California - Northern

[chiqita]

How do you import chickens from the uk? Or anywhere? Do you just need the right connections or certain laws apply? Why can't just anyone do it?

You need a lot of paperwork, breeders who get inspected by the right people and legal transportation.

I have been told it takes 6-9 months to get it all and averages about 1500 per bird if you are importing more then 1 pair.

You can do it from Europe. You can't from china or most islands or anywhere they get a lot f bird flu. It is designed to keep diseases from spreading.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm in sacramento, & this smoke is making me so sick.

The smoke has been terrible up my way (near Auburn). Today was much better, I was able to open my windows for 2 hours this morning. Hoping to leave them open overnight tonight!

On the plus side, they are up to 65% containment.

 

[Chickengirl1304]

You need a lot of paperwork, breeders who get inspected by the right people and legal transportation.

I have been told it takes 6-9 months to get it all and averages about 1500 per bird if you are importing more then 1 pair.

You can do it from Europe. You can't from china or most islands or anywhere they get a lot f bird flu. It is designed to keep diseases from spreading.

Oh ok thanks just curious of the process and how difficult it was haha.

 

[lawatt]

*sigh* -- the bobcat returned, off of its previous mornings-only schedule, this afternoon around 5:30, literally about fifteen minutes after i'd let them out and about two minutes after i'd walked away from the area by the pens -- i've gotten everyone rounded up & in their pens again, but the last young isbar pullet is missing (although i haven't found ANY feathers, so hoping she might still be hiding), and Maggie the basque hen is wedged way underneath the house -- i can see her (and i'm pretty sure she's injured, there's a huge pile of her feathers when the bobcat pounced), but i can't get to her.

so, i get the message: all free-ranging is suspended indefinitely, at least until the bobcat stops patrolling for a good while.

 

[ChickNmamma]

*sigh* -- the bobcat returned, off of its previous mornings-only schedule, this afternoon around 5:30, literally about fifteen minutes after i'd let them out and about two minutes after i'd walked away from the area by the pens -- i've gotten everyone rounded up & in their pens again, but the last young isbar pullet is missing (although i haven't found ANY feathers, so hoping she might still be hiding), and Maggie the basque hen is wedged way underneath the house -- i can see her (and i'm pretty sure she's injured, there's a huge pile of her feathers when the bobcat pounced), but i can't get to her.

so, i get the message: all free-ranging is suspended indefinitely, at least until the bobcat stops patrolling for a good while.

I'm sorry. I hope you can get your hen out from under the house - and I hope your pullet is hiding up in a tree and will come down to get in the safety of the coop. I hope your hen isn't injured - chickens will loose a major amount of feathers when they are pounced on even if they aren't grabbed - its a defense mechanism to leave the predator with a mouth full of feathers instead of them.

I think you are right - all free-ranging suspended, and I would double check the safety of the run/coop as well - below ground level to overhead. Sounds like Mz Bobcat thought she found the all-day diner, it will be harder to discourage her now.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Yes they do but some lose more than others. There was a contest last year and the winner looked like chicken dinner!

The first adult molt can take more than a year depending on when they hatch and it will often be light. The next molts will be harder and will come more often as the hen ages.

well that is convenient

The laws and rules are different for different countries. It is often easy to get them out of the exporting country but hard to get them into ours.

Australia will not let poultry out.

and are quick to kill flocks coming in

 

[Hangtown Farms]

*sigh* -- the bobcat returned, off of its previous mornings-only schedule, this afternoon around 5:30, literally about fifteen minutes after i'd let them out and about two minutes after i'd walked away from the area by the pens -- i've gotten everyone rounded up & in their pens again, but the last young isbar pullet is missing (although i haven't found ANY feathers, so hoping she might still be hiding), and Maggie the basque hen is wedged way underneath the house -- i can see her (and i'm pretty sure she's injured, there's a huge pile of her feathers when the bobcat pounced), but i can't get to her.

so, i get the message: all free-ranging is suspended indefinitely, at least until the bobcat stops patrolling for a good while.

he is likely to keep coming if he has found a easy meal

 

[tommysgirl]

Hi everyone and welcome to new people. I have been reading/catching up and want to wish everyone the best of luck with incubators, broodies and new chicks.

Also congrats to all who exhibited, or parented exhibitors at your respective fairs. I totally burned out on livestock shows after 10 years as a 4-Her but am tickled to see all of you and your offspring doing well.

Sorry for predator losses, I think we had a narrow escape the other night there was a cackle fest and no one would come out of the bushes. I am guessing an osprey. We are on their path and they may have had a slow fishing evening.

chick sexing questions:

At what age do sickle feathers grow in?...these are EEs

Narrow neck feathers at this age=boy?

I have felt from day 1 that I probably had 3 boys and 1 girl in this hatch and now at 5 weeks tomorrow I am pretty sure I was right. I am going to post pics in the next few days. gotta get Tom to hold them for me.

 

[Chickengirl1304]

*sigh* -- the bobcat returned, off of its previous mornings-only schedule, this afternoon around 5:30, literally about fifteen minutes after i'd let them out and about two minutes after i'd walked away from the area by the pens -- i've gotten everyone rounded up & in their pens again, but the last young isbar pullet is missing (although i haven't found ANY feathers, so hoping she might still be hiding), and Maggie the basque hen is wedged way underneath the house -- i can see her (and i'm pretty sure she's injured, there's a huge pile of her feathers when the bobcat pounced), but i can't get to her.  

so, i get the message: all free-ranging is suspended indefinitely, at least until the bobcat stops patrolling for a good while.

He's watching you. That's scary!! Better carry something with you, a heavy walking stick or sonething. Me...I would be at my window with a BB gun. Not to kill it but to make sure he knew I meant business! BAD KITTY!!

 

[OR4-hmom]

*sigh* -- the bobcat returned, off of its previous mornings-only schedule, this afternoon around 5:30, literally about fifteen minutes after i'd let them out and about two minutes after i'd walked away from the area by the pens -- i've gotten everyone rounded up & in their pens again, but the last young isbar pullet is missing (although i haven't found ANY feathers, so hoping she might still be hiding), and Maggie the basque hen is wedged way underneath the house -- i can see her (and i'm pretty sure she's injured, there's a huge pile of her feathers when the bobcat pounced), but i can't get to her.

so, i get the message: all free-ranging is suspended indefinitely, at least until the bobcat stops patrolling for a good while.

Crud! Hope the bobcat moves on soon, we have one that the neighbor sees occasionally but it hasn't bothered my birds.

I did find a trench dug into the banty coop, I think it is a skunk coming in from under the other attached coop. Probably the same one that sprayed the dog on Thursday after a 14 hour stint at the fair. I was ready for bed not washing her down. I've had a bottle of Nature's Remedy for skunk under the sink for years and was sure glad it was there on short notice.