California - Northern

[Wishing4Wings]

Thought I'd share a few photos of recent events.

For the first time in over 10 years, wild turkeys are daring to come into the yard. (Maybe they are attracted to the chickens, which are new this year?) Guess I've been getting on the dogs too much for aggressive behavior toward the chickens, so now they are reluctant to chase the turkeys. This mama brings 4 chicks in the evening to clean up under the bird feeders, and then roosts in the pines right near the house. If they start destroying the veggie garden up in back, though, the dogs will get free rein.



My younger son and I went to Yosemite with the Sonoma County Astronomical Society to provide viewing to park visitors for two evenings. Here is my sweetie getting things set up at Glacier Point before darkness falls. People were really excited to see Saturn with its beautiful rings. The view of the valley is fantastic by moonlight!



We hiked out to Taft Point which has a great view of the valley. Over that little railing is a 2000' drop straight down to the valley floor. Can you say vertigo?

We had fun, but were glad to get home to see everyone and the chickens. My little guy particularly likes the chickens. His first question to Dad over the phone was "Has anyone else started laying?" (His BYC name is Mustacheio, so you might see him around!)


Here's the best reward! The 4 are from today, dark is from the SLW, pale from BO, green from EE, and light brown from NH. All of the eggs are still small, except for the really large one that was the NH's first. Looks like we need to start eating them, but they're so cute!


Good night everyone!

 

[Papa Brooder]

Hey all, wow, busy thread as always! i was thinking about the grass and I wonder if you do a larger version of the bin with chicken seed like some of us got to see at the chickenstock at cheryl's. If you were able to put something light with some hardware cloth or something over that rested a few inches off the ground you could move it around and protect the roots but still give them something to peck at. I'm still trying to figure how to do something like that in my breeding pens, based on the tub design from the chickenstock

 

[Papa Brooder]

BTW, thanks for all the tips on how long to wait after separating the breeds. I think I will start hatching in about 2 weeks and I just won't sell any chicks until I am sure that they are pure, but I can't resist putting them in the incubator. I don't have a scale but they legbar eggs are so much bigger than the EE and SFHs

 

[Papa Brooder]

I can't count the quail chicks, but based on the shells I'm at around 26 hatched. I plan to raise some to keep for eggs (such fast turn around time) and eat some. I hatched/raised some bobwhite quail. I'm planning to process them as soon as I get time. They take too long, they mature and start to lay at around 5 mos. They've just start to lay, so the boys will go first and I'll process the girls last. Their eggs are much smaller than the coturnix and white.

My kids saw some quail when I went to buy some feed the other day and they won't stop asking me to hatch them! I am brooding my own poultry maniacs!!

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

I'm in Northern California!

Welcome to the thread!

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

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Wow, Congratulations! Is he a Campine?

 

[debs_flock]

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Wow, Congratulations! Is he a Campine?

Thanks, yes, I have Goldens and Silvers.

Deb

 

[ronott1]

Is there anyone in my area with an incubator they would be willing to finish some eggs for me? Here's my situation....this has been the year of the broody for me and what I've learned is that within about 24 hours of chicks hatching mom stops setting the rest of the eggs and I always have lots of fully developed chicks, 6 that I opened last time, that never hatched because mom was too busy to finish them.

I'm thinking that I could take the remaining eggs and put them in the incubator and let them finish. My EE chicken shouldn't be so much a problem since no one laid extra eggs in her pile after she started setting but my Polish has been letting the other 3 hens add to her eggs and I just candled 7 (a fraction of whats under her) and ALL of them were developing but clearly a good 5 days apart! I'm going to move her box and block it off from the others tomorrow (tried to block it today but they made it in because there's no eggs in the other boxes) but I feel so bad knowing that these darn eggs are developing but she won't sit an additional 5 days once all these chicks start to hatch.

Anyone with experience with broodies? I know a lot of you hatch with incubators but what do you think about my idea of finishing them? I had an incubator but sold it after one hatch because I couldn't keep my nose out of it! Way too stressful.....but now I wish I still had it.

So on a good note.....those Polish roos are doing their job!
I do have someone who had a broody so if she's still at it I could put them under her.....who knows, in the next couple weeks, I could have another broody!

I live too far to get them to me. I don't have any broodies yet but I have a couple of Dorking and dorking x Americauna crosses that may go broodie.

Even though it is nerve Wracking, Your best bet would probably be to pick up an incubator. You probably do not need a large one, so maybe a mini advance would work.

I am hoping for the best!

Ron

 

[ronott1]

Good morning all. For us it is going to be hot today! I have two misters out and set up with a time. They come on at 1:00 but I can only get four hours out of the time. When I get home from work, I set for a couple more hours set on manual. The forecast says it will cool down soon.

I hope all of our chickens are ok.

Ron

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Thanks Ron....I am going to San Francisco for a gift show and Dr's appt on Monday. If I don't find someone closer would you consider taking on some Polish eggs? I candled about 8 last night (can't remember if I posted this here) and I have eggs developing from about 24 hrs to 5 days! If I can find a local broody or an incubator I know a lot of those newer eggs won't finish. I hate that I let that happen! Better get out there and separate them before they add anymore. I'll check Craigslist for a incubator....I'd want a better one then the little giant I got last time.

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