California - Northern

[tommysgirl]

@HappyChooks My Icelandics are both the same age and one of them is still not laying. I suspected she might be so have been keeping them in the run until just a couple hours before sundown for weeks but she just isn't laying. They hatched the end of April. I guess she will start when she starts but it surprised me that she didn't start when her hatchmate did.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

one of my icelandic roosters head a shoulders are super bloody . I think he got his comb caught on something as the other one does not seem aggressive to him. looks bad because he's a white rooster but looks super bad.
he is fine with no big gashes or anything but will keep my eye on him

 

[ChickNmamma]

this past week I have lost 2 silver ameraucana hens. They where the darker versions. I have had a few coyotes trying to dig under one of the runs I think. ( I have seen them on a few occasions on my property )
It made it easy for the smaller silvers to get under the fence. I did not notice the spot till yesterday when I noticed the second was gone.Its dark when I leave and get home.
I shored up the spot and hope to have the chicken area completely fenced in with 6 foot no climb around all the runs and let the black penedesenca free roam in that area around the the breeding runs. this serves 2 purposes , I can release my crele penedesenca rooster ( from another blood line )
with the silver ameraucana's plus I have a few crele penedesenca from my line I will put in there. They will be in that run. The 3 black penedesenca hens and The rooster ( I call him the Big Fella as he is a load and very alert ) will have the enclosed area around the runs.
I am off Tuesday till Monday and plan to do the fence then. will take about 200 feet of fence.
I am bummed about the 2 silvers but still have 4.
I have to figure out a way to get rid of the coyotes though as I can not quite afford to fence the complete property yet and I need it to be surveyed first.
I do not like having the coyotes around having 2 young kids that like to play outside. So I am looking into legal trapping methods. I know I can shoot them.
These guys are scouts and I know there are more. the ones around here are way to gutsy for there own good.

I am really sorry to hear you lost your hens. It was why I said I didn't like having deer around - they bring in the other predators who then concentrate on the "easy" food of your birds - and your cats - probably not the kids but don't take chances. You will need to go down under the wire with something to prevent digging underneath - coyotes don't dig far - but foxes do - we had one go down almost 3 feet on the backside of a coop to get in under the coop and dig its way to under the ramp to get in.

You can always mark your property and see if that helps. You might want to pee in a jar instead of trying to stand outside and mark though - its COLD out there! I think you mean you can't shoot them, correct? I recall when I had cowdotie problems we weren't allowed to shoot them.

 

[chickee]

was just 2 at least I have 4 still and think I found the issue .I have all sorts of half buried boulders around it.
Not as bad as the issue with the hawk at least but now the coyotes know there are chickens they are likely to come back and with kids I do not like that.
getting the runs enclosed will protect the chickens but coyotes will stick around probably until you make a example of one.



anyways. Kittens are crazy. Lewey is now 5 months old (well in 5 days ) and is getting big. He is going to be a big guy I am sure

ADORABLE! He looks like he is loads of fun!!

So sorry about your Silvers!

 

[tommysgirl]

@Hangtown Farms So sorry about your loss. I remember when you hatched those silvers. Your kitten is adorable. That pic reminds me of the cat in the fishbowl

anyone know anything about Sunbird Farms? They are here in CA somewhere in the Valley

 

[Chickengirl1304]

@Hangtown Farms
  So sorry about your loss.  I remember when you hatched those silvers.  Your kitten is adorable.  That pic reminds me of the cat in the fishbowl 

anyone know anything about Sunbird Farms?  They are here in CA somewhere in the Valley

Sunbird farms always has quite a few auctions up on rare breeds

 

[chickee]

Well, my crazy golden cuckoo Marans hatch is still going on . . . Had the 10th egg hatch during the night and this morning on day 24 egg number 11 has pipped! My cockerel to pullet ratio is declining quickly! The one that hatched last night is a cockerel. That makes 5 pullets and 5 cockerels. When I looked in this morning and saw another cockerel I started laughing! This is the strangest hatch I have ever had!

 

[ronott1]

Well, my crazy golden cuckoo Marans hatch is still going on . . . Had the 10th egg hatch during the night and this morning on day 24 egg number 11 has pipped! My cockerel to pullet ratio is declining quickly! The one that hatched last night is a cockerel. That makes 5 pullets and 5 cockerels. When I looked in this morning and saw another cockerel I started laughing! This is the strangest hatch I have ever had!

The Bue egg layers hatch crazy like that. They hatched over three days!

 

[tommysgirl]

Well, my crazy golden cuckoo Marans hatch is still going on . . . Had the 10th egg hatch during the night and this morning on day 24 egg number 11 has pipped! My cockerel to pullet ratio is declining quickly! The one that hatched last night is a cockerel. That makes 5 pullets and 5 cockerels. When I looked in this morning and saw another cockerel I started laughing! This is the strangest hatch I have ever had!

How exciting!!!! Those babies are just gorgeous!

 

[tommysgirl]

Sunbird farms always has quite a few auctions up on rare breeds

Any thoughts on quality?? They talk about Standard of Production not Standard of Perfection. Have never heard of that before.