California-Southern

[KensingtonHens]

from wet San Diego!

 

[Auscal]

Hi All,

Just joined and wanted to introduce myself. I'm in Agua Dulce - located a little north of Los Angeles, between Valencia & Antelope Valley. I have no chickens yet, but, I'm making plans for spring. I'm wonderinng how to find local breeders, rather than ordering from hatcheries.

 

[Lotsapaints]

What are you looking for I'm proud to be an enabler

 

[NoseyChickens]

I'd be happy to enable as well, I'm not all that far away.

 

[wolftracks]

My name is Kim and yes I am an enabler!

You'll find just about anything on this forum.

 

[Auscal]

Thank you for the welcomes.

Since you asked what I'm looking for.... I am still researching and having quite decided yet, but, what I'm looking for is:

*Heat Tolerant. It's very hot and dry here in summer, and even the winters are mild - only below freezing maybe 5-10 nights a year.

*Temperament must be gentle, calm, preferable social - not flighty at all

*Prefer a smaller hen - ideally a mature weight of around 5 1/2 lbs (definitely not bantams though)

*Good to very good egg layer (don't care about egg color)

*A fairly traditional look - no beards, muff, or leg feathering etc

*I am open to all feather coloring.

My main problem seems to be finding birds that combine the smaller size with a calm temperament.

Orpingtons seem a little large for what I'm after, but, the leghorns and "European" breeds seem to have flighty temperaments. I think I will have to look at up to 6.5lbs, So far I am looking at some red sex-links (many years ago I had some ISA Browns), New Hampshire reds, Australorp (including Austra White if I can find them), Welsummer, RIR, Barred Rock & Delaware. I was considering Wyandottes, but, visually, I prefer the single comb. I'm trying to keep my options open, depending on what becomes available for me. I am only looking at starting with 4-6 birds (of 2 or 3 varieties), so, ordering from hatcheries seems fairly costly (because of shipping) for such a small number.

I'm not set on raising day old chicks, bu, I really want to have tame chickens, so, I may have to just do this. (Unless I can buy older pullets that have had lots of handling

I'm open to suggestions!.

 

[Lotsapaints]

I raise New Hampshires and Delawares and always have pullets for sale and have some now that are not a year old laying very well and they are light weights so 6lbs or so Dels and NH have pretty social temperaments I don't handle them extra and they are so friendly the heat and cold don't seem to bother them. I have Partridge Rocks and they are good layers in the heat too just not as calm.

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
I have Games and talk about heat tolerant. They don't lay huge eggs but decent sized and they are very sweet birds. Smaller birds and very pretty.

I will be hatching a lot of them as soon as eggs start up again. I don't have lights, but the roosters are up at 4am again, so only a matter of time.

I will also have black, blue, lavender and silver Ameraucanas this spring. I know you don't like the muffs and stuff, but I also have Faverolles.

Too bad you don't like leg feathering because I have some really nice FBCMs. But they are no way small. lol

 

[Desert Rooster]

it's snowing

 

[baustin]

It's snowing here also. The desert is beautiful.