Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[penelopebianchi]

Hi there! I have "Mille-fleur" bantams here in Santa Barbara, for 12 years; and I had the same breed in Pasadena for 8 years before that! this started 20 years ago!

I adore chickens.....these have "feathers on their feet!"

I saw them at my client's house (I am a decorator); and he was a race-horse trainer. He was training in Del Mar (we were in Pasadena, three hours away!) And my "curtain lady" (she makes my curtains for all my clients)

found some "Mille-fleur bantam chicks" at a feed store near Del Mar (San Diego) I called Eddie and said......I need you to go the feed store and pick me out some chickens!

(they were a month old)

He said: "Sure, but how am I going to get them to Pasadena?"

I said; "you are going to send them in a taxi!"

Dead silence. He finally says. "you are serious".

They arrived the next day in a cardboard box in the back seat of a taxi from San Diego. The little cuties. I asked the cab driver (my whole household was taking pictures!) What do I owe you? He said, "Mr Gregson told me to tell you that he's taking care of it. He will be telling this story for the rest of his life"!!!

I do know it was three hours each way. I think the chickens were maybe a dollar each (there were 4 girls and a boy) And you have to pay the taxi to go back! I have no idea the bill!

Nothing maybe in my life; (obvious exception children and grandchildren) has created as much total joy in my life! Our rescue dogs respect our chickens!

We have roosters, we hatch chicks!

This is my website.......(I am selling nothing) www.mccormickinteriors.com (not advertising....anything...but the best story on my blog about a hen who insisted on nesting outside of her coop!) It is in the "blog section" and titled "hatched in the wild!" People can learn from that story!!!

And there is heartbreak. A bobcat killed one of our hens.....and 12:30 in the afternoon! Two days ago! We had not lost one in months! A kestrel got one, a Cooper's Hawk got one (they free range during the day...and we have so much cover!) and then the bobcat. Changing the schedules!

so I am letting them out for short times....and when I am there. Between hawks and the bobcat....we lost 4 in 3 months. Boo Hoo! We still have 11!

Penelope

 

[penelopebianchi]

Oh dear!

I meant to ask you!

We had coccidiosis in August. We now have 7 hens. We got one egg.....(so sad....only hard on one side) and then, another......weak on one side....but edible !
Did the medicine for the Coccidiosis make them not lay?

Our flock is predominately the ones who hatched over the summer.

Don't know anything about why no eggs. We are in Southern California....it is cold at night......but never freezing!

Thank you for your help!

ps I live next door to Oprah; and she likes the eggs I give over the fence! HELP!!!

 

[ajlynco]

I have an area 15'X50' that's just dirt right now. I'm going to be setting up my coop/run and a couple of raised garden beds in this area as well as letting my chooks free range in the afternoons. I'd like to plant something here that the girls can forage on. I don't care about looks, it's a hidden area and it gets lots of sunshine. Living in Reno, NV. we're in a high desert environment so water is a concern. I also need something that's going to grow well THIS year as opposed to waiting until next year for a full bloom. Any ideas OTs?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Quote:
I've never had adults affected by Coccidia.

Soft eggs happen once in a while.

Cold normally won't affect laying, at least not in So. Cal.
Short daylength is the primary cause of no eggs. Increasing daylength (a sign of spring) means rebirth to all animals.
After that look for other things like: molting, parasites, poor nutrition, stress and age of birds.

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Kool story Penelope. I had a pen full of Mille Fleur DeUccles at one time. Cute little guys. I had trouble keeping up with their breeding habits. I went from a trio to probably 30-40 of them in a little over a year. Finally gave them all to a young couple that were just setting up a farm. had to make room for my Asil program. Welcome to the thread........Pop

 

[gardendufus]

OK here I go showing my ignorance. I am about to get my first chicks in February. I expect to get only 6 chicks (yes I understand chicken math). I would LIKE, if at all possible to avoid the 'brooder' portion of raising them, since these will be my only chicks for several years. My neighbor tells me that if I also get a hen, I can make her go broody and set on the chicks.

1. Is this really possible?
2. How would it be done, and is it something in common practice (ie: not cruel, mean, etc).
3. Would I need to get the hen enough earlier than the chicks to let her get used to the coop/environment before I bring the chicks in?

It's an interesting concept and since My coop is 8 X 10, I sure have plenty of extra room for the extra hen.

 

[babymakes6]

You cannot "force" a hen to go broody. Some breeds are prone to being broody, others are not. My Orpingtons are good broodies, as are Silkies. However, they will go broody when the urge strikes them, not when I decide I need one to be broody. Hope this helps.

It really is not hard to brood chicks-all you really need is a large box (cardboard is even okay), some bedding (I use shavings), and a heat lamp, along with food and water.

 

[galanie]

Quote:
x2 No matter what people will tell you, they go broody when the hormones strike them. And my orps are great broodys. Silkies have a real reputation for broodiness, more than any other breed!

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

We have always had chickens. In January 2012 I will be 48. So almost a half century with poultry. Started with exhibition or Standard bred in 1977. Joined the American Poultry Association in 1982 and became an Endowment Trust Life Member #195 in 1991. Orpingtons has always been a priority. Got our first Orpingtons in 1978. Been in love ever since!

Best advise is pick a breed you like the type and size of, with qualities you like. Pick a color in that breed. Then breed as many as you can and cull heavy. An old timer once said a good chicken breeder loves chicken soup. Even a backyard flock needs to attempt to breed to the Standard of Perfection. Too many sacrifice production for show. One of my mentors was J. Ralph Brazelton. Ralph had the top exhibition Buff Orpingtons around, yet his hens produced 200+ eggs per year. He culled anything that layed less.

You can find me on the Orpington threads, the turkey threads and elsewhere.

Jim

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Your neighbor is grosley misinformed. Hens get broody when nature tell them to and not when we want them to. A hen that isn`t broody is dangerous to chicks. Your desire to bypass brooding your chicks may be well intended, but it is not possible. Now, some folks have been successfull putting 1-3 day old chicks under a hen that has been broody for a while, but in your case, you are putting the cart before the horse. If you happen to have a broody hen, you can certainly try to put chicks under her. She may take them, or she may reject them. It`s a crap shoot and close supervision is a must. Good luck........Pop