California - Northern

[OR4-hmom]

Jersey Giant Folk thank you for your advice. How sad that there was only one survivor and that he was oddly drawn to vegetation.

My birds are all seemingly healthy though one pullet lays wonky eggs a couple of times a week and has trouble figuring out if they should be in the poop tray or the nest box but other than that there are no signs of illness. and I am now getting 6 for 6 2 or 3 times a week. I was going to worm as a part of regular flock care but now I am thinking I can either wait a month until I collect the eggs I am planning to set or, if people thought it was advisable, do the first stage now, collect eggs in three weeks and then do the second stage of worming. Alternatively I can worm tomorrow, again on the 20th then put off setting eggs for about a week and hatch them when my others are a week old. They are all going in a different brooder than the delivered chicks anyway so maybe it isn't that big a deal that they be the exact same age.

Thoughts??


Oh and Ray says "Thanks for the Compliments." He is a very gentlemanly roo...unless you are a peacock and then you best watch out!

May be an overly simple question but, have you had them tested for worms? If the sample comes back clean - problem solved - collect away. My vet's office calls at the end of the day with the results.

 

[Deerling]

balthazar looks like a Cochin or a favorelle?

They are calm and not aggressive and are prone to being beaten up by other breeds. He looks healthy so I hope he will be ok!

He's a Favorelle! I wonder if he is getting the run around a little and that is why he isn't diving in with the others to get treats. Thanks for the info! He was our free exotic, so I didn't know anything about the Favorelles before we got him.

For those of you around me, what do you get for laying pullets/hens price wise? I have a lady who wants to buy some off of me and I don't know what to charge. (we are actually going to trade stuff, but I need to value them) I was thinking around $20-25?

I think $20-25 is very reasonable. We're planning on selling some pullets and I think that's what we'll be asking.

Why does she hate you? I heard these guys were super nice......

I think just because we got them when they were already over a week old, and until then they had been at the feed store and probably not handled. We try and say hi and give them treats, but with 34 other chicks their cuddle time is limited.

Omg what teenagers look! Mario says they look rebellious! Whatch out.

Right?! They are definitely going through their teenage "years". Those mohawks and the stink eye slay me. So funny.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Thank you!

Quote: LOL, you asked the million dollar question. Some are shipped eggs so not all will develop, some will be roosters, like my chicken math skills? I have 13 chicks in the brooder right now too.

I'm hatching a lot of welsummers, because I'm planning on replacing some of my breeder stock. I had a couple wellie girls go broody last year. (wellies are terrible setters and mothers) It's not a trait for wellies and one I don't want in my flock. (have other breeds for broodies) Plus a couple of them don't lay as dark as I'd like. And my oldest hen is no longer laying. Soooo, I need to grow out a bunch to have a good number to choose from. I will cull the non keepers to friends houses as layers, or sell them. I'd also like to keep a son from my rooster from one of my newer pullets that lays a nice, dark egg. My rooster is getting up there in age, he's 3 1/2, so I need another "just in case".

Then, I had a terrible year with my barnevelders. I've got some blues growing out, but lost both of my pure cockerels I was growing out (to bad luck, nothing disease wise). So I'm hatching some more pures and a few blues too while I'm at it. I need to build up my stock with them.

Then I have some olive eggers that I wanted to hatch from my flock. A couple black sex links from my BR/Welsummer. They are fertile, so what the heck, I've already got the bator out.

Short answer, huh?

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Ok, why do I need a new rug? I am both curious and intrigued. ( on a side note, we DO need new carpeting in 1/2 the house, but I dont want carpet so I have not tackled it yet. )



Quail are great becuse they are FAST and take little room. Appx 8 weeks from being an egg to laying an egg. And once you have settled the differences in your covy they are easy to care for. Great for apartmnets , eggs, and or meat. They can have issues when they get moved or introduced, but other then that they are great fun.

I am finaly getting quail eggs too! The bad thing about them is they need 13 hrs of light or they wont lay, and once they stop, they take a while to restart. Mine got supplimental light the end of january and are just now putting out.

If you DO raise quail however, you ahve to get rid of the extra boys, you can NOT do 1/1 raito unless they are alone with a LOT of room. even then it only works some times.
DOO ETTT! It is much more fun and if you can only get a few birds, heritage that will lay for longer is the way to go . I vote you get at least one Marans to go broody for you a couple of times a yer! But I am biased.
Some quail have more personality then others. We name some and they do get more special treat emnt. Bubbah Is our HUGE crotechty female. her eggs are 1/2 again as large as anyone else, and when she is in a bad mood she beats the boys up. She got bumblefoot and still limps a little and gets a foot bath in epsom salts every once in a while. She will be here till she drops, mario loves her to pieces and she comes to him when she is in a good mood and trills. Strangefeather was a male who had a single twisted feather in his neck and was the sweetest quail to other birds. He used to take care of the babies when he was growing up, and I used him as a shepard in the little hoppers cages until he was an adult. The girls all loved him, and he got along well with theother roos. he was a bit small for ideal breeding, but passed his personalitly on to the chicks. I saw markedly less problems with people who got birds from that cage setting up theri pens. Sadly he passed this winter from causes unknown. Quail just up and die on occation.

Gimpy and wiggles were a pair of quail we eventually rehomed as pets to a guy who was raising quail for their kids. Gimpy was a neuter and wiggles was its big italian buff friend. Gimp had a limp from a funny hip. Wiggles used to keep everyone away from its so she could run around and play.

I can tell more stories like that. Not all quail have personalities ( or you could never eat them!) But those that do are precious and entertaining.
If you want to put one INSIDE the incubator so you can see it from the window, try a Acu rite from lows or osh. They are .10 to 100 degrees, then just a full degree. It is good with humidity unless you also use it to check the temps of your chick brooders and it does not get cleaned off the back properly..

But I'm not trusting my own advice lately becuse I'm having a HORRIBLE time with hatching. I was feeling so depressed about ti all I almost bought a brinsea cabinet from down in LA but she sold it before the weekend, so no eco 360 for me . I dont know what happened, everything is developing BEAUTIFULY but not pipping. Except the show eggs I got from Fresno, not many of them wated to start. It could be a humidity problem, I have had some early issues keeping it stable, but its doing better now. I will eggtopsy some of these chicks and see if they could not turn around. I had a 100% hatch when I had my friend hatching them, so I know its not the eggs ( good rates on my shipped eggs lately too, having them do better then me is MEGA depressing)

If it is humidity it should be fixed now, we found a replacement for the water pan that gave out after the Humidair got its upgrades. But im now wondering if I sould get a utra mega humidity reader and put it in there to make sure I've got everytrhing at around 35 %. Our house is just dry, I cant do a real dry hatch or its about 20% or below. ugg, who would ahve thougth learnig how to sue this thing would be so problomatic?

How is everyone this morning? I have been somehow busy this last week or so, not sure HOW i got so busy, does not seem like a got a ton done! It is a beautiful day but the chicks are getting wild, they are jumping out of the mini brooders and running around the floor. They should be moved out into the garage but I was putting it off and now its like chicks gone wild in here with them sneaking on the top of the warterers, jumping out of the cages and trying to run over my keybord. The cages are mostly covered but they are sneaking out the extra spots! I blame the leghorns they have taught everyone to fly!

Pumpkins is trying to go broody, anyone know how to break a broody turkey? I candled the turkey eggs I had under a broodie last night, and they all look different then the early eggs but no veining yet that I saw. But they went in on 2/28 so its a bit early. I thought I saw a baby in one, however. I think I am going to take her hissing little self and make her sit outside in the sunshine again today and see if it helps.


Pumpkins would put me at 3 3/4 broodies. I have 2 Marans that are committed wiht eggs, pupmkins, and a girl who is sitting on the nest for about 4 hrs a day thinking about it. And one silkie who bit me while collecting eggs today, but I think she was just in a bad mood.

well I meant a bobcat rug

He's a Favorelle! I wonder if he is getting the run around a little and that is why he isn't diving in with the others to get treats. Thanks for the info! He was our free exotic, so I didn't know anything about the Favorelles before we got him.
I think $20-25 is very reasonable. We're planning on selling some pullets and I think that's what we'll be asking.
I think just because we got them when they were already over a week old, and until then they had been at the feed store and probably not handled. We try and say hi and give them treats, but with 34 other chicks their cuddle time is limited.
Right?! They are definitely going through their teenage "years". Those mohawks and the stink eye slay me. So funny.

I get 15 to 20 a hen

 

[Hangtown Farms]

ok I am

Read my post on the Ameraucana thread.

I am tired of the mixed message that I hear.
Non standard Ameraucana or Easter Egger.
The breeder's on there can not seem to decide completely.
I really feel that hurts the breed and feeds the Hatchery and unknowing or sneaky breeders that try to push
easter eggers as non standard Ameraucana.
I am sure a few there will have a fit lol.

 

[ronott1]

ok I am

Read my post on the Ameraucana thread.

I am tired of the mixed message that I hear.
Non standard Ameraucana or Easter Egger.
The breeder's on there can not seem to decide completely.
I really feel that hurts the breed and feeds the Hatchery and unknowing or sneaky breeders that try to push
easter eggers as non standard Ameraucana.
I am sure a few there will have a fit lol.

Happy to have you hiding out here you outlaw!

I have SG Dorkings hatching and will have to move the feeders out of the rain for tonight and tomorrow. It is not supposed to rain too much but I still need to get ready!

 

[tommysgirl]

For those of you around me, what do you get for laying pullets/hens price wise? I have a lady who wants to buy some off of me and I don't know what to charge. (we are actually going to trade stuff, but I need to value them) I was thinking around $20-25?

last summer I bought two golden comet pullets for my uncle in Santa Rosa. I think I was taken but paid 25 each for them. I am planning to sell 6+ week old started pullets...purebreds for 10-15 so your prices look right to me.

 

[PetRock]

I can't wait for the langshans I really want some lol put me on the list

You are added to the list! My 8 pullets that are the start of my breeding program went out to the farm this evening. The boys have been there since before Christmas so tomorrow will be reunion time! Those poor girls don't know what they have in store! I love my Langshans and I am going to miss seeing them in my backyard. I still have 2 blue in my layer flock. One has foot problems and the other is Jewel my penguin bird. We are going to work on getting the breeding pens built this month and hopefully by next month we will have fertile eggs. I really want to hatch my own Langshan eggs in my new incubator with a hatch date on my birthday in May!

 

[tommysgirl]

May be an overly simple question but, have you had them tested for worms? If the sample comes back clean - problem solved - collect away. My vet's office calls at the end of the day with the results.

you know I should take a sample across the hall to the bio teacher. He is also a chicken guy and ask him to have a look. Great idea!

 

[PetRock]

PetRock, I love that egg tray!

Great, now I have Egg Tray Envy. Too.

LOL! I found it at Marshalls last year.