California - Northern

[casportpony]

I love mine with an ecoglow, so easy to clean! My roommate made some nifty coves for them which keep the chicks in and the cat out, lol. Bonus for me is that I can also use them for the horses and ducks when done brooding.

-Kathy

 

[CackleJoy]

Something made out of plastic makes the best brooder--bugs do not live in them like mites do, they are resistant to water funkiness and they are easy to sterilize.

I used to use rubbermaids and an old icechest but I needed something that could hold 2 hatches (roughly 100 - 120 chicks) under one heat lamp. At one time I had something like 6 different plastic containers to maintain with feed water and lamps. Not very efficient at all! So DH built a 4 x 8 foot brooder, divided it in half and we could keep a months worth of hatches in it. It's really nice with sheet metal to reflect the heat. You can imagine that we don't want to permanently abandon this excellent piece of work.
This is the inside.



At a month old they could go to a grow out pen (heated at night during cool weather). It is a solid plan, I just want to get away from the shavings. I like a floor that I can hose off and disinfect. We will have 2 smaller broody boxes ( 2 x 3 feet) in the garage and can send the 3 week-ers out to the old broody boxes. So this winter the out-door broody pens will be holding the started chicks that still need a light. During the summer the youngsters kind of free range and come back to the light at night. Not really a workable plan for the winter.

LOL- sometimes that size stock tank sells for 75 bucks on Craigslist.

I start off with a cardboard box, then to a wading pool surrounded by an ex-pen (in dining room) and finally the indoor 8 x 8 x 4 foot high dog run with horse mat flooring (plus shavings) out by the laundry room. The ex-pens are used inside the run to keep them from sneaking out through the chain link and to adjust space as needed.

The horse mats give then a nonslip flooring, shavings are easy to pick up, as needed disinfecting of the mats can be in place or for total disinfection, the run and mats can be taken apart. Works for puppies too.

We have used all recycled or free materials for the brooder. The only cost so far is the wire (floor) and screws. Except the feeders/lamps etc.

We have an out door 10 x 10 dog kennel. Right now it houses the Ameraucanas. The AM's are supposed to get their forever home soon. You have given me an excellent idea for corralling the youngsters this winter. Thank you!

 

[tommysgirl]

I'm in Stanislaus county. Anyone close to me? Looking for breeders of show quality birds for my 4h kiddos. Most are first year primary kids. Not interested in bantams. Mostly looking for Orpingtons, Marans, and Australorps, but open to just about anything that is good with children except game birds. Thank you.

I have nothing for you but wanted to say "Welcome!" and I think it is great that you are wanting to start kids out with LF. I love my bantams but think that starting with the big birds is unique and cool. Round here at the fair show there are no LF to speak of. Good luck finding Australorps there are several of us who would love to find breeder quality Australorps somewhere in Northern California.

Because chicks sleep in piles... a little dab will do ya!
Messy food coloring

hahahaha!

 

[CackleJoy]

This happened down the street from me last Saturday. No homes were lost, but several pigeons and their coops were.

Picture from https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gilroy-Fire-Department/115450808610635
On Saturday, E47 and Batallion 47 assisted South Santa Clara County Fire Department and CalFire on a structure fire near the intersection of Godfrey Ave and Ferguson Road. Unfortunately, multiple barns and pigeons that were used for breeding were lost in the blaze.

-Kathy

That is terrible!

They seem to do that about once a week for the first 6-8 weeks. (Double in size)

My wife had a terrible time when we were raising the 4 foster buffs. They all looked the same. She liked it better when I had a mix of chicks and my delawares were easy to tell apart even though they were all yellow fluff for a while. The feathered in differently and one was half blind so it made everything easy.

Im looking forward to the time when im raising so many that banding is needed.

We should probably band but we don't. Since I've made a few mistakes I've decided not to sell day old chicks if I can't tell what they are. End of story. I make more on them at a month or 6 weeks anyway. At that time I can also eyeball faults and make sure to set aside one for me if needed. I keep 2 or 3 out of every 100. I have to really like the way that chick is shaping up to keep it for growing out. I just had a hard time keeping up with banding. As my Swede & Basque flock increase in size I plan to alternate hatches so I never hatch the Swedes and Basque at the same time. I've had some Swedes come out white or red tinted and look Basque. They are my only real problem.

 

[fowlman01]

I'm in Stanislaus county. Anyone close to me? Looking for breeders of show quality birds for my 4h kiddos. Most are first year primary kids. Not interested in bantams. Mostly looking for Orpingtons, Marans, and Australorps, but open to just about anything that is good with children except game birds. Thank you.

Make sure that whatever breed you get that the variety and breed are recognized by the APA or they are not show quality.

Walt

 

[Happy Chooks]

This happened down the street from me last Saturday. No homes were lost, but several pigeons and their coops were.

Picture from https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gilroy-Fire-Department/115450808610635
On Saturday, E47 and Batallion 47 assisted South Santa Clara County Fire Department and CalFire on a structure fire near the intersection of Godfrey Ave and Ferguson Road. Unfortunately, multiple barns and pigeons that were used for breeding were lost in the blaze.

-Kathy

Glad no houses were lost, but that is still scary! I feel badly for the folks that lost their breeding stock.

Something made out of plastic makes the best brooder--bugs do not live in them like mites do, they are resistant to water funkiness and they are easy to sterilize.

Ditto. And they don't catch on fire.

 

[CackleJoy]

Make sure that whatever breed you get that the variety and breed are recognized by the APA or they are not show quality.

Walt

Our daughter plans to use a beautiful black Orpington. I'm quite excited as we learn to navigate the world of poultry showmanship.

 

[CackleJoy]

Glad no houses were lost, but that is still scary! I feel badly for the folks that lost their breeding stock.

Ditto. And they don't catch on fire.

I beg to differ. Having melted the top of one. Severely melted it with smoke and plastic both running free.

We survived a house fire 14 years ago. It wasn't our fault, the fire went from a neighboring structure to our home. I've obviously never forgotten that kind of fear. One cannot be too cautious. NEVER assume you are safe because you are using a plastic container.

Just a word from a hyper vigilant person

Yes, our birds are in cardboard right now and that isn't ideal. You should see our fail-safes for the lamp outside. Not one, but two or 3 ways to keep the lamp from landing in the chicks and starting a fire if the clamp fails.

 

[casportpony]

Fear of fire was the main reason we switched to using ecoglows.

-Kathy

 

[bootsNbirds]

Hey Northern CA BYCers

Anybody know where to get fish meal locally? I'm in Madera and I haven't been able to find any... trying to mix my own feed. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/920808/feed-nerds-opinions-wanted-re-whole-grain-feed-recipe Thanks!