Colorado

[warbirds]

Hi Everybody! Sorry to be a bit slow in posting this, I've been suffering through an eye infection and haven't been able to read the computer screen for a couple of weeks!

The next Brighton bird swap/sale is this weekend, May 13. Hubby will be there with a large selection of our birds. Treat yourself (or someone else!) to some beautiful poultry for Mother's Day!

For those of you interested in hatching eggs, he can haul those to the sale..............saves the abuse from the postal system and the eggs will be fresher! I'll take orders for those up to Friday. Available right now, since the Sportsman is crammed full: light sussex (you can choose American and/or Australian lines), red sussex, buff sussex, silver sussex, coronation sussex, Breda, Isbar, Swedish Flower Hen, Buttercup, American lavender Orpington, 75% English blue Orpington, imported Gold Laced Orpington. Some of these will be limited, so get your order in early!

Birds of breeding age that will be available:
LF Blue Cochin trio 6 months old, 2 trios of 75% English Blue Orpington 10 months old, several breeding age cockerels and pullets in light and red sussex (can be sold in pairs, trios, quads), a single Isbar rooster, a few extra Sultans, and of course lots of layers and meat birds. Also, as our daughter is moving to big city life, our grandson has his entire flock of bantam gold-laced and black cochins for sale.
If interested in any of these, I suggest getting there early early.............alternatively you are more than welcome to pay in advance to reserve your choices.

We can also provide chicks in many breeds. I am not sure of how many of each of these will be available as I have a big hatch happening right now! If interested, contact me for numbers and further info, as I won't send chicks unless there are definite orders. Available:
Breda
Isbar
Swedish Flower Hen
Sultan
select Sussex varieties in small numbers
These range in age from a few days by sale time to 6-8 weeks.

The next Brighton sale will be July 8, meaning now is a good time to put in your orders for birds to be delivered then.

Our Imported Orpington reservation list is full up to August , so you may want to consider putting in orders for those soon!

Thanks for reading! Hope we can fill some of your poultry desires! Please visit our website for more information.

 

[ruralmom]

I am still coming to Denver this weekend and have 70ish Golden comets chicks for sale. they have wing feathers and their breasts are feathered out. They will still need heat lamps at night. They will start laying in fall. I really like this breed for they are friendly and lay throught the winter. If anyone interested give me a pm.

 

[wsmith]

Final hatch number is 10 Dominiques, and it looks like we have 4 pullets and 6 cockerels. This morning they were playing king of the feeder.....

Next week we get the hatchery chicks.

 

[wattsjadajoe]

Final hatch number is 10 Dominiques, and it looks like we have 4 pullets and 6 cockerels. This morning they were playing king of the feeder.....

Next week we get the hatchery chicks.

Congrats!!!

I have my 15 pullets in the brooder now.

Joe

 

[wsmith]

Nice! What breeds do you have in the brooder?

 

[ryan820]

Ok guys...got my auto door in. I have to say, I love it. It was super easy to install and since it spent onto an existing coop, it's small size was perfect.

Here are some pics

Preinstallation

I had to fashion a special part since my coop is technically a coop and run together. But you can see it went onto the main door that I can still use to clean the run and refill the feeders.

Why do kids always want to yank on things? She did but thankfully, no harm done. I guess she was really testing to see if this thing would do ok in our Colorado wind.

I got the solar panel with it to power the battery. Glad I did. I have power to the coop but serious, this coop is now fully automated. How so?

Food... Three 4inch PVC pipe feeders keep the birds fed well over a week

Water... I have a three gallon bucket hanging inside the run with water nipples. It is filled to the brim every day by our garden's irrigation system. It doesn't overflowed because I put a float switch on it.

Protection... Well, the auto door. It is also seasonally adjusted as I got it with a light sensor. It opens when the sun rises and closes when it sets.

The only thing not automated is the egg collection! But that's why I have a nice neighbor who's willing to check on the flock and collect the eggs, which he can keep, of course. His boys like chasing the chickens, too...grrrr nah it's ok, it's important for a flock to know a little fear! I've built a dang fortress for them as this coop and run is inside am 8 foot run that surrounds a 50 by 30 garden! S they have loads of room (and even more room in the winter when they can get into the garden) so they don't have much to worry about these days, except for aerial assault from hawks and owls, but we've not had any issues with that. I plan on putting netting over their area soon to ward off those types of attacks.

So what do you guys think? Any tips on automated egg collection? I should mention, I love my flock. Even with all this automation I'm out there all the time chilling with my peeps. I just like that I don't have to go out when it's cold, dark or wet.

The main garden not yet growing because it's too freaking cold!!!!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

That is so cool...Now you have me thinking.

 

[wattsjadajoe]

Nice! What breeds do you have in the brooder?

5 Welsummers
5 Orpingtons
5 Wyandottes

Joe

 

[wsmith]

Ryan: Very nice. Still thinking about one of those solar powered doors.

Joe: COOL!

 

[Smarcebird]

Hey all!

Looking for integrating babies advice. Have 4, 7 wk old RIR, fully feathered - introducing to 8 year old ladies.

Here is what I've been doing for the past few days: Bring the babies out in the a.m., put in a circle of wire inside the run, let them all out when I get home from work to free range together, bring babies back in at night. Free ranging is ok, only the two bottom-of-the-pecking-order adults mess with them, just a little chasing.

This morning I left the fencing up a bit, so the babies could get out, but adults couldn't get in. Checked before I left for work and they were out in the run, but getting chased/pecked incessantly! No blood, but put them back in safety for the day anyway.

Should I just suck it up and put them in the coop with the big girls and watch in the a.m.? Should I wait longer? I expect some pecking, just worried about leaving for the day. Also getting tired of moving them back and forth every day!

Just can't decide - any advice appreciated - our first baby introduction.

Thank you!