California - Northern

[Miss Molly]

I remember you mentioning that. Up until this fall I had only lost 1 chicken. Now in a span of a month 7. Until you have a predator issue it is hard to understand I think. Sure you figure you will loose a bird here or there when you live in the hills but it is tough when you loose a large number.
I love all animals including Hawks. I have hit 2 owl's and a hawk and a deer driving to work in my time up here and it literally ruined my day. The deer ran off but the owl and hawk where completely killed. I guess I dont look at a predator coming back to pick off my flock one by one the same as the random free meal.

Jason, you have been having crapy luck lately. My heart goes out to you. Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday .
Have a very Merry Christmas.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Just make sure you remove them ASAP. The muscles quickly relax (think sphincter muscle which retains the discharge), the smell will leak out! Not a spray, but you'll be dealing with it for quite some time.


Who me?


If you like the foothills, I'd avoid El Dorado Co and I've lived here since '77. It's pretty regulated, permits are atrocious, etc. Much nicer and less expensive to each side (Placer & Amador). Amador seems to be the least regulated, they don't even have a car smog program tied to registration, irritates the heck out of me. Your best bet is to take many day trips, then get onto each County website and poke around their rules, etc.


It is a beautiful town, like I said, I've lived and worked here since '77. I first starting coming in the 60's when my parents bought property here for a retirement home. I grew up in San Jose.

Deb

yes very expensive to build here. Buy prebuilt if you head this way. Or plan on spending 75k on a 1500 sq ft house just on permit's and taxes

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Jason, you have been having crapy luck lately. My heart goes out to you. Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday .
Have a very Merry Christmas.

Yres I want to see all these cool breeds you have now. I think when I was there before your Isbar's and Legbar's where young.
Hope we can take some good Bamboo divisions for Deb. Look like we can by the picture.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I can't manage to kill mine off with the cold. I keep expecting it. I have 9 chicks brooding under an ecoglow 20. They are 2 weeks old now and last week on one of the frozen mornings they were all on top of it in the Garage! That night I tried stuffing a couple of them under it and realized that they were too big to fit under the lowest setting! I adjusted it up one and they scooted right under.

I'm brooding outdoors with a EcoGlow 20 as well. I did have a 100 watt red lamp plugged in on the coldest nights though (we got down to 20 degrees), since the Ecoglow is not designed to be outdoors. The chicks are 4 weeks old and doing fine. The only downside is with all these storms, they have been confined to the indoor coop portion - and now I can't get them to go out into the covered run.

Nice pictures of your flock too. Those babies are adorable.

I don't know if this is appropriate to ask you all to keep a friend in your thoughts and prayers today..

...My son's 4-H poultry leader had a terrible thing happen because of this rain last night.

A single fence board came loose and a neighbors dog's got into her yard.

The dogs killed 18 chickens, a pair of hand raised turkeys (breeding pair) and her prize winning geese and gander (breeding pair just under 3 years old). I'm just so sad for her. This has kind of made me realize how fortunate I am and made me stop complaining about the time and effort it costs to care for my chickens. I hope none of you lose chickens or pets to any more preditors.

I'm so sorry for your friend. That is just awful.

My first hatch seems successful! Still waiting on two eggs but I won't get my hopes up. Here is a pic of the peepers so far! EOs and TJ leghorns.

Congrats!

50 hours without power. I'd almost forgotten how nice it is to flush a toilet. Eric just read off accuweather that we have 2 more storms coming with more snow and wind. We still have 7 inches on the ground. Lost the redbud and the acacia trees in the front yard, snow weight brought them down. They were little compared with the ones who took out the power lines.

Oh wow. Glad you have power again and can take a shower!

Thank you Jason!

Did you get a trap to catch your Raccoon? AC here will rent one to you. I have one that my BIL gave me several years ago to catch cats.

Around here if you borrow a trap from AC and trap a skunk, you have to buy the trap. I think they charge $300 for the trap. Cheaper to buy your own.

If one was looking for a nice property to raise goats, sheep, and chickens (about 10-15 acres) where would everyone suggest? We just moved here from Alaska a few months ago so I do not know California very well. I would like to start looking for a place to call home/farm so we can settle down. I would like to stick to Northern California is possible. Thanks all!

I'm not familiar with areas close to Bart, but good luck finding a place!

I remember you mentioning that. Up until this fall I had only lost 1 chicken. Now in a span of a month 7. Until you have a predator issue it is hard to understand I think. Sure you figure you will loose a bird here or there when you live in the hills but it is tough when you loose a large number.
I love all animals including Hawks. I have hit 2 owl's and a hawk and a deer driving to work in my time up here and it literally ruined my day. The deer ran off but the owl and hawk where completely killed. I guess I dont look at a predator coming back to pick off my flock one by one the same as the random free meal.

Very true. It's a horrifying feeling. And living up in the hills like we do, predators are everywhere. I've lost many birds over the years - some were "accidental" predator issues, some were my fault by leaving them vunerable. All you can do is learn from the attacks and better protect them in the future.

 

[Miss Molly]

Yres I want to see all these cool breeds you have now. I think when I was there before your Isbar's and Legbar's where young.
Hope we can take some good Bamboo divisions for Deb. Look like we can by the picture.

You are welcome to as much you want.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

I may take some. I have some new dvision's of a lower spreading kind if you want some. needs some shade though. even here it was burning in the sun. My friend gave it to me. he could not remember the name. he had dug it up some where. it looks real pretty when it looks good.

 

[Gomes Bantams]

DDF

 

[debs_flock]

Around here if you borrow a trap from AC and trap a skunk, you have to buy the trap. I think they charge $300 for the trap. Cheaper to buy your own.

Wow, I know my trap isn't as sturdy as an A/C trap, but I think I paid $35 for it. So far nothing that went in was able to come back out, that's all I ask. I did borrow a large trap from A/C many years ago to try to catch a neighbor's dog. I baited it with one of the many bodies of my DS's rabbits that it tore apart, cages and all. We got nothing, but I did talk to the neighbor and mentioned the "3 x value rule" on his many dead valuable show rabbits. Never saw the dog again even though he denied it was his.

Quote:

I may take some. I have some new dvision's of a lower spreading kind if you want some. needs some shade though. even here it was burning in the sun. My friend gave it to me. he could not remember the name. he had dug it up some where. it looks real pretty when it looks good.

I love bamboo!

Deb

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Wow, I know my trap isn't as sturdy as an A/C trap, but I think I paid $35 for it. So far nothing that went in was able to come back out, that's all I ask. I did borrow a large trap from A/C many years ago to try to catch a neighbor's dog. I baited it with one of the many bodies of my DS's rabbits that it tore apart, cages and all. We got nothing, but I did talk to the neighbor and mentioned the "3 x value rule" on his many dead valuable show rabbits. Never saw the dog again even though he denied it was his.

I love bamboo!

Deb

I will bring you one as well. I am just not sure what it will eventually do

 

[OR4-hmom]

Oh Boy, 2 inches of new snow. I got a hot shower though.

Eric got this during the first storm, he never leaves our place.