Bay Area BYCers!

[UrAlly]

Hello Other Bay Area Cluck Ploppers. I am up on Skyline Blvd with the gusty weather or blazing hot sun coming from the Pacific Ocean at me here at 20 Paw & Claw Farm. Elevation 2,000 feet. Looking on a map we are above the Fioli Estate and on the coast line the Ritz Carlton. Trees are Redwoods and some oaks. We adopted our hens from a lovely family with tons of petting to the hens who are moving to Colorado. AND we are adding to the group with our first order from Murray McMurray. Currently have two 3yo Ameraucanas (one lays blue, one lays beige'ish green) about 4 a week. And our Cuckoo Maran laid dark brown daily. She was nabbed by the local wildlife after a latch change failure on her 21st day with us! Devastated by our failure to protect. Now have electrical fence for the night around their area, a sensor light, and double locking on each entry. We made a traveling run for daily outings around the property. Next will be building an 8'x8'x6'H run to accommodate the existing ladies and add our new group in the next coming months. May 9th, 2016 we get 16 chicks (3 breeds) and are keeping 9+1 to start. One Golden Polish ($10) is still available for adoption - details if you are interested. We have already placed the other 5. We intend to raise our 10 chicks through the first 5-6 months and then put up for adoption another 2 or 3 at that time. Keeping out group to a total of 10 for a while.

Will share more as we start to raise the chicks in coming weeks - but looking forward to hearing all your input.

 

[Honora]

Hello BYC folks. I live in Fremont and am considering adopting a couple of rescue chickens. I would love it if I could visit someone in Fremont or Union City to see what is involved with keeping backyard chickens. If you can help me I guess you use the mail here.

Thanks!

I live in Santa Clara which might be too far for you but you are welcome to come by here if you want.

 

[Honora]

Hello Other Bay Area Cluck Ploppers. I am up on Skyline Blvd with the gusty weather or blazing hot sun coming from the Pacific Ocean at me here at 20 Paw & Claw Farm. Elevation 2,000 feet. Looking on a map we are above the Fioli Estate and on the coast line the Ritz Carlton. Trees are Redwoods and some oaks. We adopted our hens from a lovely family with tons of petting to the hens who are moving to Colorado. AND we adding to the group with our first order from Murray McMurray. Currently have two 3yo Ameraucanas (one lays blue, one lays beige'ish green) about 4 a week. And our Cuckoo Maran laid dark brown daily. She was nabbed by the local wildlife after a latch change failure on her 21st day with us! Devastated by our failure to protect. Now have electrical fence for the night around their area, a sensor light, and double locking on each entry. We made a traveling run for daily outings around the property. Next will be building an 8'x8'x6'H run to accommodate the existing ladies and add our new group in the next coming months. May 9th, 2016 we get 16 chicks (3 breeds) and are keeping 9 to start. One Cuckoo Maran ($12) and one Golden Polish ($10) are still available for adoption - details if you are interested. We have already placed the other 4. We intend to raise all 9 and put up for adoption another 2 or 3 after 3-4 months. Keeping out group to 8 total for a while.

Will share more as we start to raise the chicks in coming weeks - but looking forward to hearing all your input.

Sounds like a lovely place! Welcome.

 

[UrAlly]

I am finding it pretty easy to start. Cost is mostly in prep for us as we have to have protection for them at all times. They can't walk freely in the backyard due to Hawks, Eagles, owls above where we are. But we did make them a roaming pen with netting so they get to free range without knowing they are within a safety net.

You are welcome to come visit if you are interested in a trip towards Half Moon Bay, we are above the area on the mountain.

We thought about going rescue but, then realized we won't know how old, no eggs, and really were not ready for vet bills.

 

[Poop Cleaner]

I am finding it pretty easy to start. Cost is mostly in prep for us as we have to have protection for them at all times. They can't walk freely in the backyard due to Hawks, Eagles, owls above where we are. But we did make them a roaming pen with netting so they get to free range without knowing they are within a safety net.

You are welcome to come visit if you are interested in a trip towards Half Moon Bay, we are above the area on the mountain.

We thought about going rescue but, then realized we won't know how old, no eggs, and really were not ready for vet bills.

What kind of electric fencing did you get? I am just starting to look into a set up here. What is needed? Could you tell ne how much you spent? Is there a lot of maintenance needed?

 

[UrAlly]

Premier1 has the fencing that is highly recommended by the Chicken Experts in Ben Lomand (near Santa Cruz). After an extensive chat with a couple of the experts we knew they were very knowledgeable. Premier1 has a lot of supplies. We ordered from them and they delivered quickly.

Price depends on how long and high you want to cover. We went with 3 feet as mainly trying to keep daytime animals from taking them and I stay with them if they are accessible from the air but it keeps our dogs away. And for nighttime it's just an extra coverage.

 

[richcluck]

Hey all!
I have access to a free small pre-made coop, waiting for my wife to give her permission for us to keep chickens. Since we're close to neighbors and in Richmond, I want to keep quiet pullets only for pets and laying. My first thought is to get a few bantams, with a standard size bird that's less broody to keep my other furry pets in check when the birds are out in the yard. Also, I need to make a larger run around the smaller coop so the ladies can stretch their legs when the family isn't home. Finally I'm thinking about making a small tractor to rotate the birds around sections of the yard, so nothing gets overworked by them. Any advice is appreciated, especially on how to convince my wife that we should keep birds in the first place!

 

[Honora]

Hey all!
I have access to a free small pre-made coop, waiting for my wife to give her permission for us to keep chickens. Since we're close to neighbors and in Richmond, I want to keep quiet pullets only for pets and laying. My first thought is to get a few bantams, with a standard size bird that's less broody to keep my other furry pets in check when the birds are out in the yard. Also, I need to make a larger run around the smaller coop so the ladies can stretch their legs when the family isn't home. Finally I'm thinking about making a small tractor to rotate the birds around sections of the yard, so nothing gets overworked by them. Any advice is appreciated, especially on how to convince my wife that we should keep birds in the first place!

No advice really but have a look around the site; there is so much information here. Good luck; you will love having chickens! Tell your wife how much better the eggs taste from your own hens!

 

[tgooberbutt]

Hi All,
I've been quietly stocking the thread for a while, and finally jumped in with a post here. My broody recently hatched out 12 dominique eggs from Nantahala Farms in North Carolina. The chicks hatched between 4/20 and 4/22. Six are bantam doms, the six are regular doms. I did not expect all twelve eggs to hatch, but they did, and here I am way overrun with chickens. They are doms, so they are sexable now, and it looks like I have five boys that will need to be re-homed.... anyone in the area want a few super-cute baby dominique, to-be roosters? Dom roosters are known to be very fierce defenders of their hens!

They've all been kept indoors in the brooder and isolated from the yard. Merek's vaccine administered on 4/24, and they've been on corrid medicated water and organic chick starter from Modesto Milling since 4/22. I'm willing to deliver the roosters if you're interested, just let me know. I want them to have good long-term homes. Thanks!

 

[jeremy]

Hey all!
I have access to a free small pre-made coop, waiting for my wife to give her permission for us to keep chickens. Since we're close to neighbors and in Richmond, I want to keep quiet pullets only for pets and laying. My first thought is to get a few bantams, with a standard size bird that's less broody to keep my other furry pets in check when the birds are out in the yard. Also, I need to make a larger run around the smaller coop so the ladies can stretch their legs when the family isn't home. Finally I'm thinking about making a small tractor to rotate the birds around sections of the yard, so nothing gets overworked by them. Any advice is appreciated, especially on how to convince my wife that we should keep birds in the first place!

Your ideas sound spot on, so you're starting at a good place.

As for "quiet" birds, I've found some breeds to be calmer than others, but the degree of "excitedness" varies from bird to bird. Some of my sweet, gentle bantam hens can get LOUD when they're needing to lay. I would say that overall bantam roosters are louder than LF, but only because they seem to be more vocal than bigger guys... they've got that small man complex.

I'd suggest Orpingtons, Cochins, Silkies, Easter Eggers and Olive Eggers. I've had good luck with these breeds in the past.