California - Northern

[casportpony]

http://www.urbanchickenpodcast.com/...sociation-show-red-bluff-ca-usa/?instance_id=

-Kathy

 

[member 142084]

There has been a lot going on and then I saw this and I am still crying.

Had to share.

 

[OR4-hmom]

The show tomorrow in Red Bluff...Where is it? I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where in Red Bluff I'm supposed to go.

If it the same place as last year, (I think it is.), go through town and look for the fairground entrance on the left side of the road. The entrance is an arch over two short concrete/rock walls.

 

[OR4-hmom]

There has been a lot going on and then I saw this and I am still crying.

Had to share.

I can't imagine what I'd do if Brindie brought that home, baby birds are unsettling enough.

 

[Audio51]

Quote:
It is in the same place...The Tehama County Fairgrounds. It is in the south part of town

 

[lualshannon]

Does anyone going to the Red Bluff show tomorrow have Runner Ducklings for sale or know of anyone who does?

Hi, Audio51,

Walt, fowlman01, has Runner Ducks, which as I understand, they are different ages; and some might be the age you are interested in. I think he is getting ready to leave for the show, but, you might still be able to get in touch with him via PM.

How nice you are going to the show; wish you good time..

Lual

 

[Audio51]

My meat bird hatching eggs arrived today....11 nice sized eggs of various colors...and 1 gigantic brown one!!!! I can't imagine how big this girl must have been to lay this. It is at least twice as big as all the others. Does thing mean it is likely a double-yolker?

 

[lizanne]

My meat bird hatching eggs arrived today....11 nice sized eggs of various colors...and 1 gigantic brown one!!!! I can't imagine how big this girl must have been to lay this. It is at least twice as big as all the others. Does thing mean it is likely a double-yolker?

That one is huge!! I wonder if you could tell if it is a double by candling it.

 

[lawatt]

I have a similar situation, since I have multiple hatches over a period of months. I read about breeders who keep all their different age groups separate, but that's not possible here.
I think so much depends on the individual birds dispositions, so what works one year may not work the next. I just do the best I can.

To answer your question about what is the oldest that I've been able to merge ... I'm constantly merging groups of different ages, in and out of different pens. (This is regarding females- not males.) So, there's not a set age when it will or won't work. They seem to accept reorganization, perhaps because it happens so often. I always try to integrate with at least a pair, or more. Putting a single bird into a new group will sometimes result in that bird becoming a scapegoat.

Here's what I do: Newly hatched chicks are kept in a brooder with their hatchmates until they feather out.
I have a large coop next to my house. It opens up to my yard, with grass, trees and lots of roses for cover. When the chicks feather out, they are put in this coop. For the first week, they are kept in an enclosure in this coop, so they get used to it. After that, the coop door is opened every day and they can range the yard.
I keep integrating new batches of chicks into this coop. Keeping them enclosed the first week also serves to introduce them to the previous group(s) in a protected way. The older birds always are somewhat dominant over the younger. This isn't ideal, but it's the way it is. I watch to make sure that none are getting hurt. This hasn't been an issue. I make sure that there are multiple feeders and waterers available. The coop is large enough that they all have space. After awhile, they all seem to become one group.
When the males become sexually mature - as soon as I see chasing going on - that group of mature males are separated to a separate bachelor pen.
This is where it gets tricky. Every year, it seems to be a little different. Sometimes I can add groups of males together. Last year, I could not. Two males that had grown up together and had been buddies were separated for about a month, then reunited. Never been a problem before, but this time my best male ended up being injured so badly that he died. Lesson learned. I'll never try to reunite groups of males that have been separated.
So, the males have a pen for culls and a pen for possible breeders. I also have a cull pen for pullets/hens. The possible breeder pullets stay in the coop near the house until they are large enough not to be hawk bait. Then I move them, in pairs or groups, out to the mobile coop on pasture. The mature hens in the mobile coop might push them around a bit at first, but then they all get along. There is sometimes a single rooster with this group. Males are rotated out there in the off season. During breeding season, I'm taking hens in and out of there, so the group is always changing.

That's what works for me.

Kim!!! thanks SO much for writing all this out! you've given me the courage to go ahead and try introducing the now-4-week-olds with the 7-week-olds -- so far, the littles are in the upstairs part of the coop, and the bigger ones are downstairs, and I'm checking on them periodically to see what might happen once they meet face to face -- hoping that they integrate okay, and then once the ones in the brooder are big enough, i'll integrate them in as well.

it's so much quieter in the house already, without the six 4-week-olds kicking up a ruckus!

with great appreciation,
laura

 

[casportpony]

My meat bird hatching eggs arrived today....11 nice sized eggs of various colors...and 1 gigantic brown one!!!! I can't imagine how big this girl must have been to lay this. It is at least twice as big as all the others. Does thing mean it is likely a double-yolker?

That one is huge!! I wonder if you could tell if it is a double by candling it.

I've been able to see double yolks candling, but their shells were not that dark. -Kathy