California - Northern

[Audio51]

Happy Easter a couple days late! My Easter hatch was disappointing. Out of 41 shipped eggs that I set, only 14 made it past day 18 and of those 14 only 4 hatched. My own Pita Pinta, PP mix, and Langshan eggs from the farm did much better. 17 out of 21 hatched but 1 had umbilical problems and died yesterday. So 28.5% of the shipped eggs that made it to day 18 hatched and 81% of my eggs hatched for a combined total of 60% that were set for hatch on day 18.

Here is an Easter pic of some of the chicks and a pic of one of my new Langshans.

Awww...this one looks soooo sad....

(I'm sure it's the markings...but she has such pleading eyes....)

Quote: #3 is zipping right now....

Wow my pekins are turning out beautiful. They have crests. Isn't that rare? I will have to take some pics here in a bit.

Can't wait to see them!

Twice this month I've found my Marans' egg out in the coop run in the gravel empty and broken up. Does anyone have any ideas about what/who did it? Is it the chickens, or a rat or something?

Sounds like predators of some sort.....

Quote: I like the New Dorkshires and New Pacific Layers. I would not feel comfortable calling the Super Layers yet if you haven't raised andy to POL .

Happy Earth Day everyone!

I LOVE Clematis! Beautiful pictures!!!

 

[tommysgirl]

I ordered 6 of them from a hatchery as pullets. yes, it is fun guessing game she/he is almost 3 months old. the others have small pale wattles barley forming and this ones are darker and already hanging. I need to try and get a better picture. .... thanks for all the help.

I missed the post where you said what these were. She is a lovely girl.

 

[tommysgirl]

ok, cruelty free heritage sex link sounds like a reason to buy it! Start with Heritage sex link and explain for the people who go ?? later.

Awesome! Thanks so much. That is what I will go with.

 

[Audio51]

Very interesting article on Chicken eyesight posted on FB today. Not sure how much of it is fact but it was interesting none the less..

http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2013/10/do-you-see-what-i-see-12-fascinating.html

 

[lawatt]

@PetRock was it you who said that hens "catch" broodiness from seeing chicks? Yesterday p.m. both mamas had their babies out in the pens when I let my other girls out to range. Beak Face...my first proven girl took one look at those babies and started the buc buc buc buc buc buc buc walking pine cone impersonation. Seriously...she was out for under a minute and I heard her. She spent all of her ranging time in a state and I fully expected her to get in her nest but she didn't. As of this morning she was not broody but @lawatt I expect that she will be and since I know what a great mama she is she will get special eggs. I would love to put her on 8-10 Birchen Marans eggs when she committs.

In case you meant birchen eggs from my flock, right now i only have one girl laying, as the other is -- you guessed it -- broody. so can't supply very many eggs until later this summer, then they're both back in action and hopefully a third pullet reaches POL.

and just want to say publicly a HUGE thank you to Deann (@juststruttin ) for teaching me to process chickens today! with the help of a couple of her friends, we processed six giant orp boys, and one is now quietly resting in my 'fridge. it was a huge amount of work, i certainly have more appreciation for the ease of buying a whole chicken from Whole Foods now -- and am not entirely sure i can do it all myself someday (or whether i'll entirely want to!), but i'm delighted to have had just excellent guidance and instruction. and can't wait to try braising the bird!

 

[chickee]

I swear it works this way with my girls. They will go months with not a broody among them. As soon as I put a group of chicks in the outdoor brooder/grow out pen that is under the main coop, they start falling like dominos. Then the nest box wars begin and I am constantly checking to see if they have gotten back in the correct box. I would love to have some individual pens for broody mamas and their eggs/chicks.

X2 Now I have 4 pullets that have gone broody since the chicks have been going out in the chick pen next to theirs. 3 of the hens (all Ameraucanas) stuff themselves into one nesting box!

The other, a blue Cochin pullet takes a box to herself. Anyone want a broody blue Cochin pullet and her sister? I have them advertised in the BYC Buy~Sell~Trade section

 

[EZFarms]

This is a queston for anyone in 4-H
On the awareness dqy application it say club:_____ what is the club im confused and for thr 4-H showmanship (not meaning the fair) would 4 month old birds be to young to show?

 

[ronott1]

In case you meant birchen eggs from my flock, right now i only have one girl laying, as the other is -- you guessed it -- broody. so can't supply very many eggs until later this summer, then they're both back in action and hopefully a third pullet reaches POL.

and just want to say publicly a HUGE thank you to Deann (@juststruttin ) for teaching me to process chickens today! with the help of a couple of her friends, we processed six giant orp boys, and one is now quietly resting in my 'fridge. it was a huge amount of work, i certainly have more appreciation for the ease of buying a whole chicken from Whole Foods now -- and am not entirely sure i can do it all myself someday (or whether i'll entirely want to!), but i'm delighted to have had just excellent guidance and instruction. and can't wait to try braising the bird!

Good job on the processing! One or two is not that hard for one person to do. I processed two last weekend.

 

[lizanne]

Also I used to help out with a local pet rescue and have rescued multiple dogs ...and now 2 chickens.....I guess it is holdover from that but I am seriously wanting to do background checks on the people who will be taking my chicks. Do any of you ask if they will have room to range and about the size and security of the coops? Even for the boys I want to know that they are going to have nice lives until that last day. Am I being absurd? I know people can lie and I know it will probably make it harder to get rid of the extras but I know they have the life here and I will hate watching them leave without knowing that they will be going on to somewhere as good/better.

I am thinking a casual conversation about their set up isn't too over the top. What do some of you who raise ornamentals do? I imagine since they are more likely to become pets you might ask some of these questions?

I guess I can prepare a chick care handout to email to prospective clients. I can nag them in that

Ack!

I charge a lot for chicks and send them home with corid. People often just ignore your advice however. I am a bit frustrated about people freezing chicks. I know people who have been doing it for years can look at chicks and tell if it is the right temperature but you have not check the frigging lightbulb is too cold! ! Yes you 70°brooder is why they died I dont care if you just lost one. Gaaa!

If you want to be picky about homes raise them till they are outside ready pullets . You get enough inquiries then to be picky.

I also don't sell chicks around major holidays without the talk. And I don't advertise around easter at all.
If only my chickens would go fake broody!

I always talk to people about their set-up for the chicks, and if they already have chickens, and their ages. When I sell on Craigslist I usually do it through Email, and don't respond to to weird ones. I find that "chicken people" like to talk about their birds and their set-up (and show pictures, tell stories....). I usually go through a mini checklist with them before they leave with chicks ("okay, so you have chick food, a brooder, heat lamp...). I also tell them to contact me if they have any questions. I did have a guy that was super excited to pick up a 5 month old pullet, and had told me he already had chickens. Well he did, but they were 4 day old chicks that he got from the feed store.

. I had to explain to him that he shouldn't put her in with the babies, and that she would be lonely without a friend. He ended up getting 2 pullets, and everything worked out, but you don't know unless you ask.

OK So let's brand my chicks!

New Hampshire over Dorking...Dorshire Super Layers?? Hamkings?? New Dorks?? New Dorkshires??

New Hampshire over CA Grey...Transcontinental Layers?? New Pacific Layers?? or we can just go with Black Sex Links but that is soooooo pedestrian

Votes? Ideas? Suggestions?

Thanks for the egg color guess. That is all I needed. I had no clue and I would like to tell people. They will most likely lay a creamy or light brown egg. Laura and I have been "in talks" about her Birchen Marans eggs. I am so pleased to learn that they do well under broodies.

I like Heritage Dorkshire Layers.

 

[Country Chick at Heart]

the Claremont is quite a bit north of where i lived...  had my first-ever photo exhibit there.

Laura, it sounds like you lived near my great grandmothers...later her daughter's place she lived off Mandana!