California - Northern

[Meg2000000]

Thought I'd share a few photos of recent events. For the first time in over 10 years, wild turkeys are daring to come into the yard. (Maybe they are attracted to the chickens, which are new this year?) Guess I've been getting on the dogs too much for aggressive behavior toward the chickens, so now they are reluctant to chase the turkeys. This mama brings 4 chicks in the evening to clean up under the bird feeders, and then roosts in the pines right near the house. If they start destroying the veggie garden up in back, though, the dogs will get My younger son and I went to Yosemite with the Sonoma County Astronomical Society to provide viewing to park visitors for two evenings. Here is my sweetie getting things set up at Glacier Point before darkness falls. People were really excited to see Saturn with its beautiful rings. The view of the valley is fantastic by moonlight! We hiked out to Taft Point which has a great view of the valley. Over that little railing is a 2000' drop straight down to the valley floor. Can you say vertigo We had fun, but were glad to get home to see everyone and the chickens. My little guy particularly likes the chickens. His first question to Dad over the phone was "Has anyone else started laying?" (His BYC name is Mustacheio, so you might see him around!) Here's the best reward! The 4 are from today, dark is from the SLW, pale from BO, green from EE, and light brown from NH. All of the eggs are still small, except for the really large one that was the NH's first. Looks like we need to start eating them, but they're so cute! Good night everyone!

You guys have been busy! Thanks for sharing the pictures and congrats on those beautiful eggs!

Hey everyone! Just taking a break from coop building! I wanted to update on how my first incubation is going. I set my eggs yesterday morning around 2:00am. I set 17 eggs. My hens are RIR and GSL and the roo is Ron's Dorking/Americuana he gifted me a month or so back Hens... Drae'... Heres the bator... its been holding around 99.8F- 101.9F and my room humidty in the high 30's im doing the dry incubation method so this is ideal room humidty correctk? I have 6x thermometers. 2 digital hygrometers and 4 of the regular thermometers including the one it came with I'm not really hoping for a high hatch rate, just want to make sure my setting are correct and I'm getting development. I'm buying Basque eggs from Mrs. Fluffy this week so I need to practice some. any tips from the pros?? Have a cool afternoon!

Good luck! You're going to do great!!

I keep saying the same thing! Then I say, if I have a separate coop/run for each breed, if I get rid of a breed, it will give me more options for the breeds I keep. But how do you decide what breeds to get rid of? They are like popcorn............................."Oh look, a chicken!" I have taken so many photos of chickens in my travels, a naked neck deep in the jungle at a village in Panama, dozens of feral chickens on Kaui, etc, etc, etc.! They are all just so appealing. And yes, I do spend a lot of money on my chickens. They are one of my hobbies and I don't really expect to recoup those monies. We have the advantage of being retired and nothing to spend on other than our hobbies. Kids all grown up, they are on their own! Deb

Good for you Deb! You've earned your hobby time And cool wild chickens!

BTW...lol. (Not funny) This week has been on for the books. First we had a power outage due to a fire near our house in 104F heat Monday... I just lost a sheep to an attack from either a dog or coyote... And within the last hour lost a month old turkey poult to a hawk. Just saw it fly off the roof of the garage. I don't know what happened to the sheep. I've been hearing coyote at night lately, but didn't hear them when they got to my sh (if it was coyote). The sheep didn't die FROM the attack per say, but from the wound. The sheep's leg was opened up really bad. The vet came out gave him penicillin and sprayed some blu-kote on him. But it was too bad a wound u guess. This morning I found him by the tree passed away. The poult was just missing on head count and I saw the hawk fly off the roof. Two and two... Hawk food! Ivebeen seeing him lurk on the fence posts early morning about 2 or 3 acres out into the pasture at the edge of our property but today I saw him in his full glory. Kinda wish I woulda seen him take it or fly off with it at least. So now I'm planning out putting trellis netting over my meatie run... What a week...

Aww sorry to hear you're having a tough go at it. Hang in there!!

I took some pictures today. This is what happens when you try to do ANYTHING with turkeys around. They are the friendliest little buggers: 9 week old wellie pullet: Waiting for this barnevelder girl to start laying. I've got a bit of a wait still, she's only 19 weeks and barnevelders take sooooooooo long to start laying And a white Cream Legbar chick that my broody is raising.

Ohhh what lovely chickens you have!!

Just thought i would update my pics.. Here is my Buff Brahma bantam pullet

Pretty!

so sorry to read about the sick chickens! hope that the medicine is helping... i let my almost-ten-weeks-old (mostly) gang out for a brief free-ranging excursion today, their first! the report is that all six came outdoors, but three went back into their run pretty soon after, and then couldn't seem to remember where the open door was -- just saw their friends outside through the wire mesh & kept trying to find a way through it! silly girls. the other three discovered that dust bathes are even better when the soil has recently been watered, nice and cool... all in all, a successful outing. photos: the SPPRs were the first to venture forth: the marans, free-range foraging! happy chicklets under the oaks: and back inside, but the marans are SO proud of themselves, they're the only ones who can fly enough yet to get onto this perch (one has also taken to flying onto my shoulder, hoping for personalized treat-sharing):

Aww it sounds like the chicks had a great time! They're getting so big! And that's so cute that one of them wants to sit on your shoulder..how sweet is that?!

Hi All! Here is the Ultra Kibble Photo Shoot! First weigh out the Organic Chicken Wheat. Then add about 1/2 of a pound of Ultra Kibble. Now I move to the kitchen and add Mega Omega booster and Organic Kelp granules, 1/3 of a cup of each I mix that up and put it into the coop feeder. I also have a hanging feeder with Natural Non Soy Layer. Each morning I give them a couple of hand fulls of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds and a half a cabbage or some Kale. On the days that I give them grass clippings, I do not give them the greens. The Organic Chicken wheat is $14.something per 50 pounds. The 25 pounds of Ultra Kibble will last me a long time and I get it for around 27.00 plus 4.99 shipping from Ozbo.com. The benefit of this is no Soy, no corn and animal protein from the Ultra Kibble. The guy that make ultra kibble says the winter wheat, free choice calcium and the Ultra kibble at a 15 to one ratio is a complete food for the chickens. I am not so trusting, so I give them the layer and free choice Calcium too. The kelp is great for them, but they wont eat unless I mix it into the feed. Picky chickens! I hope this was Educational. Ron

Wow thanks so much for taking the time to post this information!!

 

[Meg2000000]

Amy Beth - How's Copper doing? How's the pullet doing? I'm praying for you guys!

Cali Chick - I think you asked me a couple of pages back how much the shipping is for orders on www.groworganic.com. I believe it was $10 for shipping and we ordered about 10 pounds of seeds.

 

[Meg2000000]

Wow this threads been busy!

We culled Pinkman today. Poor little chick had to be put out of its misery :-( I'll miss my little patient. The others are growing so quickly! They're little speed racers all day long. They're wings are already changing colors (some are definitely darker and some are definitely lighter but I know it's too early to tell the genders.) I'm going to try to take pictures of each one once a week.

On the bright side two quails hatched so far today!! They are so teeny tiny! I'll get some pics in the morning. Can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning and see how many more have hatched!

 

[zooweemama]

Amy Beth - How's Copper doing? How's the pullet doing? I'm praying for you guys!
Cali Chick - I think you asked me a couple of pages back how much the shipping is for orders on www.groworganic.com. I believe it was $10 for shipping and we ordered about 10 pounds of seeds.

Copper is still kicking around. He is very brave and loves to strut through the livingroom and kitchen now. Tomorrow I am going to offer him small amounts of wet mash mixed with some yogurt. It will be his first meal with feed in it since his procedure. (well i did give him a tiny bit the day of before quickly deciding to withhold food for 24hrs first then offer soft, no grain foods for a couple days). I'm really nervous. He has been using the watermelon slices to fill his tummy and stay hydrated- so I actually sprinkled some Corid on it (tiny bit like you would pepper on your veggies) since he hasn't really been drinking his water since I offer him the watermelon (guess he's not all that thirsty after slices of melon). I saw blood in his poo yesterday night and this morning so I am so glad I went ahead and got the Corid. I thought it was watermelon but his body is now processing his food pretty good so had to be blood. The pullet is not well at all. I do not expect to find her alive in the morning. I do keep trying to slip a few drops of water in the side of her beak but not she just flat out refuses to even attempt to swallow and tips her head and down and let's the drops slide out of her beak.

My mil noted something off this morning- she is the first to see them as she lets them out of their run. Just as with Copper she never said anything. I had to find them hours later assuming everyone was ok. I think the pullet on top of the cocci also became severely dehydrated and I just don't think she can come back from it. My husband talked to his mom and kindly asked her to let us know if the chickens ever seem off and she has agreed. But I will simply go out myself just as the sun comes up and check for myself. I'm really ocd about my chickens. If one of my boys has to do the waterers for me that day (I try not to rely on anyone) I make sure they scrub each one before refilling. I am sure they think I am nuts. I can;t wait until my automatic nipple waterer gets here!!

How are you and YOUR chickies? (ope nevermind just read- i am so sorry you had to cull one of your little guys).

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Yeah, the flock raiser is the best. I mix it into the feed(along with oyster shells, scratch, crumbles, mash,pellets and chick starter.)

x2

Calf Manna, Sunflower Seeds, Corn, Kitten Food, anything chickens might need.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Just thought i would update my pics.. Here is my Buff Brahma bantam pullet

The pullets always look so soft faced, and the cockerels look.... intimidating.

Haha, maybe that's just me.

Anyways, I'm going to the fair today to bring centerpieces for the buyers luncheon (4H and FFA) and I get to see how my flowers did in the regular show also.

It was 102 degrees on Wed. when I dropped off my arrangements at the Junior Building. There's no way I could bring my black big Jersey Giant there for the poultry show!.

We live in a steady 60 degree weather throughout the summer.



Edited for spelling corrections

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Did you guys hear?

The California Northern thread made the top 3 yesterday!

 

[ronott1]

Quote: Hi Amy Beth,

Did the little Buff Orpington pullet make it over night?

I hope Copper is ok too.

Ron

 

[Miss Molly]

Amy Beth,
How's Copper and your Beautiful buff doing? I hope all is well.
I am very sorry you have been having such poopy luck lately. I wanted you to no you are in my thoughts...Molly

 

[zooweemama]

Guess who is alert today and took many sips of water in her own??? Hope did! I've been praying for my little Hope chicken. I hope she keeps drinking! I haven't been able to get her to drink anything in 24 hrs. She would let the water dribble out of i tried. Her guts are making all kinds of noises. Poor sweet thing. Now she actually looks at me at me and will follow movement.


Excuse my typos. Sent from my iPhone.