California-Southern

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Aruacanas .... I bought an adult male probably about a year old and a point of lay female. When the hen started laying I got six eggs from her then fall set in and she stopped laying. One day in the spring I found her dead in the coop... I didnt buy her for prduction I bought her for her genes.... The intention was to raise up a few for cross breeding.

All I can say about it is next time I get Auracnas I will invest in Hinkle or something simlilar. Though I would rather have Creme Legbars.... I know someone who raises super blue eggers and hope to get some from her.

With regard to assertiveness.... I have No issues with a chicken being a chicken. They push each other around... pull a few feathers on occasion. There IS a reason for pecking order. If I find that there is alot of that going on It is usually because I need to add a feeding station... so no one goes hungry.

There is something to be said for haveing a larger flock... easier to hide in a crowd. My largest flock was about fifty to sixty. My next flock will be close to a hundred.



deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Well you seem to know that raising chickens is really pretty easy. Lots of people make chicken raising much more difficult than it really is. I feed everything here the same food including all the waterfowl. I don't medicate or vaccinate or feed supplements. The birds I keep here live on average 8-12 years and if I sell or give them away they have no problems. Good breeding solves a lot of problems.

Here is an example of an average bird here.



Walt

Walt that is a lovely hen.... Yep Good food I dont feed anything medicated nor supplement with more than leftovers from dinner. and if the feed has bugs in it more protien for the birds.

My Grandpa was a share cropper. Dad taught me just the philosophy. I guess that amounts to paying attention to Good food Good water and good shelter. Grandpa used to brood chicks in a container that had a tin bottom and was filled with blow sand from the desert. Bout three or four inches worth... and he heated with Kerosene lanterns... his own invention.

With the guinea fowl though did use game bird starter Higher protien because they grow FAST. And because they are primarily bug eaters I supplemented their adult feed with catfish chow. But once they were adults they got what everyone gets... flock raiser.

Just like horses when you see a someone tasting someone elses poo.... there is good a reason for that. and it involves flora and fauna in the gut. also helps inoculate for other things.

Same pilosphy for failure to thrive... best to let em pass or cull them.

deb

 

[fowlman01]

Walt that is a lovely hen.... Yep Good food I dont feed anything medicated nor supplement with more than leftovers from dinner. and if the feed has bugs in it more protien for the birds.

My Grandpa was a share cropper. Dad taught me just the philosophy. I guess that amounts to paying attention to Good food Good water and good shelter. Grandpa used to brood chicks in a container that had a tin bottom and was filled with blow sand from the desert. Bout three or four inches worth... and he heated with Kerosene lanterns... his own invention.

With the guinea fowl though did use game bird starter Higher protien because they grow FAST. And because they are primarily bug eaters I supplemented their adult feed with catfish chow. But once they were adults they got what everyone gets... flock raiser.

Just like horses when you see a someone tasting someone elses poo.... there is good a reason for that. and it involves flora and fauna in the gut. also helps inoculate for other things.

Same pilosphy for failure to thrive... best to let em pass or cull them.

deb

I just picked up 20 fifty pound sacks of 20% protein pellets with weevils in it. It was free and the chickens loved it! Free is very good when you are using 100# of feed a day. They ate this feed much faster than the regular feed. lol. I have commercial brooders, but I usually just use a plastic storage box with a 60 watt incandescent light. There is nothing exotic about the way I raise my birds and they do well and thrive. When you have 500 birds you don't usually have time to do all these things I see people doing. My birds are pretty much bullet proof.

Walt

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Wow thats alot.... Good score on the feed. In my case I am ok with doing catfish pellets on occasion. I work from a wheeled walker so I will only have enough oomph to handle about four partitions, three will have the capacity of about twenty birds and one will be able to handle about sixty. With a central area in the middle to handle feeding and watering.

The guineas for me Hopefully will be able to support the rest in the form of hatching eggs and keets,,, I also hope to sell capes for fly tying as well.

my initial goal is to have the poultry self sustaining and work from there. As well as produce eggs and meat for the table.

deb

 

[Sylvester017]

Aruacanas .... I bought an adult male probably about a year old and a point of lay female. When the hen started laying I got six eggs from her then fall set in and she stopped laying. One day in the spring I found her dead in the coop... I didnt buy her for prduction I bought her for her genes.... The intention was to raise up a few for cross breeding.

All I can say about it is next time I get Auracnas I will invest in Hinkle or something simlilar. Though I would rather have Creme Legbars.... I know someone who raises super blue eggers and hope to get some from her.

With regard to assertiveness.... I have No issues with a chicken being a chicken. They push each other around... pull a few feathers on occasion. There IS a reason for pecking order. If I find that there is alot of that going on It is usually because I need to add a feeding station... so no one goes hungry.

There is something to be said for haveing a larger flock... easier to hide in a crowd. My largest flock was about fifty to sixty. My next flock will be close to a hundred.



deb

Oooh - sorry about your Araucana hen. I heard conflicting feedback about their hardiness as well as their productivity. I guess dealing with lethal genes in breeding will give various results.

I agree larger flocks are best because they break up into groups or cliques. On the farm we had 50+ Babcocks and it was easier dealing with just one breed for breed compatibility - had a few BRs, RIRs, Calif Greys, NHRs, Marans, White Legs, Buff Legs, Silkies and Breda. But now in retirement our cottage is zoned for only 5 hens, no roos, so choosing compatible breeds has been a challenge. We made the mistake of mixing docile with aggressive breeds - there definitely are bullies in the chicken world and I mean more assertive temperaments than just the normal pecking order politics. A roo keeps the peace but we aren't zoned for one. But we've sorted the breed compatibility in our backyard finally to our satisfaction.

 

[sol2go]

Well you seem to know that raising chickens is really pretty easy. Lots of people make chicken raising much more difficult than it really is. I feed everything here the same food including all the waterfowl. I don't medicate or vaccinate or feed supplements. The birds I keep here live on average 8-12 years and if I sell or give them away they have no problems. Good breeding solves a lot of problems.

Here is an example of an average bird here.



Walt

haha, there's nothing "average" around your coops!
Hi Walt!

 

[artblueggwanter]

Hello!
I'm in the San Gabriel Valley area!

Oh! San Diego-an's, have any of you ordered from Secret Hills Ranch before?!

My shipment of four came yesterday and sadly one passed, but they were packaged well with Gro-Gel, shavings, and a heatpad!

Sadly one of my coveted French Lavender Marans didn't make it

But considering that the recommended amount is 7-12 chicks and I only ordered four, I'm deeming it successful!

I have a Jill Rees line Cream Legbar, Splash Isbar, and French Lavender Marans that made it!
They are so gorgeous and since I purchased a hatchery Cream Legbar before.. I can definitely see the difference from a well bred one.

My only complaint is that they do not do refunds for orders under 12.. so I have to risk it again and am ordering
a Curtis Hale line Cream Legbar, another Splash Isbar, and a Blue Copper Marans since she won't have anymore French Lavender Marans
for another three weeks..

I hope they all make it this time!

If you have purchased birds from them, do you have adult pictures? Within the San Diego community, they are one of the reputable breeders right?

i have not ordered from there yet but maybe in February I will be getting svart hona from her, I want a trio of svart hona

 

[fowlman01]

haha, there's nothing "average" around your coops!
Hi Walt!

Hi Jane,

note the width of the tail feathers.

w.

 

[evitachu]

Hello! ​
I'm in the San Gabriel Valley area!

Oh! San Diego-an's, have any of you ordered from Secret Hills Ranch before?!

My shipment of four came yesterday and sadly one passed, but they were packaged well with Gro-Gel, shavings, and a heatpad!

Sadly one of my coveted French Lavender Marans didn't make it
But considering that the recommended amount is 7-12 chicks and I only ordered four, I'm deeming it successful!

I have a Jill Rees line Cream Legbar, Splash Isbar, and French Lavender Marans that made it!
They are so gorgeous and since I purchased a hatchery Cream Legbar before.. I can definitely see the difference from a well bred one.

My only complaint is that they do not do refunds for orders under 12.. so I have to risk it again and am ordering
a Curtis Hale line Cream Legbar, another Splash Isbar, and a Blue Copper Marans since she won't have anymore French Lavender Marans
for another three weeks..

I hope they all make it this time!

If you have purchased birds from them, do you have adult pictures? Within the San Diego community, they are one of the reputable breeders right?​  ​​​

Hi! I am in Altadena! Where are you in SGV? Today I met a guy at Wes Feed store in El Monte, he is also from SGV.
I have 2 Black Polish white crested, 2 silver laced Polish, 2 white silkies, 2 blue silkies, 3 buff orpingtons, 1 Brahma.

 

[evitachu]

OK, I want to join too! /img/smilies/frow.gif


I live in Altadena, above Pasadena. I grew up in Covina. Went to school in both Riverside and Fullerton. Worked one summer at the Rialto Airport. Worked two summers in a dental office in Atascadero.


Whenever we drive up the 101 we always stop at Buelton! For the soup, that is. It seems to taste better there then from the can.
/img/smilies/roll.png We seem to always go up the 5 these day though...


We're quite happy in Altadena. We have 3/4 an acre of land and a house that is close to 100 yrs old. I really wish the house was more modern, but we have a basement, and that is cool. We've planted close to 40 fruit trees, and have a whole berry patch. And, oh yes, chickens. The most we've had at one time was 25. We have 9 now, but that will change in about 2 weeks, as we are hoping that our eggs in the bator hatch. Well, we are hoping only some of them hatch - we have about 4 doz in there./img/smilies/ep.gif

Where are you in Altadena?????? I am in Altadena too!!!! I have 12 chickens! PM me please! I'd like to know fellow chicken lovers in my area!