California - Northern

[HighStreetCoop]

The blue chick perked up! Can't tell which one it was now. They're all running around eating, fighting, chirping. Yea!!!! So I have 5 splash, 2 black, 2 blue, and one that is either a pale black or a very dark blue.

 

[Audio51]

I like the look of my blrw boy. Dude is a very mellow fellow.

Handsome boy!

I got some quail processed today! I knew I had a female A&M, and I had removed the one I had seen crow. That left two mystery ones. Unfortunately, one of the mystery birds went on a rampage while I was at work and injured the other two. I was on the fence about keeping the A&Ms anyway and just ended up doing all three. I'll probably do the last male, but might keep him to make some 'mutt' Cots. I definitely want to hold on to some of @Audio51 's Jumbo Browns. They're beautiful, laying like mad, and when you have them in hand are just SOLID birds. So glad I got them.

I am so glad you are pleased with the Jumbos. I am too and they will be one of the 2 breeds I will keep and breed. They can be vicious though, especially when they reach sexual maturity. They also heal up very quickly from the attacks. I am still working on the new pen for them. I can only work on it a few hours a day when the weather permits so it may take a another week. I think they will be much happier in it versus the old stacked one with 4 pens. Those were just too small.

After posting and enlarging Dudes picture it doesn't do home justice. This is a close up of the lacing on his thighs.

Even prettier!

I must say...I am disappointed in you guys. I feel that it was very irresponsible of ya'll to not let me know that I might die of cuteness overload when seeing a Salmon Faverolle chick!!

Oh my gosh. I picked up my chicks from Jeff's house today and it took all my will power to not open the box before driving home. Got home, brought it to my parents house, opened it...and my mom and I both immediately grabbed Salmon Faverolle chicks. It was like...an instinct. Our hands just reached towards the balls of fluff that we saw. Feathered legs, beards of fluff...and very long, fluffy, yellow down feathers. Tell me this is not the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Oh my!

Quote: Hmmm...maybe I will have to see if my daughter wants to try some for her snake.

Quote: What a great story!

The chicken house is almost ready for the chickens. We will be working on the room dividers today. There is an urgency to get them out of the old house before the tree falls on it.

Can I live there?

I know a couple people were possibly interested, so I'm posting here- I am sending in 2015 reservations for Sandhill next Wednesday. Having too many specific breeds can apparently really throw them off, so I am planning on eating shipping costs and reserving two separate smaller orders. I am going to aim for April/May hatches (but won't expect them at a really specific time). If there is something specific you'd like to add on, let me know.

I would love to have your order 5 BLRW chicks for me...

I was sitting there with the bird in one hand and scissors in the other, just sitting there crying, when I heard my neighbor drive up into his driveway...I went over and asked if he's ever killed a bird before and he said "Have I what?" And I said, "Killed a bird" and I broke down crying and showed him the chick and, I don't know how well he could hear me through my crying, said "I have a dying baby chick and I just can't do it" and he took it and said he'll take care of it. His wife said, "Don't feel bad honey, I couldn't do it either"
And I just can't stop crying, it's one thing when they die on their own but I just couldn't do it.

What a great neighbor. I think it is harder for me to cull a chick than to cull an older birds. Something about the fluff I think....

Thanks guys. The others seem to be just fine, they're all looking for food by kicking around the pine shavings...when I put food in they all ran over so I think all the others are okay. Don't know what happened to this one chick.

I want to go over and thank him for taking care of it for me, but I'm sure I'll just start crying again. Maybe I'll make him cookies or brownies or something, I don't know

I hope the rest continue to do well. I think the cookies sound like a great idea. You could even leave them on the front porch for him...maybe with a little "Thanks you" note.

 

[ronott1]

The blue chick perked up! Can't tell which one it was now. They're all running around eating, fighting, chirping. Yea!!!! So I have 5 splash, 2 black, 2 blue, and one that is either a pale black or a very dark blue.

That is great!

They are very cute too.

 

[BCollie]

I've gotten very good at answering the "pullet or cockerel?" question myself, thanks to you guys. I have 4 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes that I got from Jeff. One is no doubt a pullet, the others are cockerels. They got bright red faces with big combs and wattles long before the pullet did...actually, the pullet still has very little color to her face. No crows and no eggs still, at 6 months old!!!

Today I decided that I'd like to have these cockerels butchered and processed when my parents get back from their vacation next week. So, probably next weekend. They'll be about 25 weeks old. I was picking them up to bring them inside and weigh them, one at a time. Got the first two pretty easily, they're not that flighty. The biggest is 5lbs, the second one was 4lbs 14oz. Went to pick up the third one and had to have my herding dog help me a bit as he's a little flighty. Managed to grab him by the tail, and I held on tight. He started squaking and trying to fly away, but I didn't let go. I had his entire tail in my hand, so I wasn't hurting him at all. I placed my hand on his back to gently push him to the ground so that I could more easily pick him up. And then, he squatted.
I'm not joking. I was positive this chicken was a cockerel. I mean, look at these long, pointy, rooster-y neck feathers and these long, pointy, rooster-y saddle feathers.





I tried to make him squat again after I brought him back outside after I weighed him, but he wouldn't. But, I have PROOF that he squatted when I went to pick him up! Pictures! He had put his wings back against his body by the time I got my phone out to take a picture, but he had been doing the submissive squat identical to how my girls do it.






Or should I not be calling him a "he" anymore? I am so confused right now!! What's your guys take on this?

EDIT: Enlarge that first pictures so that you can see his neck and saddle feathers well.

 

[Audio51]

I've gotten very good at answering the "pullet or cockerel?" question myself, thanks to you guys. I have 4 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes that I got from Jeff. One is no doubt a pullet, the others are cockerels. They got bright red faces with big combs and wattles long before the pullet did...actually, the pullet still has very little color to her face. No crows and no eggs still, at 6 months old!!!

Today I decided that I'd like to have these cockerels butchered and processed when my parents get back from their vacation next week. So, probably next weekend. They'll be about 25 weeks old. I was picking them up to bring them inside and weigh them, one at a time. Got the first two pretty easily, they're not that flighty. The biggest is 5lbs, the second one was 4lbs 14oz. Went to pick up the third one and had to have my herding dog help me a bit as he's a little flighty. Managed to grab him by the tail, and I held on tight. He started squaking and trying to fly away, but I didn't let go. I had his entire tail in my hand, so I wasn't hurting him at all. I placed my hand on his back to gently push him to the ground so that I could more easily pick him up. And then, he squatted.
I'm not joking. I was positive this chicken was a cockerel. I mean, look at these long, pointy, rooster-y neck feathers and these long, pointy, rooster-y saddle feathers.





I tried to make him squat again after I brought him back outside after I weighed him, but he wouldn't. But, I have PROOF that he squatted when I went to pick him up! Pictures! He had put his wings back against his body by the time I got my phone out to take a picture, but he had been doing the submissive squat identical to how my girls do it.






Or should I not be calling him a "he" anymore? I am so confused right now!! What's your guys take on this?

EDIT: Enlarge that first pictures so that you can see his neck and saddle feathers well.

It may bea a sign of submission. He is telling you that you are the dominant Rooster in the yard and he will submit to your authority. At least ...this is the case with finches. I will defer to more experiences breeders...

 

[BCollie]

Vicki, I wondered if that was the case. But I googled "rooster squatting" and didn't get a single result with someone saying they've seen their rooster squat

 

[Luvinmyhurd]

Hi all! It's been a long time AGAIN! I've had 7 children (4 bio and 3 fosters) ages 12 yrs - 2 months. I'm down to 5 again so I'm going to get back to my chicken thing.

I'm searching and am in need of building a flock again. I want breeder quality, excellent layers, least broody. If you live near Placerville and have anything that fits please let me know!

Also for scaly leg mites... Is ivormectin cattle poor on the right meds to use? If so how much and do you apply?

Thank you! I'm looking forward to communicating with you awesome chicken lovers again

 

[ronott1]

Hi all! It's been a long time AGAIN! I've had 7 children (4 bio and 3 fosters) ages 12 yrs - 2 months. I'm down to 5 again so I'm going to get back to my chicken thing.

I'm searching and am in need of building a flock again. I want breeder quality, excellent layers, least broody. If you live near Placerville and have anything that fits please let me know!

Also for scaly leg mites... Is ivormectin cattle poor on the right meds to use? If so how much and do you apply?

Thank you! I'm looking forward to communicating with you awesome chicken lovers again

leg mites need to be smothered--with petroleum jelly or 50 50 diesel. ivormectin will not work because there is not blood flow.

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

Good mite information here.

 

[BCollie]

Hi all! It's been a long time AGAIN! I've had 7 children (4 bio and 3 fosters) ages 12 yrs - 2 months. I'm down to 5 again so I'm going to get back to my chicken thing.

I'm searching and am in need of building a flock again. I want breeder quality, excellent layers, least broody. If you live near Placerville and have anything that fits please let me know!

Also for scaly leg mites... Is ivormectin cattle poor on the right meds to use? If so how much and do you apply?

Thank you! I'm looking forward to communicating with you awesome chicken lovers again

Hi!

If you're willing to have chicks shipped, I highly recommend Papa's Poultry. Jeff is a great guy with great birds, I get all my birds and hatching eggs from him when I can.
http://www.papaspoultry.com/store/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/PapasPoultry

If you don't want chicks shipped then I'll be of no help, because I don't live near Placerville

 

[chickee]

Hi all! It's been a long time AGAIN! I've had 7 children (4 bio and 3 fosters) ages 12 yrs - 2 months. I'm down to 5 again so I'm going to get back to my chicken thing.

I'm searching and am in need of building a flock again. I want breeder quality, excellent layers, least broody. If you live near Placerville and have anything that fits please let me know!

Also for scaly leg mites... Is ivormectin cattle poor on the right meds to use? If so how much and do you apply?

Thank you! I'm looking forward to communicating with you awesome chicken lovers again

Lots of great birds out there to choose from, but if you want to get some from someone close by, Jason (Hangtown Farms) is on the outskirts of Placerville and might have some available.