California - Northern

[cherylcohen]

Quote:
They are such good girls! And smart! Took them all of 2 minutes to figure out that I am the treat lady!

Keep the name suggestions coming!
Jeremy, lucky lucky on the non-muddy land!
Today's pics:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/65263_img-20110219-000521.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/65263_img-20110219-000501.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/65263_img-20110218-000181.jpg

And my BCM hooligan boys today -- seven weeks worth of feathering and they are coming along nicely, I think! :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/65263_img-20110219-000331.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/65263_img-20110219-000461.jpg

What gorgeous girls and handsome boys!!!! I "need" some speckled sussex!!!!

OK OK!!! I'll get you some eggs.... anyone else want some chicks?

 

[PetRock]

Quote:
What gorgeous girls and handsome boys!!!! I "need" some speckled sussex!!!!

OK OK!!! I'll get you some eggs.... anyone else want some chicks?

Thank you!!!

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
What gorgeous girls and handsome boys!!!! I "need" some speckled sussex!!!!

OK OK!!! I'll get you some eggs.... anyone else want some chicks?

Yes!!! But I don't have room for more.

Hoooneeeeey....! Where's that new coop you promised me?

 

[Anna_B_Happy]

Quote:
Welcome to BYC and to the Northern California thread.

Berkeley is most definitely in NorCAl in MHO. Make your roosting poles about 2" wide with rounded edges. A closet pole makes a good roost. Make your nest box about one foot square. You will only need one nesting box for 4 hens however since you have room you may want to make a few because a flock tends to become enlarged with little notice, something about chicken math.

We used stair handrails for our roosting poles. The plain ones. They look like closet poles but the bottom is flat, so they dont roll around on the chickens. Look at photos online for ideas. Also, remember that they wont be babies forever, so allow 1ft of roost pole for each hen.

 

[LittleBerkeleyFarm]

Oh my! Thank you for all the great advice, I wasn't expecting so many lovely replies, I suddenly feel like I have a support system in all of this, yay!

I'm actually in Kensington, a little town next to Berkeley in the hills. I'm off of Arlington.

I got two poles, perfect sizes from what you've said, thank goodness, and I have room to put both of them in at different heights so the girls will have plenty of room. I'm hoping to finish the coop today while it's nice out and I'll post pictures when it's all finished.

I'm still confused about the ideal depths of the nesting boxes.

For now I am off to a little organic farm to get some ideas and to check out some laying Black Americaunas that I might get this week to satisfy my antsy need for fresh eggs. I've been having trouble finding Americaunas and just missed the last ones left when I bought my girls so I've been on a mission to get some ever since.

Thank you all and I'll talk to you again soon.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
Welcome to BYC and to the Northern California thread.

Berkeley is most definitely in NorCAl in MHO. Make your roosting poles about 2" wide with rounded edges. A closet pole makes a good roost. Make your nest box about one foot square. You will only need one nesting box for 4 hens however since you have room you may want to make a few because a flock tends to become enlarged with little notice, something about chicken math.

We used stair handrails for our roosting poles. The plain ones. They look like closet poles but the bottom is flat, so they dont roll around on the chickens. Look at photos online for ideas. Also, remember that they wont be babies forever, so allow 1ft of roost pole for each hen.

I did that. They still all crowd onto the top pole. No one wants to give up their high roost for anything! It's hilarious to watch them get into position every night.

They practically sit on top of each other and even roost on the skinny supports holding the top "pole" in place (it's actually a felled tree that is about 4-6" in diameter).

...I'm still confused about the ideal depths of the nesting boxes.

For now I am off to a little organic farm to get some ideas and to check out some laying Black Americaunas that I might get this week to satisfy my antsy need for fresh eggs. I've been having trouble finding Americaunas and just missed the last ones left when I bought my girls so I've been on a mission to get some ever since.

Thank you all and I'll talk to you again soon.

Nest boxes should be at least tall enough to keep the hens from scratching out all the shavings (or whatever you use). Mine are 4 inches tall and the smallest is 14x16" wide. I kinda wish I'd made them a little deeper though. Maybe 5".

I have pure ameraucanas in my incubator right now. They are black ameraucanas. PM me if you are interested.

 

[dldolan]

Quote:
What gorgeous girls and handsome boys!!!! I "need" some speckled sussex!!!!

OK OK!!! I'll get you some eggs.... anyone else want some chicks?

Hi Cheryl,
If you can hatch the chicks about the same time as our John Blehm order, then I would take two (or three if straight run), please!

Dyann, they are such nice girls! Yippee!! The two top hens are sleeping on the upper roost, with the two SS gals, the EE and the Cochin (back from mama duty) on the lower.

Here's the new splash kids out with mama in the sunshine today. 15 days old.

 

[LittleBerkeleyFarm]

Quote:
We used stair handrails for our roosting poles. The plain ones. They look like closet poles but the bottom is flat, so they dont roll around on the chickens. Look at photos online for ideas. Also, remember that they wont be babies forever, so allow 1ft of roost pole for each hen.

I did that. They still all crowd onto the top pole. No one wants to give up their high roost for anything! It's hilarious to watch them get into position every night.

They practically sit on top of each other and even roost on the skinny supports holding the top "pole" in place (it's actually a felled tree that is about 4-6" in diameter).

Wow I hadn't thought of putting a tree branch in there, that's a great idea, I've actually been cutting down some unwanted small trees in the yard lately, I bet I have one that would be great. Thanks for the great idea!

Soooo somebody mentioned earlier the addictive nature of chickens... I'm feeling it today. I had quite the day today, I went to a little organic farm about 20 minutes from my house to see some chickens that were for sale. The menagerie over there is hilarious! Apart from having the giggles almost the entire time I was there, totally cheering up after this last rainy week got me a little down, I made a couple new friends that I adore already. I had so much fun at the farm today.

I managed to keep myself from bringing home any Silkie Bantams today but it was extremely difficult. I did however end up with an Americauna and a Naked Neck... How does that happen? I also fell in love with a big gay turkey who likes hugs, some baby quails that were impossibly tiny and fast , two tiny precious ducklings, and a whole batch of baby bunnies... I stayed cool and stuck with my two chicks but they were all soo precious. I also got to see chicks hatching for the first time, that was pretty cool.

Speaking of the bunnies and ducklings, if anyone is interested, the bunnies and the ducklings need homes, they were accidental and there isn't room on the little organic farm for them. The ducklings are teeny yellow pekin ducks and the bunnies are tiny but almost ready for new homes, they are a big breed mostly used for eating I think. So docile and sweet and soft though, they would make great pets, the mom and dad are adorable and the babies are different colors, black, gray, brown, and soooo cute! Anyway if anyone is interested let me know and I'll give you my friend's info.

I got less work done on the coop today than I had wanted to but I'm looking forward to a sunny day tomorrow full of sawing, drilling, sanding, and painting. Anybody know where I can get cheap chicken wire? I'm looking for the good sturdy stuff, I've got a small roll that I used to build my compost heap but I don't know how well it would keep the raccoons out and it just doesn't seem sturdy at all. I'll do some hunting online tonight before bed and see what I can come up with.

Talk to you all tomorrow!

 

[johnrillamas]

I managed to keep myself from bringing home any Silkie Bantams today but it was extremely difficult.

Could you tell me where you saw the silkies? I'm in Fremont and would like to see them, and maybe the farm you mentioned.

Thanks,

John​

 

[jeremy]

Quote:
OK OK!!! I'll get you some eggs.... anyone else want some chicks?

Hi Cheryl,
If you can hatch the chicks about the same time as our John Blehm order, then I would take two (or three if straight run), please!

Dyann, they are such nice girls! Yippee!! The two top hens are sleeping on the upper roost, with the two SS gals, the EE and the Cochin (back from mama duty) on the lower.

Here's the new splash kids out with mama in the sunshine today. 15 days old.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/65263_img-20110220-000611.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/65263_cloverdale-geyserville-20110219-000541.jpg

Dawn, I think it's time for another round of closer pictures of the little Splash babies! It looks to me like there are a couple of girls in your bunch.