San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

[Phage]

I have hatched eggs from Trader Joe's and whole foods....

 

[DonaldFan]

Hi guys.... I am taking a big hit financially.

To start.... I need to downsize my Large fowl flock.

Would any one be interested in some Wellies. They are just about a year old and laying very well. I have two roos Id be willing to part with as well as about half my hens. I want to keep one roo and and four or five hens. I havent taken inventory yet so I dont know how many I have

Id be willing to trade for some Silky or Silky cross hens clean legged Bantams just as long as they are dark. I have two silky roos and one Araucana roo that need girls. Right now they have Wellie hens.

I am going to the meetup in June....

deb

I'm sorry to hear that, Deb. We've been hit by financial issues a time or two ourselves just this year already. We find ourselves lucky to have the chickens and ducks because we can sell the eggs and some birds for some extra cash. I hope you get the same kind of good luck (not my bad). Would buy from you myself but need to cut back, too. In this case, just plain running out of room

 

[perchie.girl]

WFF I just sent you a PM.... I sent one yesterday but it got lost in Cyberspace.... I guess.

deb

 

[momuv4qtz]

Ack! No I didn't know that. I have a hard enough time eating eggs at all,. I don't think I'm going to be able to eat the eggs from my girls unless they're in a cake, or something. My neighbors can't wait to eat them, so they won't go to waste.

 

[momuv4qtz]

Well, it's official. I'm very bummed, but my buff Polish is a rooster. He's funny- if my husband makes the crowing noise, he answers. They went back and forth for a while before I made him stop- I'm sure the neighborhood doesn't think it's as funny as he does! Does anyone want to adopt him? I'm willing to drop him off- I just want him to go to a good home. Since I'm a newbie, I'm not allowed to post pics, I guess. I can email anyone a picture that is interested. Thanks!

 

[Corimckee]

Sorry about your boy=( I am kinda falling in love with the rooster we have. I really don't need him but he is a golden polish and so funny.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Well, it's official.  I'm very bummed, but my buff Polish is a rooster.  He's funny- if my husband makes the crowing noise, he answers.  They went back and forth for a while before I made him stop- I'm sure the neighborhood doesn't think it's as funny as he does!  Does anyone want to adopt him?  I'm willing to drop him off- I just want him to go to a good home.  Since I'm a newbie, I'm not allowed to post pics, I guess.  I can email anyone a picture that is interested.  Thanks!

I'm sure if you brought him to the meet up on the 8th someone would take him. Flashy birds usually get placed.

 

[vannaHaines]

I am seriously tempted to rip out the artificial EasyTurf that I have installed in my backyard and instead replace it with flagstone or something of the like. My thinking is that I could space it together close enough to where digging between the stones wouldn't be worth it to the peeps, but far enough apart where I could grow clover, grass or some other type of greenery between them for nibbling. I'm not sure if it would be a worthy endeavor though. I'm just tired of the fake grass. Yes, it's green, but I think I want something more functional....

Thoughts? What do ya'll do for your gardens/lawns/landscape that is chicken friendly but also sort of chicken proof?

 

[Chubby Cheekers]

I don't know what to do! My brooding hen has been sitting on her 8 eggs for 7 days (two were 100% fertile and maybe two more THEY are brown not sure). I went in there to candle her eggs tonight to make sure and my little girl had added 10 NOT fertile eggs under her. She was sitting on 18 eggs! One of the FOR SURE fertile egg broke and there is a big mess all over her eggs and her straw. I added fresh stray on top of the mess and took out the eggs that I was sure were not fertile so now I think only one is fertile and then I have in there some of the darker brown eggs Tomorrow I am going to take her out and clean everything. Can I wash the eggs with water? Should I use something else?

Now I don't know if I should just get some one day old chicks or if I should turn on my incubator and get some fertile eggs? I am sorry I am rambling on. I was just going to let her do her thing. We bought all our chicks this spring and they are now "teenagers".

I was hoping she would hatch 2 and then just be a cute mommy? Will these babies be healthy? They are covered with yuck!! HELP.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I don't know what to do! My brooding hen has been sitting on her 8 eggs for 7 days (two were 100% fertile and maybe two more THEY are brown not sure). I went in there to candle her eggs tonight to make sure and my little girl had added 10 NOT fertile eggs under her. She was sitting on 18 eggs! One of the FOR SURE fertile egg broke and there is a big mess all over her eggs and her straw. I added fresh stray on top of the mess and took out the eggs that I was sure were not fertile so now I think only one is fertile and then I have in there some of the darker brown eggs Tomorrow I am going to take her out and clean everything. Can I wash the eggs with water? Should I use something else? Now I don't know if I should just get some one day old chicks or if I should turn on my incubator and get some fertile eggs? I am sorry I am rambling on. I was just going to let her do her thing. We bought all our chicks this spring and they are now "teenagers". I was hoping she would hatch 2 and then just be a cute mommy? Will these babies be healthy? They are covered with yuck!! HELP.

Chickens DO sometimes break their eggs by accident in their nest. I'd wipe off as much gunk as possible, put fresh bedding down, and let her sit. If they're not fertile they just won't hatch and she'll stop sitting on them. I'd put the fertile egg and the two dark ones under her, remove the others. Make sure you have food and water right in front of her so she doesn't have to get off the nest. I put my broodies in a dog crate and attach feed cups to the front inside. I take mine out twice a day to let them stretch, take a quick dirt bath, poop, etc...I let them do what they need to do and lock them back up after they've returned to their crate. I have a mama with one chick. I put three under her... one was a dud and one died just before hatching. It'll be okay. Let us know how it goes. ETA: Don't wet the eggs. Just pick off what you can.