California - Northern

[NorCalChicks101]

Does anyone in the Napa/Fairfield area have any fertilized silkie or polish eggs for sale?

 

[Kay4]

I live in Douglas City and we say we are from No-Cal,but yeah I think it's funny when people from way down in Sacramento think they are from No-Cal.

 

[ronott1]

I live in Douglas City and we say we are from No-Cal,but yeah I think it's funny when people from way down in Sacramento think they are from No-Cal.

Welcome!

California is a very long state

 

[MightyChickenJF]

I'm currently in Sacramento, but by fall I should be up in Siskiyou County near Hornbrook, just south of the state line. Right now I live on my mom's property with her, my aunt and uncle (in trailers in back), two little dogs, and a couple cats. 1 acre lots here where I am so chickens are semi-legal, but since we're in the city of Sacramento there's a conflict between city and county laws.

Lots of people out here keep chickens, even roosters, but my mom simply can not stand to hurt any animal and refuses to allow anything that might have to be killed one day, including chickens. She grew up in the countryside and had to kill chickens and rabbits for food and she hated it. So I'm leaving, which is just as well since she's old and can no longer really care for the property, and I'm on SSI and could never afford to live here.

I want to be as self sufficient as possible (which is a whole other way off topic issue) and want to be out of the cities, so I'm headed north. I have a 2.7 acre lot up there, grassland area where cows graze in spring. (The area was a land scam so there's all sorts of paper lots up there, and a rancher has superior grazing rights.) Hardly anybody up where I will be.

As for chick shortages, during the chick season River Valley Feed in Rio Linda had a line snaking through the parking lot every Friday when chicks arrived. RVF is the best source for chicks in the area, sometimes they even have turkey chicks. So people stood in line, and forget social distancing.

As for breeds, I'm thinking of crossing Production Red hens (sold by TSC in Yreka) with RIR cockerels sold at RVF. That should result in a nice bantamized red chicken that can survive the winters and be good for meat and eggs.

 

[ronott1]

I hope the move goes well!

The RIR rooster is a Bantam?

 

[MightyChickenJF]

Sheesh, my poor communications skills strike again. I meant to say that I wanted a hybrid red chicken by crossing the Production with the Rhode Island. I thought that the term for this was a "bantam chicken", ie a cross-bred chicken and not a purebred.

 

[ronott1]

Sheesh, my poor communications skills strike again. I meant to say that I wanted a hybrid red chicken by crossing the Production with the Rhode Island. I thought that the term for this was a "bantam chicken", ie a cross-bred chicken and not a purebred.

Chickens are large fowl and bantam. Bantam would be a small chicken, usually less than 2 pounds in weight.

If breeding a hybrid to a pure bred chicken, you will not get a true breed from them. They may or may not lay eggs well.

 

[MightyChickenJF]

Chickens are large fowl and bantam. Bantam would be a small chicken, usually less than 2 pounds in weight.

If breeding a hybrid to a pure bred chicken, you will not get a true breed from them. They may or may not lay eggs well.

Oh.

What I am proposing is breeding a pure Production Red hen with a pure RIR cockerel. I got this idea from the fact that I can find Production hens and RIR cockerels locally (meaning at feed stores in Yreka and Sacramento respectively) but not Production cockerels. I can find RIR hens in Sacramento (at River Valley Feed that also carries the RIR cockerel) but I had been told at some point that pure RIR chickens are poor meat producers. I was hoping that a hybrid Red chicken would be good for meat as well as eggs.

I know that Cornishes are usually used for meat, but they are generally bred to be slaughtered at 6 weeks, making a perpetuating flock difficult. Also, my understanding is that Cornishes are meant for factory chicken meat production and do poorly in the outside elements.

Looking over the charts of major breeds, I noticed that Jerseys are also good egg/meat birds, but I don't know how they'd do in the Siskiyou weather.

I am reluctant to send for chicks via the mail, I do not trust the USPS and private postal companies to deliver anything but a bunch of crushed, bloody chicks. I would rather drive several hours to buy chicks if needed.

 

[Country Chick at Heart]

Good Morning! It's been awhile since I tried posting! I think about 10 years? But every time I need Chicken advice, I find it here! You all have supplied me with great information over the years!

I'm posting cause I'm trying to find my 5 mo. Blue Laced Red Wyandotte Roo a home. I live in Pleasanton and we areng allowed roos. He is a handsome guy and so far very sweet. And of course free to a good home. Thanks for any help or leads in advance!

 

[ronott1]

I hope you find a nice home for him!