California - Northern

[Miss Molly]

I am worried.  I have chicks in lockdown and the humidity was 50% when I woke up.  Not sure what happened as I see water in the wells.  It was 70% when I went to bed.  I took out the chicks that hatched put and squirted the rest of the eggs with warm water.  Humidity is back up to 70% but not much is happending.   Ohhh.  the frustration!!  They all looked great going into lock down.  So far,  only 12 of 32 have hatched, 4 more have pipped.  Not too good.  Urg...   I am not a happy camper.  

Good news.  the ones that hatched look great.   

I will keep my fingers crossed for your little chicks...very stressful

 

[Chooklet]

Hello everyone! We got an emergency staging to pack for so I stayed in novato and am on mY phone! So excuse my errors etc. Deer welcome! I have silkies but I have a waiting list atm ( how did this happen??) But I would recommend brooding them separate from your later chicks anyway. They are fragile at first especially if they have vaulted sculls. But I can let you know when I get caught up if you like.

The rain tonight was fantastic! I got to sit in the spa and listen to it and drink wine. And read about chickens with all you lovely people!

Missed rk you all and I will be more chatty once I get my pad back.
S

Spa??? Wine??? I am still stuck in the office!

OK, enough of a chicken break - if I don't get back to work I'll never get out of here tonight!

 

[ronott1]

I am planning to start a Barred Orp project, and this guy is going to be my foundation roo. He hatched from my Crele Orp Proj girl covered by my Black (split for Lavender) Eng Orp Roo. I have hatched several BW cuckoo roos and a lavender cuckoo roo from this cross, but this is the first without Orange Leakage and clearer bars. I figured I would breed him to my black orp girls and then breed their female offspring back to him and see what happens.

He is 14 weeks in these pictures and he is huge. He is pictured next to a Cream Legbar, Basque, Welsummer and Dominique roos to give you an idea of his size.

Greenfire has two new arrivals:

Silver Laced and Crele Orpington:

 

[mendocinosunris]

mendocinosunris Hi there. Thank you for the welcome. I am only about 25 minutes from you in Lake County I feel like an honorary citizen of Mendocino county because we have to go there to get just about anything

I am so impatient and the uncertainty of where/when I was going to get my chicks was driving me a little crazy...my sweet and indulgent husband would say that I was obsessed. So anyway yesterday pm I placed an order with Privett. They overall seem to have an excellent reputation for healthy chicks and they had most everything I wanted. So now I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of 5 each

Easter Eggers
Speckled Sussex
California Greys
Black Sex Links
Delawares

I ordered all pullets but if there is a roo or two in the mix that's OK. I have a guy who is either going to buy them or build my coop in exchange for my extra brooded 6 week old chicks regardless of sex.

Anyway my chicks are due to arrive on 4/26. I will post pictures when they arrive

Ignore typos! I had internet issues and trying to make up for lost time.

I know most of you just do chickens but we actually do a greater number of ducks. Ours are heavy layers. 11 females - 8-11 eggs every single day. No lights, so far no pausing since September. I know they will soon. I have another batch getting ready to start laying too. The Appleyards I got from a breeder. They are stunning ducks. Very big too. Bigger than my Pekin drake and I thought he was big! They completely camoflage on the pond- which none of our other breeds do although the Harlequins a little bit, the black duck...so so and the Buffs blend in well in the summer because they are almost the same color as our dead yard hehe. (but in a pretty way). I have 1 more small batch of the Appleyards coming and she is tossing in an extra drake for me to grow out and butcher. I am so excited to try one! The drakes are SO quiet. Like whisper quiet- even quieter than my other breeds of drakes. You can barely ever hear them. And they are soft soft soft. They are supposed to start laying around 4 months so I should start to see some eggs soon.

Sorry I went off chicken topic but I love our ducks. And our goose lays a couple eggs a week now. 115 or so gram things. Petite for a goose. Yummy!

Spring is almost in the airrrrr!

Oh and Jeff said eggs are going into lockdown tonight. I cannot wait to meet the 16 or so babies my chickens created! I have a brooder set up and everything. Let's do this! hehe

Oh and 3 LF chicks I got from Jeff that we thought at least 1 would be my chick from my last hatch? All 3 are roosters. Not winning. rofl! Good thing my family all love chicken.

I've never raised ducks, but I'm seriously considering getting some cayugas because they are soooo gorgeous!!! I would love to ask you a zillion questions or so when I get them...

 

[ronott1]

Hello everyone! We got an emergency staging to pack for so I stayed in novato and am on mY phone! So excuse my errors etc. Deer welcome! I have silkies but I have a waiting list atm ( how did this happen??) But I would recommend brooding them separate from your later chicks anyway. They are fragile at first especially if they have vaulted sculls. But I can let you know when I get caught up if you like.

The rain tonight was fantastic! I got to sit in the spa and listen to it and drink wine. And read about chickens with all you lovely people!

Missed rk you all and I will be more chatty once I get my pad back.
S

Shantih, before you drink too much wine, are any of your Marans OEs Frizzled?

They have cottage hill copper too...I wonder....

 

[debs_flock]

Quote:
Naw, they're still in my den.

 

[lualshannon]

I am planning to start a Barred Orp project, and this guy is going to be my foundation roo. He hatched from my Crele Orp Proj girl covered by my Black (split for Lavender) Eng Orp Roo. I have hatched several BW cuckoo roos and a lavender cuckoo roo from this cross, but this is the first without Orange Leakage and clearer bars. I figured I would breed him to my black orp girls and then breed their female offspring back to him and see what happens.

He is 14 weeks in these pictures and he is huge. He is pictured next to a Cream Legbar, Basque, Welsummer and Dominique roos to give you an idea of his size.

How exciting! He is a handsome boy and I hope sires babies as gorgeous as he is!

 

[Miss Molly]

I love Orpington's....just say'in !

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Naw, they're still in my den.

soon......
It snowed here we have about 1/2" on the ground

 

[debs_flock]

I love Orpington's....just say'in !

I love, love, love the crele. I have eggs coming for them in the spring,

Deb