California-Southern

[Sylvester017]

Hi, popping in to share my experience.
I have had Blue Laced Red Wyandottes and Blue Copper Marans, as well as a variety of blue barnyard mixes, not necessarily from those breeds. I have not experienced any health problems with this wide ranging group, and certainly nothing focused on blues in general. In general I would say my blues have been thrifty and vigorous. And pretty too.
To the point of the discussion above, none of them have been white layers.

Yep, the key is "white egg layers" but I've spoken with another breeder who said Blue's in dog breeding had issues. The issues with Blue chickens compounded by being a white egg layer with the genetic slow feathering issue might all be coincidental.


FYI - BYC is changing its format and may be "off-line" in a "read-only" format for a few days while in transition. Meanwhile, if BYCers are in withdrawal and still need to talk on-line BackyardHerds.com invited them to join for the few days while BYC is in transition. I probably will just wait until BYC is back in full swing and not bother with BYH. There's more info about the transition on the BYC thread BYC Software Conversion.

 

[Skalabs]

I've been looking at the Royal Rooster and Rugged Ranch feeders and waterers. Anyone using these or similar products?

 

[sjango]

Skalabs, I'm not familiar with either product, but I'm also interested in installing clean water systems and reliable sturdy feeders. Does anyone have any brands they recommend?

 

[Amelia Egghart]

I'm using the Peck O Matic feeder right now. Seemed ok during the rain yesterday. But they still spill feed so it's not living up to what it promised.

 

[SewCluck]

Hi SewCluck,
I also live in Yucaipa.  Where did you get your chicks? It looks like a very nice assortment.  I have 8 light brahmas (2 roosters even though we bought what was supposed to be hens) and am getting between 4 and 6 eggs everyday.

Hi 1quilter! Wow! That's a good number of eggs! We drove around to 3 feed stores, but the one in Calimesa had almost all of the breeds we wanted. That was our last stop. Lol.
We went to WW feed store in Hemet, Cherry Valley feed and All Seasons in Calimesa.

 

[JShubin]

Hi JShubin - my sister's last name is Shubin too!

On the chickenforum.com I spoke with someone who brought up the issue of Blue being a difficult color to breed for hardiness even in the dog breeding world.

On the Breda thread there's been discussions about the hardiness of breeding this rare breed, whether it's fertility problems, hatching problems, or mortality issues and @chicken danz posted the following about a possible issue causing lack of hardiness. Don't know what color eggs your breeds lay but I thought I would pass on this info. chicken danz has had a lot of years experience raising different chicken breeds and at least 7 years with Breda. I believe chicken danz found a weak link within their own line of breeders that they can weed out. I hope chicken danz doesn't mind my reference but breeding issues concern all owners.

"There's been some talk on here about how easily Breda's die or get ill. I have had a few problems myself and haven't been able to figure out what has gone wrong when they would get sick or weak and be in a pen with other breeds of birds who aren't affected or become ill. I was doing some research and found a link between white egg laying breeds and a slow feathering gene that results in the bird getting a form of avian leukosis. This reduces it's health and makes it more susceptible to disease like Mareks or colds or other viruses or problems. I have seen what appear to be perfectly healthy chicks go down and die in a couple days. I think this must be the cause. So those of us that do raise and try to keep this rare breed going need to be sure and breed only with birds that show good health. Not all of the birds will have this but a good number will.
It so explains so many sicknesses and or deaths that came on suddenly when other young birds were fine."

Wow small world... its a pretty rare last name... I am guessing she married a Russian Molokan descendant?

Sounds like bad husbandry somewhere up the line. Probably intensive inbreeding or poor selection of broodstock. I think rare breeds suffer from poor health because people are prone to breeding only to the same type...

IMO if you want to keep a line strong you have to add outside blood that compliments the original breed, but different enough to not breed the same defects. Then breed back to original with hybrids. Keeping things pure too long is bad husbandry and detrimental to the breed. IMO ;-)

 

[DarlingMommy]

I'm in Riverside/Woodcrest, and we have a rapidly growing flock of chicks and just yesterday our first duck! We are starting over since moving down from Reno.

Would love to meet other people in the area!

Hi Norco people!!!!

 

[OCeggs23]

I've been looking at the Royal Rooster and Rugged Ranch feeders and waterers. Anyone using these or similar products?

I don't have those but definitely considered buying them. Then I wandered into the "Feeding at Watering Your Flock" section of the forums and got some great DIY tips.

For water I bought a 5 gal. bucket from Home Depot. I then bought a package of horizontal chicken water nipples from Amazon. Screwed the nipples into the bucket and voila! All done. Under $15. Placed it on a wood platform we had (they recommend the nipples be shoulder height to the chickens) and the chickens took to it very easily. I'm really happy with it since now they can't get their water all dirty and the 5 gallons means I won't have to refill as often.

For a feeder I bought some PVC piping at Home Depot and followed more DIY advice. I think all those pieces were closer to $20 when said and done. But the feeder holds a ton of food and they can't dump it out on the ground anymore.

Definitely check out that section before you drop $100 on the feeder/waterer!

 

[JShubin]

I don't have those but definitely considered buying them.

Then I wandered into the "Feeding at Watering Your Flock" section of the forums and got some great DIY tips.

For water I bought a 5 gal. bucket from Home Depot. I then bought a package of horizontal chicken water nipples from Amazon. Screwed the nipples into the bucket and voila! All done. Under $15. Placed it on a wood platform we had (they recommend the nipples be shoulder height to the chickens) and the chickens took to it very easily. I'm really happy with it since now they can't get their water all dirty and the 5 gallons means I won't have to refill as often.

For a feeder I bought some PVC piping at Home Depot and followed more DIY advice. I think all those pieces were closer to $20 when said and done. But the feeder holds a ton of food and they can't dump it out on the ground anymore.

Definitely check out that section before you drop $100 on the feeder/waterer!

I water twice a day, about 30 cups... it would be nice to have automatic system or water nipples like that.

Did you get the nipples from Home Depot also?

 

[JShubin]

I'm in Riverside/Woodcrest, and we have a rapidly growing flock of chicks and just yesterday our first duck! We are starting over since moving down from Reno.

Would love to meet other people in the area!

Hi Norco people!!!!

Hello from Norco. Welcome to Southern California... get ready its going to be hot summer.