California - Northern

[debs_flock]

Cheryl,

I wanted to thank you for having us over yesterday. I had a great time and met lots of nice people. I really enjoyed following along and listening to Walt critique the birds. It made me come home and stare at my own crew based on a few of his comments. My DH also said to say how much enjoyed talking to the guys.

Deb

 

[Meg2000000]

Amy lives in the Foot Hills by Redding. There are a lot of predators there. They will probably be fine if the Dogs protect them. In some places it is not the best thing for the chickens to leave them out. My back yard in town is fine.

On several of the Heritage sites I am subscribed to I read things like: Lost 2 more today to the fox. Got them at 2:00 pm. I know the time so will be waiting with the gun to get him today...Lost lots of chickens and several house cats....Got my best SQ Rooster yesterday.....

It makes me sad to read stuff like that. I feel the same way about thinking the rooster needs to be with the hens all the time. If they need a saddle, get the rooster out of there for part of the day

The Hens will thank you.

Ron

I was just wondering about how to deal with a rooster who was rough with my girls! Thanks for the advice

Off on a chicken mission! Meeting the breeder at the post office and picking up some pullets.

OMG How exciting! Your new ones look so beautiful! Love their fluffy butts!

Hi Megan,

Those are ok but you should look for Chooks Chicks still air incubator instructions. She has links to those in her signature line. If you install the fan, then you have to follow the instructions for an incubator with a fan. It would not be a still air incubator any more.

You can keep the Little Giant and use it as a hatcher. You should still get the Genesis 1588 or one of the Brinsea Octagon 20 incubators. I use two Genesis 1588's and ran staggered hatches from January through June with them.

The Brinsea Ecoglow is a brooder heater

. I have two of the 20's but could probably use the big one sometimes. It's hard to get more than 15 under those after a couple of weeks.

I hope you find one for the Quail Eggs!

Ron

When I Googled it Google sent me to ChooksChicks info! Oops I meant the Brinsea Octagon 20.. but I do want that Ecoglow! I've been on Amazon too much lately!

Hi Meg, my wife brought those eggs you have. We could send you some more if you don't get an incubator you want in time. We have 3 different incubators at the moment (2 Hovabators - a 1588 & a 1622- and 1 farm Innovators) and it seems like there's little difference between the 3 though they are all forced air.

I bet still air will be fine, quail seem pretty resilient. An egg turner helps alot though - better hatch rates than hand turning. If you have a broody bantam chicken they can mother the eggs too though we've never done so.

You are so nice! Thank you for the offer, I really appreciate it! I ended up getting an incubator today (Little Giant 9200) and added a fan. I really wish I had a broody hen! I would looooove to see that!

I don't mind putting them in my sportsman - but do they hatch the same as chicken eggs?

Thanks for the offer Cheryl!!

Meg - I have an extra incubator that you can borrow. Fancy shmancy, lots of bells and whistles (and it plays a silly little song whenever it turns the eggs.)

I should be home from work by about 8:00 pm tonight if you want to come over and pick it up - I live in Orinda.

Thanks for offering! That would have been amazing to borrow it and I would have, but I just HAD to buy one today. LOL

WooHooo! Look what I found today!



The first egg! Look closely, it's there!

Smaller than a golf ball, but otherwise perfect. Mystery pullet is 17 weeks. I think it was from the SLW as she has been extremely cranky and vocal for the past few days. Much calmer and more like her old self this afternoon.

Wow congratulations!! How cute is that?! Your new chickens are so cute! Congrats on the new additions!

congratulations on the egg! must be so exciting.

i've got my own exciting news -- doubled my nascent flock size today, adding two new chicks to the two 7-week-old cuckoo marans -- Lucy, a 7-week-old Delaware, came from Deann Disilva's farm in Novato, and a tiny australorp, Daisy (who i thought was the same age but clearly is not), was being raised by a friend's hen as an orphan. got them home, and they have taken an INSTANT liking to each other:



I swear Lucy has appointed herself as Daisy's guardian -- they've been almost inseparable, pecking around together, preening, and now they've snuggled together for a nap. I'm quite relieved the little one will have a friend!

and the two marans, Dixie and Ethel, finally ventured down the ramp from the henhouse for the first time since they moved in (two days ago):


they are being a bit bossy toward the newcomers, will peck or flap their wings if they get too close, but otherwise were totally preoccupied, first by the treats i spread around, and then by ANTS, which they seem enthralled with -- and have now settled into the extra nestbox i'd left on the ground level for the newcomers. so, i think all four will settle in together fairly quickly, and with minimal fuss -- so enormously pleased!

laura

Wow everyone has gorgeous new birds today! I'm gettin' jealous! Such adorable little ones

 

[chickee]

Awww, you have a great set-up for them and your chickens look so well care for!! I am so glad they got to go live with you

Your description of them being joined at the hip combined with that picture made me laugh!! Just wait, those two will get fluffier and more beautiful each day! Thanks so much for posting the pictures of them!!

Also wanted to show off my new pullets from Chickee (Candace from Grass Valley). One is a wheaten Ameraucana and the other is wheaten x buff Ameraucana (EE!) They have beautiful blue legs and will lay blue eggs. As much as I love EEs, the hatchery ones we get locally seem to mostly lay a grayish-green, and now I will have blue too. They're 8 weeks and still peeping. So sweet!


They sleep in the garage at night. Getting a few Quaker oats for breakfast! Outside daytime. Attached at the hip (like teenage girls!).


First day inspection by the mob. "Is that food? Hey, that's food in there!" Peach checking things out.

 

[Meg2000000]

X2.  Sorry I'm too  far away to help with the quail eggs. I'm hoping for pics of the little tuxeodos! 

I will definitely post pics!!!

 

[chickee]

Look what our granddaughter spotted this morning near our front door

We get a Rattle snake up at the house at least once a year. If they aren't aggressive we relocate them across our creek in a location on our 44 acres that people don't frequent. They are beautiful and I love seeing them but not at my front door!

This one was sluggish from the temps cooling down today so was easily coaxed into a bucket and released.



I have eggs hatching tonight and look at this blue egg up front. This is its FIRST pip! It practically broke right out of the shell

 

[Wishing4Wings]

congratulations on the egg! must be so exciting.

i've got my own exciting news -- doubled my nascent flock size today, adding two new chicks to the two 7-week-old cuckoo marans -- Lucy, a 7-week-old Delaware, came from Deann Disilva's farm in Novato, and a tiny australorp, Daisy (who i thought was the same age but clearly is not), was being raised by a friend's hen as an orphan. got them home, and they have taken an INSTANT liking to each other:

I swear Lucy has appointed herself as Daisy's guardian -- they've been almost inseparable, pecking around together, preening, and now they've snuggled together for a nap. I'm quite relieved the little one will have a friend!

and the two marans, Dixie and Ethel, finally ventured down the ramp from the henhouse for the first time since they moved in (two days ago):

they are being a bit bossy toward the newcomers, will peck or flap their wings if they get too close, but otherwise were totally preoccupied, first by the treats i spread around, and then by ANTS, which they seem enthralled with -- and have now settled into the extra nestbox i'd left on the ground level for the newcomers. so, i think all four will settle in together fairly quickly, and with minimal fuss -- so enormously pleased!

laura

Great pics! I bought a Delaware chick from the feed store this spring, but turned out to be a changeling White Leghorn! We like her a lot, though. And Australorps are beautiful in the sunlight. Just wait until yours feathers out fully. It's so fun to see the chickens reactions to things. They are a lot more suspicious of new things than I expected. I guess you'd have to call them "scaredy cats" because calling them "big chickens" doesn't get the point across!

Look what our granddaughter spotted this morning near our front door

We get a Rattle snake up at the house at least once a year. If they aren't aggressive we relocate them across our creek in a location on our 44 acres that people don't frequent. They are beautiful and I love seeing them but not at my front door!

This one was sluggish from the temps cooling down today so was easily coaxed into a bucket and released.



I have eggs hatching tonight and look at this blue egg up front. This is its FIRST pip! It practically broke right out of the shell

I'm glad rattlesnakes don't seem to like our property, but I know they're near! I will be looking for chick pics tomorrow.

Any cousins or siblings to my girls?

 

[ronott1]

Look what our granddaughter spotted this morning near our front door

We get a Rattle snake up at the house at least once a year. If they aren't aggressive we relocate them across our creek in a location on our 44 acres that people don't frequent. They are beautiful and I love seeing them but not at my front door!

This one was sluggish from the temps cooling down today so was easily coaxed into a bucket and released.



I have eggs hatching tonight and look at this blue egg up front. This is its FIRST pip! It practically broke right out of the shell

Rattle Snakes are supposed to be bad this year. Our news paper had an article about them biting pets in Yolo county. UCD Vetmed has treated 59 dogs this year for snake bites with three months of rattle snake season to go. All season last year they treated around 50.

I love it when they pip like that. One time I heard the pop coming from my hatching room(Walk in closet off of master bedroom).

Megan: The blue stuff in the picture is what I am talking about in the tip sheet to put over the wires. Also, The eggs are in foam. I am using plastic trays I bought online. The foam ones likely keep the humidity up so may be better than cardboard egg cartons.

Ron

 

[chickee]

Great pics! I bought a Delaware chick from the feed store this spring, but turned out to be a changeling White Leghorn! We like her a lot, though. And Australorps are beautiful in the sunlight. Just wait until yours feathers out fully. It's so fun to see the chickens reactions to things. They are a lot more suspicious of new things than I expected. I guess you'd have to call them "scaredy cats" because calling them "big chickens" doesn't get the point across!

I'm glad rattlesnakes don't seem to like our property, but I know they're near! I will be looking for chick pics tomorrow.

Any cousins or siblings to my girls?

They will be half brothers and sisters to your two girls. They are all out of the same rooster. I also have 4 bantam Porcelain d'Anver eggs and 3 bantam buff laced Polish eggs hatching with them. Wednesday I have 9 bantam buff Brahma eggs due to hatch. I have 3 bantam BLRW (same lines as the birds in my Avatar) eggs due to hatch in a little over 2 weeks. I am having WAY too much fun hatching chicks

 

[Wishing4Wings]

They will be half brothers and sisters to your two girls. They are all out of the same rooster. I also have 4 bantam Porcelain d'Anver eggs and 3 bantam buff laced Polish eggs hatching with them. Wednesday I have 9 bantam buff Brahma eggs due to hatch. I have 3 bantam BLRW (same lines as the birds in my Avatar) eggs due to hatch in a little over 2 weeks. I am having WAY too much fun hatching chicks

Well, I guess it's good that most are bantams so there will be enough room on the roosts!

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Quote: Because I am being cautious and making sure I have a plan B in place. I figured it was wise. I've never had chickens or ducks or geese. This is the start of our second year in this home and out first with any kind of livestock. I feel it would be unwise to assume that this is a safe haven for free ranging chickens. My ducks are big and fat and on the pond and spend some time hiding in the thickets on the pond and in other shady coves. They have a couple loud mouthed sentinels in the flock who alert when eagles fly overhead. We do have raccoon and fox and my husband last year say a mountain lion in our yard and so did (I was driving from home late was about 11pm or so) on our dusty country road. So not a bobcat. Almost pooped myself. I know they all usually hunt at night but I will have 16-20 chickens running around at any given time and that might start looking tasty when my dog is not outside (my mil does not like him so he is not out all the time). I am just trying to be smart about it all. That's all.

We're also in the foothills and out of town. We have the same type of predators. I have lost my whole flock of 20 (except the Roo) but not while free ranging. They were locked in a coop & run that we'd used for about 20+ years w/o a problem. We're not sure what killed them because they didn't eat any of them and they were left in a pile in the run. Our area is large acreage parcels so it's hard to even see the coop from any road but we felt it wasn't of the four legged variety. Scary! Over the years we have periodically lost to more skunks then anything but after building a hardware cloth encased run attached to the coop we haven't lost any. Knocking on wood! We have a fox and bobcat that we see routinely in the olive orchard and have had coyotes that came right up to the house mid morning and the roo attacked but I can't bare to keep them locked up all day and for me, the benefits outweighs the risk. I think it's a choice every chicken owner has to make for themselves. Doesn't mean anyone cares more or less for their chickens, just a lifestyle choice. Did you hear that wolf they're tracking is here in Butte County? I'd hate to have him wander onto our property while the chickens are out free ranging!!!!!!!