Bay Area BYCers!

[morwenna]

Quote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
Hi,

I would wait before giving away that chicken. I just looked up pictures of hens and cockerels for barred rocks, and the rooster comb goes back much farther then yours. I would wait until your either hear a crow or get an egg before finally knowing for sure. Different breeds get combs and wattles at different times, so you can't compare the Barred rock to a Black Austrolorp for example.

Ron

Hi Ron,
This one's definitely a male. He's got his shiny saddle feathers coming in already -- thin, pointy-tipped feathers that the pullets don't get. His comb is large (considering he's 11 weeks) and very red (it's been red since he was only about five weeks old), his feet are huge, and he's got the standard male grey coloring. Before those saddle feathers started coming in, we were definitely holding out hope he was just a very boyish-looking pullet, but now we've finally been forced to face reality

--Mo

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
Hi,

I would wait before giving away that chicken. I just looked up pictures of hens and cockerels for barred rocks, and the rooster comb goes back much farther then yours. I would wait until your either hear a crow or get an egg before finally knowing for sure. Different breeds get combs and wattles at different times, so you can't compare the Barred rock to a Black Austrolorp for example.

Ron

Hi Ron,
This one's definitely a male. He's got his shiny saddle feathers coming in already -- thin, pointy-tipped feathers that the pullets don't get. His comb is large (considering he's 11 weeks) and very red (it's been red since he was only about five weeks old), his feet are huge, and he's got the standard male grey coloring. Before those saddle feathers started coming in, we were definitely holding out hope he was just a very boyish-looking pullet, but now we've finally been forced to face reality

--Mo

>>>>>>>>>
Hi Again,

Do you have others that are the same breed? I don't have recent experience with Barred Rocks--had them growing up in the 70's. I have read on these boards about many folks thinking they had a rooster up until it laid an egg. The feather characteristics could be due to not reaching Juvenal molt? Just saying it would not hurt to wait for the crowing to start. Most say the first couple of weeks of crowing are not too bad, so you would still have time to re home the bird. I would take him or her, but I can't have roosters here so can't take the chance. All of my pullets were sexed correctly so I feel very lucky.

If you can't find someone, there is a place in Grass Valley called Animal Rescue (I think) that takes chickens.

Of course this is a Dual Purpose bird....Perish the thought!

Have fun!

Ron

 

[MarinMama]

Quote:
X2, if someone is willing to house the rooster then I would seriously consider it.

Well, seriously, I am on acreage so could do it, but I need to enlarge my coop and run first. This should be done within a couple of months, as I have (hopefully) about a dozen BBS Ams from pips and peeps hatching tomorrow, 4 1-month olds in a stall, and my coop is only big enough for the 13 big girls and roo I already have.
I will post when my building is done, and if you have not found anyone else and still want to do it we will talk.

Let's keep in touch here...looks like the earliest they would be shipped is mid-October.

 

[dedicateddourly]

OH NOOOO!! Yolanda is sleeping in the nest box tonight. I don't want another broody.

 

[wolftracks]

Been a long week.

First we just get over the Altamont for an A's game that was planned on Christmas and get a call my daughter's house was cleared out. We turned around to go back and yep, wiped out.

Then the next day my daughter was having a fundraising Cookie Lee party. I' was dressed locked the front door and couldn't find my car keyy. I found it tonight. I tore my house apart and too tired to finish putting it back together. Maybe later if it cools off enough.

Had to find that key. Between having it rekeyed and the computer reset I was not gonna be able to pay $1100. Heck I could buy birds with that from what I'm reading. LOL Who am I kidding. I've spent several times that in the past year. No wonder I'm broke.

Soooo

All of my Lav AMs, but my one from pips&peeps? Cockerels, so 4 breeders and I kept 1.

BBS AMs from every breeder. 1 pullet, maybe another. one black, one blue. The rest? Cockerels

FBCMs? Where do I begin? I've lost so many. My own will zip and die. Though I saved at least one this week, but lost him yesterday. I have 2 pullets and a cockerel left from all I've hatched out. Tried adding Jean lines, but they had way way too much coppering.

Most of the other eggs I've had shipped I've gotten the moxed eggs to hatch. This week I actually got one blue BBS bantam AM, I thought I had a Lav, but it's looking more splash. Marans I've hatched are supposed to be more Davis lines, but my birds have great feathering on their shanks and these so far are very sparse, but I got a blue and a splash. I think I had a rose comb somewhere, but it's blending in with my mixed chicks and I have to wait to see more comb. I know better than to mix them up, but only one rosecomb hatched and it was lonely.

No Silkies, Polish, can't remember what else and nuttin honey!

I have 4 Modern Games in lockdown. They were due today and I don't see anything. 3 were iffy anyway, so I was just taking a shot. I need to find more so Makayla has her birds for showing.

I have 27 out of the 36 or so that hatched. A few had splayed legs and some were just extra tiny. I think they hatched the 23rd??? Gotta look it up, but they hatched the day they should have gone into lockdown and I had quail popping and landing all over the Sportsman. They are already about 6xs bigger than at hatch. Even with all of the quail, I set 110 and got 30 something, so not a great hatch, but I did get some. Just hope I have enough to start my quail venture. I'm going to be hatching as many as I can, as long as I can.

I need Pene hens or pullets. I have a bantam Wellie roo now and El Guapo is just too GUAPO to waste.

I think I may have my LF Wellies sexed. Oh yeah. Had 5 of those hatch. I almost forgot! I think I have 3 pullets and 2 cockerels. I have another pullet and cockerel in the growout pen, but the little roo does not like other roos around. I'm thinking when I get some things together out there I'm going to let the Wellies free range like I did the Marans to get used to eachother. They don't seem to care how many roos are around.

I also need to find some girls for Trouble. Decided to keep his name. Everyone loves him and likes it, so it's not that he's trouble, but he sure does look for it lately. He's the discription for the word "Chicken" though. He gets close, the roos chase him, and he comes running to me. He's got flying on my arm and shoulder down. Getting a little heavy, so I really need to get him some girls and his own condo. LOL

I set eggs today. I'm trying to get a hatch for what would have been our 12th anniversary. I figure if I can't celebrate it with Bill, I'll just hatch chickens. Sure I would have been doing that anyway.

I need to know if anyone uses any additives for helping my eggs to hatch. Just got kelp, I know lotsapaints uses that, but my chicks are huge in the shells and just can't seem to get out. Fertility really isn't a problem, but getting them through a hatch is. I do give vitamins in their water and electrolites. What else can I do. I'm running incubators all over the place and my hatches were going great, but I need to refresh my flock and not having much luck.

 

[sewandgrow]

Hi Kim,
I made the same mistake & mixed chicks without banding them Kim. Thinking I would keep it straight in my head right?????....what a laugh!!!!!!....LOL. Now I find myself looking through the wire trying to figure out who's who.......LOL. Once in awhile (n0t lately) I get a clean legged BCM so when I have Black Australorps & Andalusians in the same hatch I have to be careful. After a short time the Andalusians show themselves. They quickly look like little dinosaurs. Feathered shanks black chicks I know are BCMs because that is the only feathered shank breed I have except Silkies (no mistaking there). Feathered shanks yellow chicks I know are Wheaten Marans, again the only feathered shank breed I have & those are the only 2 varieties I have of Marans except for the Whites in the grow out pens.
BTW , off subject......I have a Cookie Lee order for Olivia. I got a catalog from her at Safeway the other day since you & her husband were going to be coming to get cages etc. I told her I would send it with him.
I only got 1 Silver Dorking to hatch so that is a total of 2............

I have Wynette's BCMs and OEs due today a BCM is pipping. She said her larger eggs sometimes take an extra day. I will give them plenty of time.
Those quail eggs I ordered to hatch for you ( white Coturnix) have not come yet. The auction closed on the 25th. I am alittle concerned.
My wing bands from Cutler's haven't come yet either. I will be nervous about using them for the first time.
ANYONE OUT THERE EVER USE WING BANDS?????? ANY FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE WILL BE APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I am off to do the rounds while it is cool. I have done the brooders & now need to get out to the grow out pens & out back to the grown ups.....LOL

 

[wolftracks]

Anyone looking for goats?

The link is to a craigslist add for 4 free goats. http://modesto.craigslist.org/grd/2471012123.html

Where's Kelsey? Yeah.............Where IS Kelsy? Do we have a baby yet?????

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
Been trying to get hold of Olivia all day. She must be at work. I'll be seeing her tomorrow though. Jason got a great new BBQ for father's day and that man loves that thing. When we first heard they got robbed he told the girls to see if they got his BBQ. LOL The flat screen didn't bother him as much. He can't cook on it. hehe

I have a few cockerels that I think are going to auction in the morning. I really like one of the Olive Eggers. He's beautiful, but I have to be a little realistic. Darn it. I figure with my game X marans mixes that any that look like BCMs which lots do, will go for now too. I can tell most by the shanks. Been getting clean legged ones. I figure if a BCM is in there with clean shanks I don't want that anyway. Although I've never had one that didn't have the feathers, so keeping those.

I may be getting rid of Sterling

I don't want to, but he came with lavendar AM eggs from pips&peeps and she said to cull him. He's just soooooo pretty. Maybe I'll breed him to some black AMs and see if they get the same pattern. I just love him. Plus he's sweet, protective and funny. But Trouble ended up being the collect cockerel and for some reason Sterling wants to bully him. They only cockerel he has a problem with. Maybe it's because Trouble is so handsome that he's jealous. LOL I'm going to wait a little bit though on deciding if Sterling goes. I just can't sell him yet.

I can't wait to get those cages. I'm going nuts here. I keep invisioning organization. LOL Getting paranoid about my rabbits. I wish this place wasn't so old and wiring wasn't so scary, I'd put fans out for them. All that hair! I hope I can get them set up with lots of shade and a breeze. My bucks should be able to be bred soon. Only problem is I haven't bred the does since I got them and that was a while back. I know it's harder to get them to breed when they have big gaps. I'm also trying to find a way to get a couple of new does. I want more blues and I think i need some lighter does to help that along.

WOW................Can you tell I've been cooped up myself??? LOL That darn key.

My Slkies, even my newest one haven't laid since March. I took the white roo out and put the black one in with them. He's a much nicer roo although I think all Silkies are spaztic.

 

[sewandgrow]

I got my Silkie roo at the Stockton show end of Jan this year. I bought a pair from a Bay Area Breeder named Monica if I remember right. He is very docile & none of the girls (3) seem beat up. Can't say that about outside in the grown up pens...........LOL Some of those poor girls have dishelved backs for sure.
The Silver Dorking eggs that I thought were pretty much a bust (1 out of 12) I had to leave in there because I didn't want to open the door during lockdown on Wynette's......surprise 2more hatched. I honestly think when chicks hatch & start running around on topof the unhatched eggs it stimulates the chicks inside if they are still alive & strong enough to pip. So now I have 3 BCMs out & 3 Silver Dorkings. Better than nothing & still hoping for more from Wynette's group. None of her OEs are out yet. A couple of those eggs are Khaki brown.

 

[PetRock]

Kim,

Sorry to hear about the tough week you had. Hopefully, this week will be better at least as soon as it cools down! I've been watering down the bushes for our chooks today and giving them a spray of two with the hose in an effort to cool them down. According to the forecast, three more days of hot 90 degree weather and then it is supposed to be in the 80's.

Thank you for the update on Trouble! I'm glad to hear that he is being a good boy! When we first got him, we called him Number 1. Then when we were pretty sure that he was a roo, we changed his name to Trouble. I used to sing Ray LaMontagne's song Trouble to him!

I would love to see a pic of him when he gets full grown.

Trouble's sister Amelia is a tiny little thing. She is our oldest chick at 15 weeks and the smallest except for the three Speckled Sussex Sisters who are 7 weeks old. She has adapted to life without her brother but has not found a chicken friend to replace him. She is also an arm/shoulder sitter. She would like to be on my head but I draw the line at the shoulder. She is tiny so for now I'm enjoying it when she cuddles under my chin and grooms my hair. The only problem is that every time she is on my shoulder, LD (aka Lemon Drop) our only remaining roo starts eyeing me and wanting to be on my other shoulder. He is a big boy and I let him sit on my lap, only! One night it was Amelia on my shoulder, LD and Cossette on my lap, and then the two Olive Egger Sisters jumped up on my arm. I felt like the bird lady in Mary Poppins! Where is the camera when you need it!