- Oct 18, 2013
- 2
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Hullo!
I am brand new to fowl-raising! I just moved to Oakland, CA (Jingletown neighborhood), and while I've been dreaming about fresh eggs for a long time, it's never seemed like the right moment.
Well, two days ago, I was walking my dogs and saw two chickens being stalked by a few members of our neighborhood feral cat colony. Putting my dignity aside, I spent the next twenty minutes chasing those birds, and in the end was only successful at capturing one of them. After a little investigation, it appeared that they had come from a Uhaul moving box with some poked holes and full of chicken waste, that seemed to have been ditched right off the freeway off-ramp!
So, I am now in possession of a chicken that is living in our bathroom. I've been feeding her some "good seed" bread, which can't continue because it's about 25 cents a slice, though she seems to love it. She's super docile, hasn't minded eating out of my hand or snuggling down on my lap, and she's pretty curious.
We're working on building a pen and a coop (with the dogs, feral cats and possums we've seen, she can't be truly free range unfortunately), but I'm wondering what to do next?
Can anyone help me identify what breed she might be?
Any advice on Oakland or Berkeley local resources (feed stores, places where we could acquire her some sisters, a livestock vet)?
Can I do anything on my own to check if she's healthy?
Any other things I should be considering?
Thanks, happy to join this community.
I am brand new to fowl-raising! I just moved to Oakland, CA (Jingletown neighborhood), and while I've been dreaming about fresh eggs for a long time, it's never seemed like the right moment.
Well, two days ago, I was walking my dogs and saw two chickens being stalked by a few members of our neighborhood feral cat colony. Putting my dignity aside, I spent the next twenty minutes chasing those birds, and in the end was only successful at capturing one of them. After a little investigation, it appeared that they had come from a Uhaul moving box with some poked holes and full of chicken waste, that seemed to have been ditched right off the freeway off-ramp!
So, I am now in possession of a chicken that is living in our bathroom. I've been feeding her some "good seed" bread, which can't continue because it's about 25 cents a slice, though she seems to love it. She's super docile, hasn't minded eating out of my hand or snuggling down on my lap, and she's pretty curious.
We're working on building a pen and a coop (with the dogs, feral cats and possums we've seen, she can't be truly free range unfortunately), but I'm wondering what to do next?
Can anyone help me identify what breed she might be?
Any advice on Oakland or Berkeley local resources (feed stores, places where we could acquire her some sisters, a livestock vet)?
Can I do anything on my own to check if she's healthy?
Any other things I should be considering?
Thanks, happy to join this community.
and Welcome to BYC! Lucky hen that you saw and caught her. Check out The Learning Center for basic chicken information. X2 she looks like a red sex link.
