California - Northern

[dldolan]

It just dawned on me last night that Blue Mille Fleur X Blue Mille Fleur should act like any other blue crossing. So I checked the Kiplinger Chicken genetic calculator, and sure enough, BMF X BMF = 50% BMF, 25% MF and 25% Splash MF. Thus, the two blond babies I have are perhaps Splash Mille Fleur?! How cool is that?


Lucy has one Mottled, (under her peeking out), one BMF, and three MF (dark red/brown, light red and chipmunk!)
However, where did Ms. Chipmunk chick come from? Must be a deviation from MF?


Ethel has one mottled, two MF (one dark red/brown, one pale red), and two blondie Splash MF? OR could the darker of the two blonds be a pale BMF??

 

[dldolan]

HI tommysgirl!
I'm in Healdsburg. I was saving eggs from my Bantam Calico/Mille Fleur trio to do a test hatch when both gals went broody! I ordered some eggs as I wanted some other Blue Mille Fleur females, (an mottled for my niece as her first show bird) and also took the best four eggs from my MF gal. 3/4 hatched, so Ricky, who is a Blue Mille Fleur, is doing his job! They are just 8 months old, so I am pleased. He will be stunning when he hits a year old, I think.
Lucy is an incomplete Mille Fleur, but with nice type. Ethel is a Calico, but I didn't hatch eggs from her.




Lucy



Ethel

 

[AmyPaperlady]

Quote:

We might just have to see... I think it's safe to say that Frieda won't still be broody by then, though.

Sheesh, I hope I've gotten eggs for her long before then, anyway!

My Tom isn't too sure that feeding chicks until they're old enough to lay is worth it, so I don't really see him being willing to pay for eggs and shipping (he saw right through my mentioning that eggs are less expensive--he was the one that pointed out that we'd have no idea whether the eggs contained boys or girls, and that we'd have to wait longer for eggs). Maybe I can buy someone at or just past POL for his birthday, which is in November

Then again, the quarantine coop isn't really designed for the rainy season--though the garage has been emptied out quite a bit... Still no natural light or air circulation in there, though.

 

[tommysgirl]

Precious! Exciting about the color possibilities too.

It just dawned on me last night that Blue Mille Fleur X Blue Mille Fleur should act like any other blue crossing. So I checked the Kiplinger Chicken genetic calculator, and sure enough, BMF X BMF = 50% BMF, 25% MF and 25% Splash MF. Thus, the two blond babies I have are perhaps Splash Mille Fleur?! How cool is that?


Lucy has one Mottled, (under her peeking out), one BMF, and three MF (dark red/brown, light red and chipmunk!)
However, where did Ms. Chipmunk chick come from? Must be a deviation from MF?


Ethel has one mottled, two MF (one dark red/brown, one pale red), and two blondie Splash MF? OR could the darker of the two blonds be a pale BMF??

 

[tommysgirl]

HI tommysgirl!
I'm in Healdsburg. I was saving eggs from my Bantam Calico/Mille Fleur trio to do a test hatch when both gals went broody! I ordered some eggs as I wanted some other Blue Mille Fleur females, (an mottled for my niece as her first show bird) and also took the best four eggs from my MF gal. 3/4 hatched, so Ricky, who is a Blue Mille Fleur, is doing his job! They are just 8 months old, so I am pleased. He will be stunning when he hits a year old, I think.
Lucy is an incomplete Mille Fleur, but with nice type. Ethel is a Calico, but I didn't hatch eggs from her.




Lucy



Ethel

He is a looker! I know nothing about SOP but think the colors the feathered legs and the shape are beautiful! Where did you get your hatching eggs?

 

[ronott1]

Mil Valley Chickens is in Marin they buy sexed chicks from a hatchery...I think MM but am not sure. They re-sell them as chicks and as started pullets.

Do you know of any Australorp breeders in Northern California? There used to be a gal locally who bred them but she no longer has LF the last time I talked to her about it she was getting into bantam ALs. I am not in the market to replace my AL girls. They are 2.5 and still laying reliably and one os one of my best broodies but at some point I would like to. Of course for color's sake I can always replace the with Langshans from @PetRock but it would be more fun to have both.


@ronott1 and @Happy Chooks I am still holding out hope for the chick in the broken egg. There was no blood and I did seal it as best as I could with candle wax. If it is dead in there it will start stinking pretty quickly won't it? No odor so far.

Was the person:

Quote: You never know how long it takes for smell with them at this stage.

candle again at lockdown and maybe check on day 19 and 20 if there are no pips. Look for a beak in the air sack.

 

[tommysgirl]

Was the person:

You never know how long it takes for smell with them at this stage.

candle again at lockdown and maybe check on day 19 and 20 if there are no pips. Look for a beak in the air sack.

The women in that household are Kylie and Cindy so I don't think so. They live in Kelseyville. Did you ever hear back from Susie?

 

[ronott1]

The women in that household are Kylie and Cindy so I don't think so. They live in Kelseyville. Did you ever hear back from Susie?

Yes I did hear back from her. She had Australorps but needed to set up a pen for them.

I bought some hatching eggs from Hupp Farms instead.

 

[Audio51]

Quote: LOL!!!! I think I just decided definitley NOT to call her that...

Quote: Yes...you definitley will be able to find just about anything here!

Quote: I tooks some pics of the feet and am not seeing feathers on the 3rd toes......

Quote: LOL!!! Love that name too!

I want a showgirl. I just don't have enough room in my flock for all the birds that I want.

It's like having kids. You just do it. If we all wait until we are "ready" or "have room" we will never do it all. (Did I do my job as an enabler well enough there.....

)

Getting some pullets with combs pinking up nicely who are answering back when my older girls sing egg songs... when I go back out I'm going to test them out and see if anyone squats for me. I see many more eggs in my future!

First eggs from birds you've brooded are so freaking exciting.

I think my EEs and Marans, despite being older than the ones who are pinking up and singing, are going to take a bit longer. I expected that with colored eggs, though.

I have some EE/possible OE at about the same point. Can't wait for that first egg from them!

Congratulations to Kim (@capayvalleychick )! Walt posted on another thread that she won at the Heirloom Expo.

Quote: Congratulations on the win!!!!

Congrats.....Kim!!!

I'd just like to say how awesome @chiqita is.
She is one of the most helpful people I've met. And always thinks the best of everyone.
She's like a walking Wikipedia (only tons more accurate). For instance : cats need a diet with a great source of taurine. They would die without it. Hearts and livers are a good source of this. If your cat is picky about their food, theirs a good chance it's lacking taurine.
Also, the common garden snail is not native to the US, but originated in the Mediterranean .
Just really cool tidbits
Now I don't have all her knowledge quoted perfectly, so I may have led you astray with this info.
But I always walk away telling my family this really cool information.
She teaches me how to process quail, and I've started more projects because of her vast knowledge.
She makes everything so intriguing that you have to try it once (she would make a fortune as a salesman).
But most of all she has the biggest heart. And when I'm frustrated with someone, she always has perspective with what may be the other persons intentions.
And when my rooster keels over freakishly sudden: she talks me off the ledge until uc Davis can cornfirm severe mite infestation was his demise.
So here's to you Shantih. You are appreciated by more people you know and admired so much. I am Blessed to know you.
And I can say that also goes for the rest of you on here.
This is a thread with the most helpful people with sound judgement. You are all a treasure

Applause...applause!!!! Well done, Kim!!!

Yesterday, Walt Leonard gave a talk at the Santa Rosa, Ca., show about showing birds, how they are judged, as well as feather quality, and conformation. We were able to ask questions, and he replied to each and everyone graciously. It was a great, very interesting, captivating, and educational experience for all who have attended. Thank you, Walt!!

Lual

Great pictures!

I finally have some pictures.
This is an Australorp from Mill Valley Chickens.

This is a shy Welsummer from Pollinate Farm and Garden.
This is a black headed Crested Cream Legbar (CCL) from John Brekken in Loomis.

This is a brown headed Crested Cream Legbar from John Brekken. When I got this one, she didn't bond well with the other CCL and was chased around by the Australorp and Welsummer. So, she flew away on the second day after finding a small space at the top of the run. She was gone, apparently off the property, for a few hours. Then she came back. After a couple of days she bonded with the other CCL.

This is the black headed CCL's original buddy. They both had distinct chipmunk stripes, but this one had a faint white spot on the head. John took back the male and exchanged it for a female of about the same age.

Nice birds!

Quote: My Golden Retriever puppy (now 18 months old) is still not tired of the chickens. Yes...she does prefer chasing the ball, but she loves to run along the outside of the pen when I am out there watching them very closely. When the were able to free ranges she never tried to hurt them and would back off is they approached her though.

Quote: I have some Jumbo Cots. Where are you located?

Just found this thread I'm in the Santa Cruz Mountains, new to chickens, and having a great time.

My first post in the group is a request....

I'm wondering if anyone knows of a breeder who sells coop ready bantams in the area (well, within about 3 hours drive of Santa Cruz)? I have a Silkie that was scalped when I tried to integrate my younger girls with my older girls. The main culprit has been rehomed, but the Silkie is about 4 weeks from ready to re-integrate. The feathers on her head are starting to grow back, and all of her injuries have healed.
I'm thinking that because she is now soooo much smaller than everyone else, she will need an integration buddy or two so she isn't the only new girl in town for the other 10 girls. She is in a cage in the coop with everyone, and has been for a couple of weeks, but I don't trust that she won't get beat up. And of course this gives me an excuse to get another chicken or 2 The Silkie is the only one my husband has actually held and coo'ed to, so I have leverage!!!
Celeste is about 9-10 weeks old, so I'm thinking a 6-12 week old bantam(s) would be best. I'd love a cochin or Millie Fleur d'uccle or some other rare-ish breed, but beggars can't be choosers. The most important quality is docile/friendliness, then ability to be in confinement (I have plenty of room in the coop/run, but lots of predators, so only supervised free range), then pretty or different than the girls I already have. Egg laying is nice, but the humans and animals in the house can only eat 2-2.5 dozen eggs a week and I have 11 chickens so broody or light layers is perfectly fine, heavy layers is fine too, I have a lot of neighbors & friends who would gladly take eggs. I'm in a developed neighborhood, so boys are highly frowned upon (not illegal, but the closest neighbor asked us not to get a roo, and the coop is closer to their house than ours).

Thanks for any and all help, and thanks for all of the great advise I've read so far!!

Welcome to the thread! You are gonna love it here....

Quote:

He's a Large Fowl Spangled/Mottled English Orpington weighing around 12 pounds at 7-8 months old or so. Not quite in the bantam category. he he he ;-)

He is gorgeous! I love mottled chickens...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Papa Brooder

He's a Large Fowl Spangled/Mottled English Orpington weighing around 12 pounds at 7-8 months old or so. Not quite in the bantam category. he he he ;-)

Wow! Very cool and TOTALLY not bantam!

I didn't know Eng Orps came in a Mottled version! I should have known by the non-cochin tail I guess.
I have cochins on the brain since my bantam girls just hatched out two mottled chicks! See below!

So cute!!!!!

 

[tommysgirl]

Yes I did hear back from her. She had Australorps but needed to set up a pen for them.

I bought some hatching eggs from Hupp Farms instead.

To bad the Hupps don't ship eggs any more