California-Southern

[rides2far]

I checked with our local PO branch & I will have to drive to a specific branch. Before chicks ship, I will contact them. I would love it if they would deliver to my address! We live in a rural area & our mail carrier is a great gal. She would love delivering peeps

 

[estamets]

I checked with our local PO branch & I will have to drive to a specific branch. Before chicks ship, I will contact them. I would love it if they would deliver to my address! We live in a rural area & our mail carrier is a great gal. She would love delivering peeps

They told me I'd have to come in, too. Either way , that peeping box is REALLY exciting!!!

 

[rides2far]

It's ridiculous how much I've spent on this chicken house & run. After looking at some of the fancy coops on BYC, I've painted, bought egg signs, antique pictures, etc. I'm going through my 2nd childhood!

 

[Sylvester017]

Thanks for the welcome! It's been a long time for chickens, so I'm a newbie. I ordered 2 of each: barred Hollands, Easter eggers, Wyandottes, buff orpingtons, Australopes, Welsummers, Delawares, light Brahmas, & red sex links. I should have a lot of variety & colors in my flock! After we've finished our cool & run I'll post some pics. My husband has done an amazing job

Now you've got my curiosity peaked about your coop. When you can - please post pics on the BYC "post your chicken coop pictures here" thread!!! Our current coop is almost 4 years old and made out of crumbling OSB board so it needs replacing. Living in hot sunny SoCalif I had to forget all the beautiful Amish enclosed-style coops in lieu of a more open airy-style assemble-it-yourself barn coop from chickencondos.com that wasn't made out of OSB board or flimsy chicken poultry wire. We were going to have our contractor build us a new coop but after seeing the easy-to-assemble/disassemble ChickenCondos Barn Coop with predator-proof metal skirting we think we're going to go with them. I'm a senior and need something easy to assemble but still strong after it's put together.

I hope your Barred Hollands turn out laying white eggs for you. Some said they were getting cream to tinted from theirs. Hollands are getting to be a rarity. They have the rare Lamona in their history. A lot of people have stopped breeding them because of waning popularity and because of immunity problems and sitting on hauches from lack of diverse breeding stock. I was looking for non-hatchery Holland breeders last year and couldn't find anyone left still selling them. Only a few select hatcheries offer them but I couldn't find private breeders. If I get room to add another LF that's barred/cuckoo it will be a Dom. I've had barred Cuckoo Marans, BRs and Doms and like the smaller feed-efficient gentle Doms.

Like EEs, Ameraucanas, Araucanas, Houdans, Sultans, Silkies, and Brahmas, Hollands reportedly have a non-combative personality. The Wyans, Orps, 'Lorps, Wellies, Dellies, & 'Links will be more assertive top-of-the-pecking-order girls. It's so wonderful that you have them all in pairs! Alike breeds tend to pal around together. I've learned to stay away from the assertive Mediterranean breeds (Legs, Buttercup, Ancona, Andalusian, Spanish, Catalan, etc) since they wreaked havoc on my gentle breeds. I adore Leghorns but sadly had to remove them from my gentle flock. My folks raised Babcock Leghorns so it was hard for me to re-home my beloved Legs. I used to have a diverse egg basket but weeded down my breeds to non-combative only - no huge white or chocolate egg-layers left but I now have a peaceful group of hens. By Spring 2015 I will have 2 Silkies, 2 APA Ameraucanas, and 1 Breda - peaceful breeds. They have pecking order status but no excessive drama or injuries.

I really want to add a brown-egg Dom to the mix but want to see how well I can manage 5 hens before going to 6. With CRD being an issue with nearly every flock in the U.S. - about 98% - I want to make sure I can manage CRD before having too many birds to treat. Yes, CRD (Mycoplasma S & G) according to my vet is a latent chronic respiratory disease (CRD) that flares up in chickens during times of stress (molting, brooding, egg-laying, extreme temp changes, etc) and I have one Silkie that has symptoms every winter. The other hens are exposed to CRD MS/MG but have been immune to manifestations. I'm just so happy that with my vet's help I don't have to euthanize my little flock just because they carry it. There's no CRD cure but it can be managed. Large breeders will cull weaker birds that manifest symptoms to keep it from spreading through their pens but backyarders don't have to euthanize their little flock if controlled. Wild birds bring every kind of bacteria/parasite to the yard and there's no way avoiding the little pests. Because of health preventative maintenance (worming, lice/mite, CRD treatments) about 1/4 of our yearly egg production is withheld from eating but I use those eggs to boil and feed back to the hens for extra protein rather than just throwing away the eggs.

Keep us posted on your stories. I love hearing other experiences!

 

[rides2far]

I ordered my chicks from Ideal, so I'm aware they will be hatchery quality & I'm ok with that. Thank you for the added info on the Barred Hollands. I knew they were a breed that was 'endangered.' I ordered 2 of each in case I get a rooster or one of the chicks dies. I guess it's a little like Noah's Ark! Hopefully they will all survive. I will posts pics of the coop when we're done & I'll report to BYC the color of the eggs

 

[estamets]

I ordered my chicks from Ideal, so I'm aware they will be hatchery quality & I'm ok with that. Thank you for the added info on the Barred Hollands. I knew they were a breed that was 'endangered.' I ordered 2 of each in case I get a rooster or one of the chicks dies. I guess it's a little like Noah's Ark! Hopefully they will all survive. I will posts pics of the coop when we're done & I'll report to BYC the color of the eggs

Right on! Hatchery birds are fine for us backyard flock owners who want pretty eggs and good pets.

I've never even HEARD of Hollands. Something new to research!

 

[estamets]

Now you've got my curiosity peaked about your coop.  When you can - please post pics on the BYC "post your chicken coop pictures here" thread!!!  Our current coop is almost 4 years old and made out of crumbling OSB board so it needs replacing.  Living in hot sunny SoCalif I had to forget all the beautiful Amish enclosed-style coops

I'm happy with my open-air coop! I'll post pics again soon. This recent rain has thrown a bit of a wrench in the works , though, and I'm starting to brainstorm on a good removal rain cover for the run.

 

[estamets]

This is our run- the original iteration and the subsequent extension (3 nesting boxes below and 6' of roosting space above).

 

[rides2far]

Yes, here in the hot hot Central Valley, those enclosed coops would become baking ovens! I'm probably going to put a barn fan in the coop for those 100+ days we have

 

[perchie.girl]

Yes, here in the hot hot Central Valley, those enclosed coops would become baking ovens! I'm probably going to put a barn fan in the coop for those 100+ days we have

Same goes for here in the high desert. They only need wind protection and a good roof. even when it storms or snows.... The only thing that really needs protection is the feeders. that can be done with a feeder hut.... either an A frame or a three sided dog house setup.

I put the waterers in the shade so the water isnt a hundred bizillian degrees.

Fans aolne work for horses and animals that sweat. Or to pump hot air out and draw cooler air in. But for chickens a mister should be added to chill the air down a bit.

For my poultry house (not built yet) I have plans for a swamp cooler. On days that run 100 + I have about three on my property in various stages of disrepair. I should be able to take one and cobble it back to working order out of the others. Swamp coolers or evabporative collers work best in areas that are not sealed completely.... Gives the moisture a chance to get out. But the process will bring temps down by ten to fifteen degrees depending on how dry it is.

I am planning on a space in that coop for me to sit and tinker on projects and enjoy my birds all at the same time.

deb