Sierra Mountains-Gold Country-Foothills

[sherylreno]

everyone. Sorry I was off this week. I had family fly in from Florida to visit and I also had ducklings hatch as well.

I didn't do a very good hatch rate at all. I had the hardest time getting my humidity up to where it needed. But I did get 2 ducklings and I'm starting again right away. I'm collecting eggs as we speak.

Here's my new additions though:

This is Mo, short for Mohawk because he was born with one.



And this is Harmony.

 

[gryeyes]

Awwwwwww. They are SO precious!

 

[SethsArk]

So where do you guys get your chicks? I looked at Lee's Feed in Shingle Springs and online at Meyers but it seems that the hatching schedules are all weeks apart for the breeds that I want. Is there any way to get the ones I want all at the same time? I was hoping to get 1 of each: Ameraucana, Australorp, Easter Eggers, Orpington, Plymouth Rock and a Rhode Island Red. There isn't too much rhyme or reason of why I chose those breeds - they all appear to be good layers, get along with other chickens and are friendly to people. Any thoughts or suggestions or advice?

Hi-
I just stopped at Lee's Feed today and they can order you birds so you get them all the same week. But they don't have what I'm looking for so I thought I'd drop in on your thread and see if any of you are interested in splitting a shipment of Freedom Rangers? The minimum order is 25 chicks and I really dont want that many.

Sorry for the butt-in-
Cristal

 

[harbisgirl]

Hi Cristal,

Not butting in at all ! I was hoping to get feedback from as many people in our area as possible I went to Lee's too, but they didn't have what I wanted either. I'm actually going to go to the feed store on Bradshaw tomorrow to see what they have. But if they don't have what I want then I just might take you up on that offer I only want 6 or so. I was hoping to get one of each : Ameraucana, Australorp, Easter Eggers, Orpington, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island

I went to a little feed store on Placerville Drive, Clifton & Warren. They've been there forever so I thought that had to be around for so long for a reason. No..very dissappointing. Their supplies were minimal and their chicks were just so pitiful. They only had one kind, I forget which breed. They only had around a dozen or so and there were little dead ones in there. I know the mortality rate is high in chicks and they can't be held accountable for a few dead chicks, but dude - take the carcases out of the box. There was a tiny little girl who was all upset, it was just not a good feeling in that place.

 

[SethsArk]

I was at Clifton Warren yesterday. Not knowing where they kept the chicks I figured I'd follow my ears... but no sound! My son knew where they are usually kept, all they had were Barred Rock, and they were totally silent. That was just too weird for me. I've never seen silent chicks before. On the other hand, most of the feed stores get their stock end of the week, so they might have just been wiped out of stock, hence the lack of selection.

Also, I wasn't very clear on the splitting of the order. Freedom Rangers are only bred by one hatchery, and they only sell Freedom Rangers. But come to think of it, i think JM carries those too, so it's possible we could mix breeds in the shipment. I will check later today

 

[philter4]

Hello everyone, I am sort of new to chickens but not to birds or animals. I have been reading posts here for quite a while but just recently joined so I'm new to the forums. I spend a lot of time here in Placerville, although most of my animals are in FL because of permit laws. Here I have a few hens for eggs but I raise some pheasants and both grey and cylon jungle fowl, and I just sent my vulturine and Reichenow's guinea fowl to FL. Neither one bred last year and with the weather I am afraid they wont breed again this year. I also have some mammals here like mouflon and wild goats, but the pair of goats I have now are twins that were orphaned at 4 days old (the ewe started bleeding and by the time I got my vet on the phone she was down and didn't make it) so the twins are little darlings and love people, the exact opposite of the parents.

I would love to get to know what everyone else is keeping, are you guys all chicken keepers? Do any of you guys keep other types of birds? I love wild type birds the best but I also would love to get some phoenix or other long tailed breeds.

 

[SethsArk]

Welcome-
I have an assortment of egg layers, a breeding pair of Black Copper French Marans, and do raise meat birds in good weather. I'm just getting into the dairy goats and sheep this spring - that will be a whole new ballgame.

You must spend a lot of time in Florida to have animals there too. Is that hard to have them in 2 separated areas? The pheonix are beautiful!

 

[harbisgirl]

I got an email back from Connie at Bradshaws Feed - todays shipment will include all of the breeds I wanted but she said that they sell out of Americaunas and Australorps within 15-20 minutes She said I'd have to get there at 8:30 am to get them. Since I get to work at 6:30 am - and I carpool so I can't even take an early lunch to go get them - I guess I'm out of luck. They sell chicks until October so maybe once chick fever dies down I'll have a better chance ...

 

[gryeyes]

As wonderful as Bradshaw feed is - I love that place and the employees! - those are really Easter Eggers, not Ameraucanas.

But the Wellies have been very nice birds. So are the Cuckoo Marans, also dark egg layers.

Oh, crud! It IS delivery day and I'm stopping there for feed on my way home from work today. Auugh!

 

[philter4]

I have a couple of question, as I mentioned, I am new to the forum and chickens so with that said, doesn't everyone here worry about disease when buying from a bulk supplier and/or a feed store? I have never purchased my birds (or other animals for that matter) from a store where animals come in and out in bulk. I am not saying anything bad about these places, just that I don't know enough to make an informed decision, what are everyone else's thoughts? Am I being paranoid? Does everyone quarantine the new birds? I have a quarantine building for my imported and new animals, is that what I people do for all of their new chicks or birds?