California - Northern

[HighStreetCoop]

Quote:
This looks great and it must be new because they definitely didn't have this when I looked at their list of products previously. I was feeding Scratch & Peck, but when everyone local was out I switched to a whole seed game bird feed and the chickens absolutely loved it so I stuck with it. Doesn't hurt that it's substantially cheaper.

 

[caychris]

Anyone have a source to find local (bay area or central valley) heritage breed chicks? Want something really friendly and sexed. American Orp calls my name, but I have heard Jersey Giant, Ameraucana, Wyandotte are docile and good layers. We have four hens now and just want two more. Currently have an Australorp and Red Sex Link from a hatchery, and two heritage Basque from Cackleberry Farm in Modesto. All the feed stores have tons of hatchery birds, but I would like to support a local heritage farm. Thanks in advance...

Have you heard of Pita Pinta
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/920104/the-pita-pinta-asturiana

great birds Im still having a little trouble getting chicks hatched (cruddy bator)

 

[motherofazoo]

Have you heard of Pita Pinta
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/920104/the-pita-pinta-asturiana

great birds Im still having a little trouble getting chicks hatched (cruddy bator)

I think I've seen you post about them. Are they friendly? Anyone you know of selling chicks right now? My kids really like picking up our girls. Our Australorp is great, and readily squats, but the others require treats and quick hands, lol.

 

[caychris]

I think I've seen you post about them. Are they friendly? Anyone you know of selling chicks right now? My kids really like picking up our girls. Our Australorp is great, and readily squats, but the others require treats and quick hands, lol.

They are definitely friendly especially if handled as chicks. The only knocks on them are they are a bit small if you are looking for dual purpose and they are very rare in the US. Im not sure who else besides @PetRock myself and @fortyfivefarm are breeding them currently that are farily local.

One of my Roo's was so sweet he would lay his head on my daughters shoulder while being held. (Roos are a bit of a gamble any time but Pitas tend to be gentle) I have a few girls that love attention. My first hatch of the birds only resulted in 3 of them.

 

[PetRock]

Anyone have a source to find local (bay area or central valley) heritage breed chicks? Want something really friendly and sexed. American Orp calls my name, but I have heard Jersey Giant, Ameraucana, Wyandotte are docile and good layers. We have four hens now and just want two more. Currently have an Australorp and Red Sex Link from a hatchery, and two heritage Basque from Cackleberry Farm in Modesto. All the feed stores have tons of hatchery birds, but I would like to support a local heritage farm. Thanks in advance...

I have some 2 week old Langshan chicks and one 2 week old Pita Pinta. I have had quite a few different breeds and have narrowed down my breeding to these two. I also have a trio of Rhode Island Reds that are lovely, friendly birds. I just need to find pen space so I can get a few chicks from them this year. I will be able to tell the sex on the Pita Pinta in another 3-4 weeks but it will be a few weeks past that before I can guarantee the sex on the Langshan. There are some that I'm fairly sure are pullets. The cockerels just grow so quickly and stand up taller than the pullets. But occasionally, there will be a cockerel that is a late developer and hides among the pullets when I separate them at 12-14 weeks.

 

[Sylvester017]

I have some 2 week old Langshan chicks and one 2 week old Pita Pinta. I have had quite a few different breeds and have narrowed down my breeding to these two. I also have a trio of Rhode Island Reds that are lovely, friendly birds. I just need to find pen space so I can get a few chicks from them this year. I will be able to tell the sex on the Pita Pinta in another 3-4 weeks but it will be a few weeks past that before I can guarantee the sex on the Langshan. There are some that I'm fairly sure are pullets. The cockerels just grow so quickly and stand up taller than the pullets. But occasionally, there will be a cockerel that is a late developer and hides among the pullets when I separate them at 12-14 weeks.

I know @caychris has said nice things about how he likes his Pita Pintas and how calm they are. You're the second BYCer who says nice things about Pitas that I've come across. How much do the hens weigh? I like 5-lb-&-under breeds around my 2-lb Silkies and hens 6-lb or more I haven't had luck with for gentleness or non-combativeness. Gosh, I love the looks of the Langshans. Are you breeding them because of their beauty or because of a good/non-combative temperament? Sorry, 2 questions here!

 

[yellowblack]

Anyone know the law in san gabriel? It's blank!!?? https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/san-gabriel-california-chicken-ordinance

 

[PetRock]

The Pita Pinta are lovely birds in every way. They are medium sized large fowl that are very friendly, non-combative, great egg layers, and good for meat even though they aren't that big. We process the extra cockerels at 18-22 weeks and they average 3-3.5 lb processed. This is my 3rd year breeding them and I have nothing negative to say about them. I have been selling my breeding cull POL pullets and another good thing that I've learned about this breed is that they are very adaptable. The girls that I have sold have fit right in with existing flocks and started laying eggs within days of going to their new homes. I keep the pullets here in town with me until I rehome them or they are ready to go into breeding pens at the farm. I usually have multiple ages of birds free ranging my 1/3 acre backyard. The Pita Pinta have never shown any aggression or picked on any of the smaller birds. If I had to go down to only 1 breed, Pita Pinta would be that breed.

I also love my Langshan. I love them for their looks and for their size. They don't lay quite as many eggs as the Pita Pinta but they are good for meat, too. They are a slower to mature breed and are not as friendly as the Pita Pinta. I think that if I had fewer birds and was able to give more individual attention to the Langshan, they would be friendlier. I have had a few black pullets/hens who are very aggressive when broody. I have one that I call Striker because she nails me every time I check underneath her. I have never been nervous or had to watch my back around the boys. I can sit in the field or pen with 8 to 10 of them around me without any worries. My blue rooster Nantong is gorgeous and hasn't shown any aggression towards me even when I'm dealing with his girls.

 

[caychris]

The Pita Pinta are lovely birds in every way. They are medium sized large fowl that are very friendly, non-combative, great egg layers, and good for meat even though they aren't that big. We process the extra cockerels at 18-22 weeks and they average 3-3.5 lb processed. This is my 3rd year breeding them and I have nothing negative to say about them. I have been selling my breeding cull POL pullets and another good thing that I've learned about this breed is that they are very adaptable. The girls that I have sold have fit right in with existing flocks and started laying eggs within days of going to their new homes. I keep the pullets here in town with me until I rehome them or they are ready to go into breeding pens at the farm. I usually have multiple ages of birds free ranging my 1/3 acre backyard. The Pita Pinta have never shown any aggression or picked on any of the smaller birds. If I had to go down to only 1 breed, Pita Pinta would be that breed.

I also love my Langshan. I love them for their looks and for their size. They don't lay quite as many eggs as the Pita Pinta but they are good for meat, too. They are a slower to mature breed and are not as friendly as the Pita Pinta. I think that if I had fewer birds and was able to give more individual attention to the Langshan, they would be friendlier. I have had a few black pullets/hens who are very aggressive when broody. I have one that I call Striker because she nails me every time I check underneath her. I have never been nervous or had to watch my back around the boys. I can sit in the field or pen with 8 to 10 of them around me without any worries. My blue rooster Nantong is gorgeous and hasn't shown any aggression towards me even when I'm dealing with his girls.

I got my Pitas from PetRock initially and got a few girls from Ron. I was going to breed a boy from each line with the girls from each but the 1 boy took a dislike to my daughter and finally attacked me one day. This is out of the norm for the breed however as Ive had numerous boys from Debi's line and they have all been sweet and the really sweet one from Ron's line was lost to an unfortunate accident. (my fault totally) so it left me with the neurotic one. He was just a nervous chick from the very beginning. I have one girl that has bit me on occasion and any bird can get peevish with others at times but nothing aggressive enough to warrant separation. I had given 3 pita girls to my brother in law and a raccoon attack left 1 alive so I brought her back to my flock and the flock accepted her as with no issues even though she kept her distance for a while none of the other birds were bothered by her at all.

 

[Honora]

I got my Pitas from PetRock initially and got a few girls from Ron. I was going to breed a boy from each line with the girls from each but the 1 boy took a dislike to my daughter and finally attacked me one day. This is out of the norm for the breed however as Ive had numerous boys from Debi's line and they have all been sweet and the really sweet one from Ron's line was lost to an unfortunate accident. (my fault totally) so it left me with the neurotic one. He was just a nervous chick from the very beginning. I have one girl that has bit me on occasion and any bird can get peevish with others at times but nothing aggressive enough to warrant separation. I had given 3 pita girls to my brother in law and a raccoon attack left 1 alive so I brought her back to my flock and the flock accepted her as with no issues even though she kept her distance for a while none of the other birds were bothered by her at all.

Yes, they seem very quick to accept outsiders to the flock, at least in the experience of me & my friend who also got birds from @PetRock .