California - Northern

[8machines]

I love my flock! In a love a chicken kinda way.

I do have two chickens that are more like pets then the others! One is my Serama (Sunshine). The other is our first chicken. She's and Easter Egger from Lees Feed (Chicken Little). Those two go in the pet category for sure. Sweet girls! They are always near you if your outside. And on the porch waiting for you to come out.

Most the others could be dinner if needed or if they became aggressive. Livestock COULD be used for them, but I think pets is more fitting for my flock.

At this point in time we don't eat ours. Organic chicken from Costco is cheep enough. We rehome ones we don't want (I have to let go of some). We have culled a few that were extremely aggressive.

Ours are pets. We dont eat them. I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian, my husband is aeat eater but he doesn't eat chicken. That is why I cry for two days when one is gone by a hawk, but I still love them.

 

[8machines]

Greetings, SilkiesForEver and Northern California!

Can you please tell me what goes on at the show? I have never been to one and am excited at the prospect of being able to buy some chickens there.

I started with 4 chicks in July 2012 and now have over 30. :cd

Wow, you are very fortunate. I have 19 but finding a rental that allows chickens is terrible. If we can find a different place this fall, not on a hillside, maybe I will get 2 Ameracauna, 2 JG, and 2 Australorps. Good for you!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Hi Everyone,
I'm new to BYC and chicken keeping. I live in Nevada City, CA and am hoping to get "in the loop" on local chicken and farm stuff and gather some local wisdom, especially as it comes to thwarting predators. Are there any experienced coop builders or retailers in this area? Good feed suppliers? Any good Northern CA breeders of birds that do well in the foothills? We're at about 3,000 ft, so it can get very cold and very hot. I've got my mind set on Dominiques for this first batch of chicks and maybe a few blue Andalusians. . .but I'm sure I'll end up with a menagerie. Thanks!

Hi,
I m at 3400 feet outside of Placerville.
Rons right. Just keep them dry and out of the wind at night and some cover and they are fine.
They tend not to venture out while its snowing and stay in the coop till it starts to melt unless there food and water is outside.

You may get frostbite on the combs some of the larger combed breeds but not that bad. You can coat them with Vetrex or Vasoline prior to nights that will be in the teens but thats about it.
I have breeds with large combs and I have no problems.

asfar as critters. I have found the best defense is a well fortified run. I have 4 runs 3 are 18-22x36 one is 22x18
In all my runs except one I keep the coop in the run. the other is outside. Which I will probably enclose the whole area down the road so thats why I did that.

My last place had a massive chicken yard which I liked. I
here I have the runs in one area .
I used 5-6" x8 foot lodge poles. set in concrete. Each hole used about 2 bags. poles 8 feet apart. Then for the fencing I highly highly recommend 6 ft no climb ( Horse Fence)
I put it up with field staples ( big u nails). Its best to stretch the fence with a come along and fence stretching bar.

Once the area was enclosed I put my gate up and the biggest thing you can do is cover your run. Most animals do not like to feel confined and it Greatly reduces animals from trying to get in as they don't like to feel trapped. I used 2" heavy duty knotted poultry netting. Its as thick and strong as a fish net. I zip tied the top to the sides every 12-16" as a added protection I used the big plastic tent stakes from Home Depot and drove them in on the bottom center of each section of fence between the poles,

this should keep everything out except bears and cougars. Not much you can do for them.
Others probably have good ideas this just works for me.
You do have to knock the snow off the top though if its the heavy wet snow and we get a foot. anything less seems to not stick to the top as well. just make sure the netting is 2" and not 1" poultry netting. I know a local coop builder too if you need his number pm me and ill try and find it.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Thank you. We have tried the different foods but after two days and letting them forage, they still eat very little. My hubby feels sorry for them. I am going to try the Nutrena #40 layer and see if they will eat it. I have seen them push all the pellets on the ground and waste it.

I like the All Flock from Nutrena the Hay Barn stocks it off Missouri Flat Rd.
its 18% and it works good for all ages of chickens. I feed it to my chicks to.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

do to a set in stone breeding program I may be offering a few cool hens.

2 U of A blue egg layers ( blue and splash) can not tell the eggs from my silver ameraucana
and since there in with a crele rooster now it could goof up my olive egger project.

also a buff x wheaten ameraucana easter egger cross.
white empordanesa x blue ameraucana olive egger cross.
just message me if anyone may want them.
I am still on the fence.
I would free range them if they would not get eaten

 

[farmhand]

Just jumped aboard Amtrak in Fresno heading to Oakland to visit my son. He's taking me whale watching.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Here are a few pics of the U of A's and the Buff x wheaten ee ( she is from Candy)





oh and have to throw a Lewey picture in. He is a jumper for sure !!!

 

[ronott1]

Here are a few pics of the U of A's and the Buff x wheaten ee ( she is from Candy)





oh and have to throw a Lewey picture in. He is a jumper for sure !!!

They look very nice!

I am sure someone will want them. Not the cat though you need to keep him! I know the cat is not for sale...

 

[farmhand]

Great Pictures!

 

[ronott1]

Just jumped aboard Amtrak in Fresno heading to Oakland to visit my son. He's taking me whale watching.

That sounds like a lot of fun!

Are you meeting anyone to pick up some hatching eggs?