California - Northern

[Happy Chooks]

ok so has anyone used purina chick start for new chicks? feed store was out of the ground stuff so just had this. it is a crumble chick start.
anyone use it? will day olds eat crumble? must be softer than the other crumbles?

I use it all the time. I've never had a problem. And Day olds eat it just fine.

 

[lawatt]

Hello Jeremy,
Bud's Custom Meats, in Penngrove, does process different breeds of animals, and the owner is a wonderful person. Penngrove, is quite close to Petaluma, and his place is about 7 minutes from 101.
The blue chicken on your profile photo is gorgeous! I would love to have couple of chickens as pretty as her.

hooray, glad to have that confirmed (and welcome to the thread!) I live about 10 min uphill from Bud's, so anyone who stops by, come visit!

 

[chiqita]

ok so has anyone used purina chick start for new chicks? feed store was out of the ground stuff so just had this. it is a crumble chick start.
anyone use it? will day olds eat crumble? must be softer than the other crumbles?

I you are worried about just crush the crumbles or grind them in a coffee grinder. I did it for buttons and some baby quail.

Good morning everyone.

 

[chicksnthestiks]

ok so has anyone used purina chick start for new chicks? feed store was out of the ground stuff so just had this. it is a crumble chick start.
anyone use it? will day olds eat crumble? must be softer than the other crumbles?

I used Purina on mine but put warm water on it as a mash and they loved it.They would clean it right up then I put dry in so they could eat all day. They got the mash at night also before bed. Also used chick grit after first week, just sprinkled a little on top.

 

[CALI CHICK]

Wow, marathon day. Woke up to frozen and cracked pipes in two chicken coops. Repaired those, packed up birds for Cheryl and Molly and eggs for molly. Hitched the trailer. Car wouldn't start. Finally got it to start, realized tags expired. Went to DMV. Long drive down I-5 with long talks with Mike, Elite Poultry, and marathon convo with Miss Molly... lots of GFF rants!! Raced down to meet up with Cheryl and did massive equipment and chicken collection for many hours at her home (with very interesting turn around with a trailer and a very small dead end street) and the ranch, along with some very nice chicken chatter! lOh, got to meet Cheryl's son and fiancee. congrats! Left with a car fully loaded of some amazingly beautiful birds!!! Then brief stop for dinner with my daughter....ooops we missed lunch. Stop in Davis to pay a bill. Stop at Greenback Safeway to meet Molly and Hubby and watch the prisoner transfer. another ha ha!. Thanks for the beautiful blanket for my baby!! Picked up my very handsome silkie roos from Cali Chick, Darla. Then began the long journey back to Redding. Got home, unloaded somewhere around 18 chickens and got them situated in their temp homes. Put away all the ridiculous chickens who didn't make it to their coops. Drained all the water systems so I don't wake up to more cracked pipes tomorrow. (PS-- weather service on my iPhone.... YOU STINK!!, you always predict it's gonna be 2-3 degrees above freezing and the last 4 times it has been close you have been wrong and it has been well below freezing. Better to err on the side of overpredicting a freeze to help us poor farmers out. OK PS finished). So unloaded hatcher. Realized they were probably a ton of eggs since I was gone all day. Didn't want them to freeze so, collected about 15 eggs... whoa! girls you are finally getting what this is all about. Oh yeah, put my daughter to bed. moved chicks out of the hatcher. Feed some chicks that looked like they were gonna eat my hand. Now here I set wired on caffeine after the equivalent of about 9 shots of espresso today. Ahh, it's good to be home. Now, if only the chickens and children would sleep in until about 10am I'd be all set.

What a day. Thanks chicken people friends for all the chicken talks today!

Glad you were able to get the silkies, especially the white ones. It will be awesome to see what kind of offspring they produce in a few months. Those silkies are only 3 months old and will just get better and better throughout this year. PS-We would love to see pictures of them as they mature and also updates of how they fit in with their new flockmates. Thank you for adopting them!

 

[CALI CHICK]

Last night (about 9:30 pm) 2 of the silkie eggs had pips!! At 4:30 this morning all 4 had pips!!!!
As of 7:30 am one chick has hatched and is chirping loudly for the other 3 to join her on the outside world.

The first one looks like a splash but will be sure when it dries off and fluffs up.
The other 3 pips aren't doing anything, but I'm trying to be calm because today -HATCHDAY- isn't over yet. One egg worries me because the chick pipped the middle of the egg (some of the membrane looks bloody) and broke off the shell toward the bottom..........I just hope it doesn't try to hatch at the wrong end. I keep telling myself to stay away from the bator, but I'm glued!

 

[ronott1]

ok so has anyone used purina chick start for new chicks? feed store was out of the ground stuff so just had this. it is a crumble chick start.
anyone use it? will day olds eat crumble? must be softer than the other crumbles?

Hi Jason!

Chicks are amazing things. I have a little bag of it and I usually give it to them the first couple of days. Silkies up to Rhodebars eat it fine. It breaks apart easily and they have very strong beaks.

Right now the three week olds have been eating flock raiser with no problems. I will switch soon to the natural non-soy grower since I can get it In Davis now.

I am going to get a new incubator in February and I am trying to decide between the Dickey or the Brinsea Octagon 40 Advance. They will both cost about the same. The Dickey holds a lot of eggs, which could be a problem for someone that is limited to City Chicken rules. The Brinsea has a daily cooling cycle that may help with hatching the Penes and the Marans though.

Any thoughts? Anyone here?

 

[Miss Molly]

Wow, marathon day.  Woke up to frozen and cracked pipes in two chicken coops.  Repaired those, packed up birds for Cheryl and Molly and eggs for molly.  Hitched the trailer.  Car wouldn't start.  Finally got it to start, realized tags expired.  Went to DMV.  Long drive down I-5 with long talks with Mike, Elite Poultry, and marathon convo with Miss Molly... lots of GFF rants!!  Raced down to meet up with Cheryl and did massive equipment and chicken collection for many hours at her home (with very interesting turn around with a trailer and a very small dead end street) and the ranch, along with some very nice chicken chatter!   lOh, got to meet Cheryl's son and fiancee.  congrats!  Left with a car fully loaded of some amazingly beautiful birds!!!  Then brief stop for dinner with my daughter....ooops we missed lunch.  Stop in Davis to pay a bill. Stop at Greenback Safeway to meet Molly and Hubby and watch the prisoner transfer. another ha ha!. Thanks for the beautiful blanket for my baby!!  Picked up my very handsome silkie roos from Cali Chick, Darla.  Then began the long journey back to Redding.  Got home, unloaded somewhere around 18 chickens and got them situated in their temp homes.  Put away all the ridiculous chickens who didn't make it to their coops.  Drained all the water systems so I don't wake up to more cracked pipes tomorrow.  (PS-- weather service on my iPhone.... YOU STINK!!, you always predict it's gonna be 2-3 degrees above freezing and the last 4 times it has been close you have been wrong and it has been well below freezing.  Better to err on the side of overpredicting a freeze to help us poor farmers out. OK PS finished).  So unloaded hatcher.  Realized they were probably a ton of eggs since I was gone all day.  Didn't want them to freeze so, collected about 15 eggs... whoa!  girls you are finally getting what this is all about.  Oh yeah, put my daughter to bed. moved chicks out of the hatcher.  Feed some chicks that looked like they were gonna eat my hand.  Now here I set wired on caffeine after the equivalent of about 9 shots of espresso today.  Ahh, it's good to be home.  Now, if only the chickens and children would sleep in until about 10am I'd be all set.

What a day.  Thanks chicken people friends for all the chicken talks today!

Jeff you are a wild Man I didn't even know you had your daughter with you. I might have cute our marathon talk short if I new you had someone to keep you company on you long drive... LOL
You are welcome for the silkie Blankie for your new addition. My kids always liked there blankie's ...
I'm excited for all your new birds....happy dance for sure!
I really want to Thank you for meeting me last night... OMG, I love my Rhode Bars. I had NO idea they were SO beautiful.. Picture do NOT do them justice.
When I got home I gave them fresh water and meal worm. I went staight in the house and made them warm oatmeal, I mixes fun treat in the oatmeal. I put them in a warm shed with a heat lamp and kissed them good night. YES, I kiss my chickens... Silly me! I know they had a long day. Poor babies.
Thanks for the eggs. I'm excited for our chocolate project...LOL I'm glad I sent birds your way due to the fact I don't have mine in a breeding pen..

I hope today is less crazy for you. Take some time to enjoy your new beautiful Chickens... We are so blessed!

 

[ronott1]

Hello Jeremy,
Bud's Custom Meats, in Penngrove, does process different breeds of animals, and the owner is a wonderful person. Penngrove, is quite close to Petaluma, and his place is about 7 minutes from 101.
The blue chicken on your profile photo is gorgeous! I would love to have couple of chickens as pretty as her.

To the Northern CA thread!

Tell us about your chicken adventure! We also love pictures here.

 

[ronott1]

Last night (about 9:30 pm) 2 of the silkie eggs had pips!! At 4:30 this morning all 4 had pips!!!!
As of 7:30 am one chick has hatched and is chirping loudly for the other 3 to join her on the outside world.

The first one looks like a splash but will be sure when it dries off and fluffs up.
The other 3 pips aren't doing anything, but I'm trying to be calm because today -HATCHDAY- isn't over yet. One egg worries me because the chick pipped the middle of the egg (some of the membrane looks bloody) and broke off the shell toward the bottom..........I just hope it doesn't try to hatch at the wrong end. I keep telling myself to stay away from the bator, but I'm glued!