California - Northern

[tls_ranch]

[CONTENTEMBED=/t/25/california-northern/56410#post_14193124 layout=inline] [/CONTENTEMBED] Hope you and your friends stay safe my husband was working on that fire today. Trisha

I hope your husband stays safe too! Thanks everyone. One of our friends were allowed to return to their house late last night and grab some stuff.

I'm still figuring out my new camera. I actually got a few nice " close ups" today of a pullet from over 20 ft away. I'm by no means a good photographer either. It's just nice to get a few decent pics

Pretty pullet! Nice greenery too, what is that stuff? We are all brown here.

We had a pretty good rain storm awhile back. Started greening up, but it been dry and hot since hope we get more rain soon. Trisha

 

[chiqita]

ATTENTION ALL! I NEED HELP FINDING SQ BEARDED SILKIES IN CA. CAN ANYONE DIRECT ME TO A GREAT BREEDER?

California country ranch in lincon. Sherry is fablous and very very high qualiry.

 

[casportpony]

[CONTENTEMBED=/t/25/california-northern/56410#post_14193124 layout=inline] [/CONTENTEMBED] Hope you and your friends stay safe my husband was working on that fire today. Trisha

I hope your husband stays safe too! Thanks everyone. One of our friends were allowed to return to their house late last night and grab some stuff.

I'm still figuring out my new camera. I actually got a few nice " close ups" today of a pullet from over 20 ft away. I'm by no means a good photographer either. It's just nice to get a few decent pics

Pretty pullet! Nice greenery too, what is that stuff? We are all brown here.

We had a pretty good rain storm awhile back. Started greening up, but it been dry and hot since hope we get more rain soon. Trisha

Pretty hen and great pictures! -Kathy

 

[95030chick]

http://tastyworms.com/dried-mealworms.html

They have free shipping, bulk quantities, and they say that they raise their own mealworms in Florida. (They even give instructions on mealworm raising, as well as explaining why they began raising mealworms.) These bags also have a "use by" date, which I don't see on the Happy Hen bags. Prices range from $28/lb (for 4 oz) to $9.10/lb (for 11 lbs), and slightly more for a resealable bag … in fact, I think most of the cost for the 4 oz size is probably the bag.

I received my mealworms today, and, contrary to one Amazon review that chickens didn't seem to like Tasty Worms mealworms as much as Happy Hen mealworms, my chickens didn't seem to notice any difference.

My bags of chicken treats had a "best if used by" date of January 2016. Although I realize the size probably differs from batch to batch, these mealworms seemed to be larger, on the average, than the Happy Hen mealworms (noticeable if hand feeding the worms individually).

I also tried the dried black fly larvae, and the Australorp, who is the bravest of the bunch, gobbles them down as fast as the mealworms. The Crested Cream Legbars also eat them, but only if they are on their special spot on top of the hen house, because they would be chased away in any other more accessible location. They shy Welsummer is still uncertain about the larvae even after watching the Australorp eat as many as she can find. The moisture content of the larvae is a bit higher than the mealworms, and the bag says refrigeration after opening is recommended.

 

[ronott1]

I received my mealworms today, and, contrary to one Amazon review that chickens didn't seem to like Tasty Worms mealworms as much as Happy Hen mealworms, my chickens didn't seem to notice any difference.

My bags of chicken treats had a "best if used by" date of January 2016. Although I realize the size probably differs from batch to batch, these mealworms seemed to be larger, on the average, than the Happy Hen mealworms (noticeable if hand feeding the worms individually).

I also tried the dried black fly larvae, and the Australorp, who is the bravest of the bunch, gobbles them down as fast as the mealworms. The Crested Cream Legbars also eat them, but only if they are on their special spot on top of the hen house, because they would be chased away in any other more accessible location. They shy Welsummer is still uncertain about the larvae even after watching the Australorp eat as many as she can find. The moisture content of the larvae is a bit higher than the mealworms, and the bag says refrigeration after opening is recommended.

Thanks for the great review!

 

[chrissyr]

Bresse lay very nicely!

I concur! I love my Bresse hens. They are laying about a large egg now and about 5-6 days a week .
Just processed the boys today. Can't find my scale but they look nice and plump.
I have them brining now. If I had to pick 2 breeds, it would be Bresse and Marans . Well thearans would have to have seperate black and blue pens, so I guess that's 3

 

[ronott1]

I concur! I love my Bresse hens. They are laying about a large egg now and about 5-6 days a week .
Just processed the boys today. Can't find my scale but they look nice and plump.
I have them brining now. If I had to pick 2 breeds, it would be Bresse and Marans . Well thearans would have to have seperate black and blue pens, so I guess that's 3

Well likely four...five....six?

 

[Audio51]

My chickens were very naughty tonight. They put themselves to bed in the oddest places.

An OE pullet decided to roost in the hoses!



A Pinta Pinta likes the pet carrier!



One of my UofA pullets was roosting on the top of a post- close to 7 feet up!




They really keep me working around here....

They think you have too much time on your hands and are trying to keep you from getting bored...

Wow- I'm feeling pretty good now. Since getting back into chickens, I've only ever killed seriously injured birds. Since I could only have a very limited number of hens for so long, I haven't processed my own bird I raised up from a chick in forever. I was helping with processing at my folks' place so I took over one of my Orpingtons I'd raised from a chick who'd been in the running to be a keeper (he just got way to vicious with the hens, and was a crow-happy fool. I tend to like roosters' crows, but when he gets going at all hours of the night and keeps going for 45 minutes to two hours every single time, that gets to be a bit much). I actually really surprised myself with how much of a big baby I was with killing him, but I made it! And as soon as I *finally* psyched myself up enough to do it it was like "WHY was that so hard?" It felt really good to get through it, though. I definitely have more roosters and cockerels to follow, it was just getting back over the hurdle of processing a bird I brooder-raised and at some point thought of keeping that was tough for me for a bit there. It feels really good to know I have a walking emergency food storage in my backyard.

Congrats on getting back in the saddle and processing! I have yet to do any that were not bought specifically for eating. I'm not sure how I will do when it comes time to process an older layer.

We went to the coast this weekend. Eric has desired it's getting to hot here in the summer and wanted to check out areas on the coast for retirement. We liked the leeward area of Cape Ferrillo and the Winchuck River canyon. He even humored me and drove by the houses in Bookings with chickens in the yard. I'm guessing hens are legal since they were in the front yards.

I haven't been to the coast in years. Every summer I wish we lived there....but I don't think I could take all the rain and fog in the winter. I think I need a summer home and winter home..

I was just checking out bantam eggs on eBay. I was quite surprised to find a picture of my Fred sireing eggs in LA since I lost him over a year ago! Is swiping photos common?

Yep. I have seen it happen a lot on Facebook too. Someone on the Gouldian Finch group made up a chart of the mouth markings of 8 different species of finch. 6 of the 8 photos where stolen from a professional photographer named Roy Bechman. They still had his watermark on them but it was so tiny you could not read it. I knew they were Roy's because I had seen them on his website. I messaged him and let hime know and also posted in the comments for the guys chart that the pictures belonged to Roy, The guy never responded....

Quote: It doesn't always stop them Sometimes they will crop the watermark off. Sometimes they just use it even with the watermark.

Good to know, Kathy! I will try that next time I am on Chrome...

I am in the Bay Area and I am in desperate need!! I have to find a new home for my Silkie chickens that I adore. My son has been diagnosed with Asthma and it seems the chickens are the problem. I have 3 (2 egg laying hens and 1 rooster) about 10 months old. I would like them to go together. All are very friendly due to lots of human contact, my rooster even likes to be brushed.. Please help I have to do this soon !!

Welcome to the group! Hope you find a home for them. They are very nice looking birds and I suspect you won't have much trouble finding someone to take them.

Oh, my, Frieda's a protective mother! I've got wood blocks/boards set up as steps, to help the chicks reach the waterer. I noticed when I went out to check for eggs and watch the chicks awhile that the lower steps had gotten knocked over, so I decided to open up the pen and fix them. Much flapping and rushing later, something that should've taken 10 seconds flat (or less) was finished.

Changing the zip ties on the pale yellow chicks is going to be fun--I have to actually touch the chicks for that

I've got to do it pretty soon, too--the one with the orange tie is starting to fill it, already. Maybe I should just try to find markers to make marks on the back of their heads, instead--I'd originally dug out our zip ties expecting identical black chicks, not pale ones...

I'm not sure how long the marker would stay on. The colored rubber bands they sell for craft projects work well.

Another fire, and in a populated area. I've been hearing that 6 houses are gone so far. This picture is from my house. We have 2 friends that were evacuated. I really hope they get this fire under control fast!

That looks waaaaay to close for comfort. Hope it stays away from you and your friends homes are safe...

Quote:

I'm still figuring out my new camera. I actually got a few nice " close ups" today of a pullet from over 20 ft away. I'm by no means a good photographer either. It's just nice to get a few decent pics

The lacing on this bird is stunnung!

It is amazing how much difference there is in the quality of the picture between a "good" camera and the little automatic ones. After we bought our Nikon Digital SLR it was so much more rewarding to take pictures. I am far from an expert too but it is so much easier to get god pictures with the new one. These are very good, BTW...

Quote: Thanks for the review! I have seen these advertised but was reluctant to buy because of the bad review there. I was raising my own for a while for some of my insectivorous finches, but they only need them when they are breeding, so I would forget to keep them going. I bought one of the big plastic containers if the Happy Hens ones in the early spring at TSC because they were on sale for $10, but normally they are pretty pricey. I should start raising them again...

 

[chrissyr]

:cd Well likely four...five....six?

Yes, that's about it. Plus the meat muscovies which are quickly turning into pets. I will keep a pair. I'm hoping for only 1 girl. I hate to process girl anything. It feels like a waste when they're about to lay .
And the quail,well, I'd rather stick to birds that can be raised by broodies if necessary. They'll be downsized

 

[chrissyr]

I can't go back too well in my phone but I'd like to say everything @Audio51 said x2!