California - Northern

[HighStreetCoop]

The CA Grays were bred to be dual purpose. I like mine. They are good layers.
Here are a few pics of them:

He's a beauty (and what a nice piece of local history to have in your yard!).

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Well, I lightened my BBS Orp chick load this weekend. I took three cockerels I knew I didn't want to keep to the feed store for "re-homing" (pretty sure one is going home with a lady who works there as she has Orps and was ooing and ahhing over them and asking lots of questions). Surprisingly, they said most of the heritage breed cockerels they get actually get taken by people who don't plan to eat them (which was certainly their fate if I'd had room to keep them).

Gave a trio (blue cockerel, blue pullet, splash pullet) to some friends up in Petaluma who have a nice little 10 acre property with a big chicken house that was down to two ancient Buff Orp hens. The little cockerel immediately began patrolling his section of the yard and bringing "his girls" bugs. It was adorable! He's going to be a great roo and they're going to have a good life up there being country chickens. He was my second favorite bird, but he clearly wanted to be in charge and he'll be much happier with his own little barnyard to rule over.

Kept the cockerel who's been king of the brooder all along. He's got a lovely, mellow personality which I hope is a good sign (the ones I got rid of did NOT, LOL!). I also kept a backup cockerel. The one I never saw challenging the top boy. If the shakeup changes that, he'll have to go, too. I'd really like to keep the two of them for a few months more though so I can make a more educated decision about which one to keep long term. But man it's nice to only have 7 instead of 13.

 

[ronott1]

Well, I lightened my BBS Orp chick load this weekend. I took three cockerels I knew I didn't want to keep to the feed store for "re-homing" (pretty sure one is going home with a lady who works there as she has Orps and was ooing and ahhing over them and asking lots of questions). Surprisingly, they said most of the heritage breed cockerels they get actually get taken by people who don't plan to eat them (which was certainly their fate if I'd had room to keep them).

Gave a trio (blue cockerel, blue pullet, splash pullet) to some friends up in Petaluma who have a nice little 10 acre property with a big chicken house that was down to two ancient Buff Orp hens. The little cockerel immediately began patrolling his section of the yard and bringing "his girls" bugs. It was adorable! He's going to be a great roo and they're going to have a good life up there being country chickens. He was my second favorite bird, but he clearly wanted to be in charge and he'll be much happier with his own little barnyard to rule over.

Kept the cockerel who's been king of the brooder all along. He's got a lovely, mellow personality which I hope is a good sign (the ones I got rid of did NOT, LOL!). I also kept a backup cockerel. The one I never saw challenging the top boy. If the shakeup changes that, he'll have to go, too. I'd really like to keep the two of them for a few months more though so I can make a more educated decision about which one to keep long term. But man it's nice to only have 7 instead of 13.

Good Job!

 

[BCollie]

Hey guys. Since I forgot to close the coop door one night, one of my hens was taken by a raccoon. I'm asking for an automatic door for the coop/run for Christmas.
What are my options? We've already looked at the Pullet-Shut Automatic Chicken Door but want to know if there's any better priced alternatives out there. I just need a door that will open and close automatically each day.

Thanks!

 

[ronott1]

Hey guys. Since I forgot to close the coop door one night, one of my hens was taken by a raccoon. I'm asking for an automatic door for the coop/run for Christmas.
What are my options? We've already looked at the Pullet-Shut Automatic Chicken Door but want to know if there's any better priced alternatives out there. I just need a door that will open and close automatically each day.

Thanks!

I am interested in this one!

Ador1 is also an option that I have seen people use.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Good Job!

Thanks. It was hard to think about doing, but once it was done it was SUCH a relief!

 

[caychris]

Thanks. It was hard to think about doing, but once it was done it was SUCH a relief!

Easier to do when the cockerels start crowing and they start getting so big that treats become a mob scene.

I think the cockerels make thinning easier because we all know some of them just have to go.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Hey guys. Since I forgot to close the coop door one night, one of my hens was taken by a raccoon. I'm asking for an automatic door for the coop/run for Christmas.
What are my options? We've already looked at the Pullet-Shut Automatic Chicken Door but want to know if there's any better priced alternatives out there. I just need a door that will open and close automatically each day.

Thanks!

I have 2 of the electronic doorkeepers from Foy's and love them. They have never failed on me, they work on batteries (which last a year), and the light sensor is adjustable (so you can choose when it closes). It's worth every penny.
http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/rabbit-products/misc-products/2101-doorkeeper-inside-installation

I do know someone that had the pullet shut door and was not happy with it. They replaced it with a Foy's doorkeeper.

 

[Kaylish]

Hey guys. Since I forgot to close the coop door one night, one of my hens was taken by a raccoon. I'm asking for an automatic door for the coop/run for Christmas.
What are my options? We've already looked at the Pullet-Shut Automatic Chicken Door but want to know if there's any better priced alternatives out there. I just need a door that will open and close automatically each day.

Thanks!

Looks like your going to need to get one to protect your new Orps! (Congrats on winning Papas giveaway!!!

)

I have 2 of the electronic doorkeepers from Foy's and love them. They have never failed on me, they work on batteries (which last a year), and the light sensor is adjustable (so you can choose when it closes). It's worth every penny.
http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/rabbit-products/misc-products/2101-doorkeeper-inside-installation

I do know someone that had the pullet shut door and was not happy with it. They replaced it with a Foy's doorkeeper.

Very nice...maybe I still have time to ask for it for Christmas!

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Well, my custom coop not going to happen. After taking my deposit and stringing me along for an additional 4 weeks (grand total of TEN WEEKS WASTED ON THIS GUY), he just emailed to say he's returning my deposit. At least I don't have to fight with him and PayPal? Oh, and he said that I could always go to Concord Feed and pick up one of his prebuilt coops. Right. That's exactly what I want to do, give him $ for NOT building what I ordered (plus, those don't have a run attached, so I still wouldn't have a functional outside enclosure I could actually use). I swear, I could burn @#$!@ to the ground right now.

So, I'm back to SQUARE ONE just in time for it to be the holidays and for everyone to be out of town and for the unending deluge to have kicked in. Did I mention wanting to burn things?

Have called half a dozen coop places today. They're all sold out/backed up for Christmas, or everything is made to order. So my poor birds are stuck in the house for at LEAST another three weeks. ARGH!!!!

I think I've settled on the largest version of this (boy do I wish it would fit on the footing I already had put in for the custom coop, but of course it won't*):

http://chickengardener.com/product/combo-coops/

*and of course custom coop guy isn't paying me back for the additional brooder I had to build because of his delay or for redoing the footing.