California - Northern

[ronott1]

Thanks, Ron!

The discount code is on their facebook page. It is a 10%discount usually.

 

[PetRock]

I did a search for Brinsea coupon code and found a 10% one on retailmenot. Placed the order! The glass thermometer on the Brinsea that I bought used is messed up so I ordered a new one of those too. I didn't realize that there is a flat $10 shipping rate until check out but that's okay. The final price with the discount and shipping was a little less than amazon's but it will probably take a little longer to get it.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

OMG - I have NO self-control.
No sooner do I get peepers out of the incubator, I fill it right back up.
Plus extras under another broody, my turken "Pumpkin".

Thanks to Jeff McCormick (Papa's Poultry), I have set 9 ameraucanas (50% will be FRIZZLED - wow), 9 blue / black mottled orps (with a slim chance of a lavender mottled), and 12 white/buff/black columbian orps.

Also, I picked up a couple crele OEGB young hens who had been with a white OEGB roo. One hen kindly laid me an egg today that went into the incubator.


AND - my favorite new addition - a sweet cream ko shamo hen. She was broody with 1 egg (x fawn OEGB) & I stuck that in the 'bator too.
Just look at those eyes. <3
What do you think, @lualshannon ?

I love watching you hatch ALL THE EGGS!!!!

 

[PetRock]

Wow! Brinsea has already shipped my thermometers!!!!! I'm impressed!

 

[Kaylish]

Just checking in here, Sacramento Native.

and the BEST thread ever! What kind of birds do you have?

Hi everyone.

It's been a long time since I've posted here, but I'd like to join in again!

I live in Sacramento with my husband and four children (three boys ages 7, 5, almost 4, and a girl who is 18mos). Hope to post regularly, I love a good chat thread!

Welcome back!

Y'all know I love me some showgirls but I must say that this one is pretty funny-looking...


Maybe I'll call it Igor.

LOL! Igor is perfect!

Just getting into chickens, husband finally gave in. We now have 24 chicks age range 3 weeks - 8 weeks, buff Wyandotte, buff cochin (cockerel), barred rock, EE, RIR, New Hampshire. My daughter loves then so much she wants to show poultry for 4H. So now need to get some show quality birds for her.

We'd love to see pictures of your babies!

Something I just thought of... The borrowed incubator's a forced air one, and it's been steady at 100* (assuming the thermometer's accurate...) but I had the eggs under the fan the whole time *face palm* Could that have made the eggs a little cooler, and add yet more time? No idea how the humidity's been--the incubator didn't come with a hygrometer, and I haven't been able to justify purchasing one for just one use (a really bright flashlight and a heating pad can be used for non-chicken related things, of course).

Lessons learned:

Don't be so picky that a broody has to wait nearly a month for fertile eggs (counterpoint--if I don't want chicks (

), Frieda will quit by herself if she has no chicks after 5ish weeks).

If the eggs a broody has been sitting on are cold at 7:30 am, that's the time to start searching for an incubator, not after coming home from work (candling before lock down, I'm pretty sure all but 1 quit after being abandoned so long, but I left them in, in case I was wrong). But hey, if this happens again, I now have a heating pad and can set up something like Beekissed's natural nest incubator.

If eggs are abandoned, bring them into the house and out of dog reach.

Tell the younger daughter that I'm not sure when the chicks will hatch

and certainly don't label the calendar in the kitchen. Keeping track on my phone calendar is fine.

Venting here is better than venting to my not-really-into-chickens-but-supportive-because-I-am husband.

Ties into the pickiness lesson--don't announce that I'm getting a specific type of egg for my broody before the eggs are on their way, especially since I'm aware that I've always had a chronic case of badtimingitis

I'm sorry it's been such a rough brood - I hope your daughter (any you) get a few chicks. And thank you for sharing - I learn so much from the lessons of others here.

Well, I was about to ask if anyone had Creme Legbar chicks, but am now a bit freaked out by the cocci info on the last page! My four-year-old daughter has requested blue eggs. I think the crested legbars are adorable, but we are fairly new chicken keepers and appreciate hearty birds. What would you say are the best blue egg layers, and do you have any? My husband doesn't love the beard on the Ameraucanas, but he may have to get over it. I prefer hatching eggs, although in the case of the legbars I would want a few female chicks.

I am also on the hunt for Swedish Flower Hens and possibly Svart Honas. I'm looking for genetic diversity, "bio-security", heartiness, and general friendliness.

We are in Nevada City but will travel for healthy eggs or chicks. We are regularly in the Central Valley and Bay Area to visit family. Thanks!

My 2 Cream Legbar girls are quite healthy; they were very friendly as chicks and are close to the top of the pecking order in my layer flock. They are great foragers and I love those little crests.

Our closest one is in May, but the county one is in the middle of August. I never go to that one!
I have Swedish Flower hen eggs in the incubator right now....34 of them, but only 1/2 the chicks that hatch will be mine. They are not from my hens though. I also have some CCLs juveniles, but I am up the other way near Chico..

Who did you get the SFH from?

Pics from yesterdays hatch so exciting my first ever hatch



The box of fluf

Congrats! And welcome to the addiction!

Really, girls?

Really?!?

Awesome!

Wow! Brinsea has already shipped my thermometers!!!!! I'm impressed!

I have had great experiences with Brinsea.

 

[RooJi]

Could a showgirl rooster mate with an orp hen?

 

[TheKeeper]

Could a showgirl rooster mate with an orp hen?

Yep. I have a showgirl x jubilee orp growing out right now (hatched egg from @chiqita). Thought it was a boy but now not so sure...

On the right (next to an OEGB of mixed color, excuse the poo on the perch)

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Concord Feed remains the WORST place to deal with. Called this morning to verify that they had Calf-Manna before asking my sister to pick some up on her lunch break since she works out in Dublin. They said yes. She gets here, and they point her to a bag of Calf Balance, a totally different product with an entirely different purpose (milk replacer vs. grain-based supplement) and made by an entirely different company. What is WRONG with that place?

I guess I should just be glad I didn't drive all the way out there based on that call.

 

[RooJi]

Yep. I have a showgirl x jubilee orp growing out right now (hatched egg from @chiqita). Thought it was a boy but now not so sure...

On the right (next to an OEGB of mixed color, excuse the poo on the perch)

Cute chicks!! Thanks for the help!

 

[PetRock]

Concord Feed remains the WORST place to deal with. Called this morning to verify that they had Calf-Manna before asking my sister to pick some up on her lunch break since she works out in Dublin. They said yes. She gets here, and they point her to a bag of Calf Balance, a totally different product with an entirely different purpose (milk replacer vs. grain-based supplement) and made by an entirely different company. What is WRONG with that place?

I guess I should just be glad I didn't drive all the way out there based on that call.

Their semi-annual sale is Sat. 20% off everything. My DH hates going there because there is almost always some mess up. He would rather pick up feed from Scott's Valley Feed than go to Concord Feed. So, Monet and I will be going without him on Sat. Their feed is slightly higher in price than Scott's Valley but the 20% off makes it worth it.