characteristic has been bread out of them? I think that is the saddest part of losing the RIR chickens to the production reds. Maybe if I went up into the hills of Tehama County(Out of Red Bluff CA) I could find some old farm family that still has the real RIR's...

Better get back to work!

Ron

 

[jeremy]

Quote:
Most likely, if it's from a hatchery it won't be SQ, no matter what the breed. Most likely. I've seen a few exceptions and I've had a few birds from various hatcheries that represent the breed SOP fine enough, but getting a show quality bird from a hatchery is not very probable. IMO.

Mostly because hatcheries stopped selected for SOP characteristics and have bred more towards quick growth rate and a high egg production, letting other traits play second fiddle.

IF you're looking for "real" RIR I may be able to help you out. I've got a bunch of Heritage/Mahogany RIR growing out right now, I received these chicks from Paul Smith in Texas. They're BIG chicks and have colored in very nicely. I'll definitely have a few cockerels I need to let go, PM me and we can talk more if you're interested.