Colorado

[Dinochick]

I am in Fruita, outside Grand Junction. We started a Facebook group for chicken owners on the Western Slope if anyone is interested or would like to share your experiences:

Western Slope Poultry Support Group
http://www.facebook.com/groups/352238491479280/

 

[wsmith]

I have been reading this site for a month and just today thought to look at the Where Am I link - apparently there are lots of Colorado residents here, I started on page one and after reading 10 pages and realizing the posts were three years old still, I looked at the last page. <gulp> 707 pages?! Wow!

I am in Pueblo, and have a RIR that started laying three weeks ago, a Blue Cochin the same age who has not started yet (I bought them a week before the RIR laid her first egg) and 5 ~3 month old Speckled Sussex pullets (not day-olds when I bought them, so I'm a bit unsure exactly how old they are). I had chickens years ago, then went 10 years without, and am thrilled to have them again, although there are many days I feel I've forgotten everything I ever knew

. I have plenty of room (42 acres) but plenty of predators. I would like to think I will eventually have more, maybe enough to sell a few eggs and chicks, but for now I'm happy and thoroughly enjoying watching my girls.

With the State Fair starting in a week, I am hoping to spend a day visiting the livestock barns and seeing what people have on display. I will probably try to go opening day, as I work from home on Fridays and usually not the whole day. If I could, I would work from home every day!

I'm happy to know there are so many chicken lovers and keepers in the state!

Welcome to the Colorado Thread!

 

[wsmith]

A beautiful day ahead for doing projects! Got to do a couple of things on the hen house, then find three used tires, two for the durango and one for my oldest sons birthday present. Then back home for more small projects.

Beth has had a hard week, breathing is difficult, and she had to deal with a kidney stone attack. She's felling better now. Chemo for her on Monday!

 

[kmatt87]

I have been reading this site for a month and just today thought to look at the Where Am I link - apparently there are lots of Colorado residents here, I started on page one and after reading 10 pages and realizing the posts were three years old still, I looked at the last page. <gulp> 707 pages?! Wow!

I am in Pueblo, and have a RIR that started laying three weeks ago, a Blue Cochin the same age who has not started yet (I bought them a week before the RIR laid her first egg) and 5 ~3 month old Speckled Sussex pullets (not day-olds when I bought them, so I'm a bit unsure exactly how old they are). I had chickens years ago, then went 10 years without, and am thrilled to have them again, although there are many days I feel I've forgotten everything I ever knew

. I have plenty of room (42 acres) but plenty of predators. I would like to think I will eventually have more, maybe enough to sell a few eggs and chicks, but for now I'm happy and thoroughly enjoying watching my girls.

With the State Fair starting in a week, I am hoping to spend a day visiting the livestock barns and seeing what people have on display. I will probably try to go opening day, as I work from home on Fridays and usually not the whole day. If I could, I would work from home every day!

I'm happy to know there are so many chicken lovers and keepers in the state!

welcome to the group!

 

[kmatt87]

i think i'm going to have to clip some wings today. I've caught boots, my speckled sussex, perched on the top of my 6 ft tall fence, more than once. We have neighbors with dogs, cats and babied gardens all around us. I hope it doesn't stress them out too much. Batman (black sexed link) and Dora (california white) have been laying consistently for 3 wks now.
Has anyone else had to clip wings yet or before?

 

[OwensMom]

HI Kmat87 I clip flight feathers regularly on the young chickens. The girls don't like it but it does them no harm. I find that if they never know that they can fly, they are more manageable

 

[Minchi]

HI Kmat87 I clip flight feathers regularly on the young chickens. The girls don't like it but it does them no harm. I find that if they never know that they can fly, they are more manageable

I am not looking forward to this, last night I keep the girls out only a few min too long and Menchi started jumping as high as the top of the door and attacking it with her feet. We also have dogs next door to us and I do not want her to realize that she can jump the fence.

 

[dennarahl]

I am not looking forward to this, last night I keep the girls out only a few min too long and Menchi started jumping as high as the top of the door and attacking it with her feet.  We also have dogs next door to us and I do not want her to realize that she can jump the fence.

Its not hard at all. We grab them at bedtime, while its still light out but they've all went to roost. Then I hold them and spread out one wing and my husband uses the scissors. We can do all 20 birds in about 10-15 minutes.

 

[wsmith]

Today I purchased the e-book version of Mark Fields' book, "the American Dominique". Mark is my new Dominique Hero! At only $24, it sure beat the $600 price tag on the print version. Filled with anecdotes and other awesome information about the breed, it gave me insight into the breed and its breeding that I was not aware of before. I am SO excited to study it more fully, even though I took the last 3 hours to skim through the entire thing..........

I now know that #17 cockerel will be culled from the flock, no question or doubt. And my choices for the cockerels in the meat pen were correct. The hard thing will be to determine which hens will go to the breeding pens next spring. Lots of evaluation to do.

I also found out that I need to mix my scratch to 1/2 cracked corn, and 1/2 wheat. Apparently this is the best mix for the breed according to the old time breeders. (1850-1970)

 

[Mtn Margie]

Wsmith, hope this week goes better for Beth!

I am thinking a predator got two of my girls today, one very old girl and one that had struggled with a broken leg? or other injury that had left her with a bum leg. I guess that is that. Nothing like splitting wood with the splitter and not being able to hear stuff going on!!! Amazing how it only took the weak ones though, really like they were making a Nature show.