California - Northern

[tls_ranch]

I didn't post this but a hawk got one of 3 month old BR pullets the day I came and got those GLB chicks. I pull into the property and the hawk is sitting on the fence post with the chicken and dripped it and flew off. Didn't even eat it.
I don't know what's up with these predators not eating things they kill?
That is soo awesome all of those chickens are pulling their weight now! I have 2 Thanks Cooper

too cold down here I'm Anderson or else I'm in for trouble and some major revamping!!

I've been lucky and only have lost one juvenile to a hawk so far in 3 years (watch now I'll jinx myself

and start loosing some). There's a few resident Coopers hawks that live and fly over everyday, but so far they've left my chickens alone.

I can't wait until my girls get back laying full strength. They are either moulting or broody and the rest of the majority are young to lay. I get only about 2-3 eggs a day out of 30+

I'm just south of you out west of Cottonwood. have a pretty open coop (you can see it on my "coop page" under my profile and it's made out of cedar fence boards. In the winter, I put up a clear plastic roofing panel over the big front window to block the wind and blowing rain. The chickens seem to do pretty well with all the ventilation. Just try to keep the strong winds off of them and keep blowing rain from soaking the inside of the coop. They will be just fine with our average winter temps/weather. It's the extreme hot weather that you have to worry about.

Trisha

 

[Papa Brooder]

Quote: Yeah, I was innocently leaving Epperson's when I was noticing a huge increase in normal traffic flow so I had to figure out what it was....then I saw it 40% off. Once I parked the car...it was over!

If I could get myself to stop hatching then I could just let everyone free range for a few months. I think I will do that once the rain starts and everything turns green well except for a few breeds that I need to stock up on. I could always keep hatching those and give them a free range day once a week. Ha, maybe I really can't stop.

I made the mistake of looking at your link with your barnevelders. gonna pretend I didn't see that because I can feel this rising need inside me. must fight it!! beautiful birds.

 

[zooweemama]

i'm with amy beth, love that you can re-use and get something that works for you. Nice job. so, does the feed mostly stay in the gutters or do they still manage to spill it out of there?
I was thinking the same thing and I would have done the same thing out of instinct. one time i had to run at a hawk and was literally within 4 feet of it before if finally took off after it had killed two of my juveniles. always wondering what would have happened if I had actually caught it!

Mine will spill some- but then my low chickens (EEs mostly) climb under the other chickens and eat off the bottom- I mean the ground. I have a couple other low chickens too that will also clean the 'spillage'. I wait until the feeder is empty before refilling- so eventually even my big roosters will poke around the base of the feeder. Our poop deck has some new boards- but the BIG base board is a repurposed chunk of wood we have laying around. Wood is pricey and not something we can afford to buy when ever we want so we look around here first to see what we can use.

 

[MonsterClucker]

I've been lucky and only have lost one juvenile to a hawk so far in 3 years (watch now I'll jinx myself  and start loosing some). There's a few resident Coopers hawks that live and fly over everyday, but so far they've left my chickens alone.

I can't wait until my girls get back laying full strength. They are either moulting or broody and the rest of the majority are young to lay. I get only about 2-3 eggs a day out of 30+

I'm just south of you out west of Cottonwood. have a pretty open coop (you can see it on my "coop page" under my profile and it's made out of cedar fence boards. In the winter, I put up a clear plastic roofing panel over the big front window to block the wind and blowing rain. The chickens seem to do pretty well with all the ventilation. Just try to keep the strong winds off of them and keep blowing rain from soaking the inside of the coop. They will be just fine with our average winter temps/weather. It's the extreme hot weather that you have to worry about.

Trisha

Wow Trisha! Those Barnevelders are incredible!!
I definitely have to have some of those blue double laced ones. Their all beautiful. The lacing looks like lazer ingraving or something!
Wow I'm really in Awe. I can't believe I havent seen these before. I have been looking into getting Marans for some darker eggs but I am reconsidering that now lol Those speckled eggs are crazy!!


That Cedar is really beautiful wood! Your coop is amazing!
I am renting this 5 acre property. But next year I start looking for my own property. So my nice, spectacular cedar wood with siding permanent coop will have to wait. Lol.

Soon enough... Soon enough....

Yeah, I was innocently leaving Epperson's when I was noticing a huge increase in normal traffic flow so I had to figure out what it was....then I saw it 40% off.  Once I parked the car...it was over!

If I could get myself to stop hatching then I could just let everyone free range for a few months.  I think I will do that once the rain starts and everything turns green well except for a few breeds that I need to stock up on.  I could always keep hatching those and give them a free range day once a week. Ha, maybe I really can't stop.

I made the mistake of looking at your link with your barnevelders.  gonna pretend I didn't see that because I can feel this rising need inside me.  must fight it!! beautiful birds.

Lol You too huh?

Mine will spill some- but then my low chickens (EEs mostly) climb under the other chickens and eat off the bottom- I mean the ground. I have a couple other low chickens too that will also clean the 'spillage'. I wait until the feeder is empty before refilling- so eventually even my big roosters will poke around the base of the feeder. Our poop deck has some new boards- but the BIG base board is a repurposed chunk of wood we have laying around. Wood is pricey and not something we can afford to buy when ever we want so we look around here first to see what we can use.

Your are not kidding! Wood prices have definitely gone up. There was a time when buying wood and DIY projects were cheaper, Now you can almost already buy a coop or whatever you need made for you around the same price.

 

[ronott1]

Quote:

I've been lucky and only have lost one juvenile to a hawk so far in 3 years (watch now I'll jinx myself

and start loosing some). There's a few resident Coopers hawks that live and fly over everyday, but so far they've left my chickens alone.

I can't wait until my girls get back laying full strength. They are either moulting or broody and the rest of the majority are young to lay. I get only about 2-3 eggs a day out of 30+

I'm just south of you out west of Cottonwood. have a pretty open coop (you can see it on my "coop page" under my profile and it's made out of cedar fence boards. In the winter, I put up a clear plastic roofing panel over the big front window to block the wind and blowing rain. The chickens seem to do pretty well with all the ventilation. Just try to keep the strong winds off of them and keep blowing rain from soaking the inside of the coop. They will be just fine with our average winter temps/weather. It's the extreme hot weather that you have to worry about.

Trisha

Evergreen?

I graduated from Red Bluff High School, class of 1978. Go Spartans!

Ok, Whatever.

I have 10 big girls and 6 pullets laying now. Yesterday I would have gotten 8 eggs, but one was broken and another had a soft end. The pullets are hit and miss and the eggs are still kind of small. The EO Basque pullet that started a couple of weeks ago is laying eggs as big as the Partridge Rocks. The PRs hatched on Feb 3 and 10. The EO Basque hatched in April!

Out of the 8 eggs yesterday, 3 were pullet eggs. I saw a large pile of feathers in the coop yesterday too. I wonder if it was from molting or the yappy little dog that broke into the chicken yard on Saturday? Probably did not help with the egg laying yesterday too....

Ron

 

[MonsterClucker]

Evergreen?

I graduated from Red Bluff High School, class of 1978. Go Spartans!

Ok, Whatever.

I have 10 big girls and 6 pullets laying now. Yesterday I would have gotten 8 eggs, but one was broken and another had a soft end. The pullets are hit and miss and the eggs are still kind of small. The EO Basque pullet that started a couple of weeks ago is laying eggs as big as the Partridge Rocks. The PRs hatched on Feb 3 and 10. The EO Basque hatched in April! 

Out of the 8 eggs yesterday, 3 were pullet eggs. I saw a large pile of feathers in the coop yesterday too. I wonder if it was from molting or the yappy little dog that broke into the chicken yard on Saturday? Probably did not help with the egg laying yesterday too....:/

Ron

Lol Ron your making me feel young again. It seems like forever since I graduated in 04'!

Youve got a nice supply of eggs going there with 16 layers now! Ha e you hatched any eggs from your EO pullet?

 

[ronott1]

Quote:

I feel old every morning...

The eggs from her are starting to get big enough to hatch. I might see if I can borrow a rooster in a couple of weeks or so.

Ron

 

[zooweemama]

Lol Ron your making me feel young again. It seems like forever since I graduated in 04'!
Youve got a nice supply of eggs going there with 16 layers now! Ha e you hatched any eggs from your EO pullet?

04??? Now I feel old! LOL

 

[zooweemama]

Evergreen?

I graduated from Red Bluff High School, class of 1978. Go Spartans!

Ok, Whatever.

I have 10 big girls and 6 pullets laying now. Yesterday I would have gotten 8 eggs, but one was broken and another had a soft end. The pullets are hit and miss and the eggs are still kind of small. The EO Basque pullet that started a couple of weeks ago is laying eggs as big as the Partridge Rocks. The PRs hatched on Feb 3 and 10. The EO Basque hatched in April!

Out of the 8 eggs yesterday, 3 were pullet eggs. I saw a large pile of feathers in the coop yesterday too. I wonder if it was from molting or the yappy little dog that broke into the chicken yard on Saturday? Probably did not help with the egg laying yesterday too....

Ron

Oops sorry about the egg casualties! We've collected a couple of cracked ones from time to time and it makes me sad lol!

 

[MonsterClucker]

 I feel old every morning...

The eggs from her are starting to get big enough to hatch. I might see if I can borrow a rooster in a couple of weeks or so.

Ron

If you need Macho anytime just let me know!

04??? Now I feel old! LOL

04??? Now I feel old! LOL

Haha its crazy its been almost 10 years since high school for me.

I've only seen a few people's faces from the Northern California thread and luckily we all really look younger than what we are. Amy Beth you look like you are no more than 25. Ron you look Like you could be in your mid 30's. Jeff could pass for mid to late 20's And I'm sure people still might think I might be 19 or 20!

Haha Good genes people!