Colorado

[farmerlor]

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Those girlies are wonderful!!! Best chickens I've ever, ever had. So sweet natured and tame and docile. Haven't started laying yet but that's okay, they're young and we're in no hurry. My daughter "owns" them and will be showing some this year at the fair. When we got them she was studying weather at school so the chickens are named Lightning, Thunder, Cloudy and Stormy. The new roo will be named Tornado and I'm hoping to get another hen or two who will be Cyclone and Hurricane. Possibly baby names have been bandied about as Sunny, Rainy and Rainbow. (sigh) I told her we could get a real sad one and call it Tropical Depression but she's only eight and didn't get the joke.

We are so happy they are working out! We love the names, we were thinking along the same line of names ourselves. Which fair will they be at? We would love to come see them at the fair....joe/melinda

We'll be at the Elbert county fair for sure. If we win we may go to a couple others and possibly the stock show. I want to get the turkeys out there and do some networking but I'll have to drag Anni and her Cochins with me everywhere I go so they'll be entered too.

 

[farmerlor]

<-------Anni and the aforementioned Thunder.

 

[Wifezilla]

Do you think that cold blast was cold enough, long enough to kill the pine beetles? I remember hearing a couple of years ago that they needed something below zero for so many hours or days and that would literally explode the pine beetle larvae that were living under the bark of the trees.

Wow. I never heard that, but it really would be awesome wouldn't it? I hate those evil little things. They ruined a lot of trees in my neighborhood.

Someone who planned to come by to get a few dozen eggs this week can't come because of the snow. I know this is a long shot (especially on THIS board!) but does anybody near SE of Denver need eating eggs? PM me.

I have a friend IN Denver that would love eggs, but she doesn't drive. You don't have any plans to be near the intersection of i-25 and Colorado any time soon, do you?​

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Wifezilla: PMd you.

 

[ColoradoGirl42]

Howdy, everyone. Sure glad I found this thread.

I live in Salida and am looking forward to FINALLY having my own chicks next spring. Looking for advice on breeds that do well here in our high, dry mountain area (8000 feet, only 11 inches of precipitation per year in the valley), and looking to make contacts with other chicken-crazy people in the area who might be interested in swapping chicken-sitting duties. I'll be honest: I really want pets who lay eggs; not interested in growing chicks to eat. Thanks for your ideas!

 

[farmerlor]

Welcome! We're at 6800 feet and the only trouble we've had with altitude and/or cold affecting our chickens was when we had Cornish X chickens but since you're not raising meaties you shouldn't have a problem with almost any bird. My Easter Eggers were very hardy and pretty consistent with laying eggs in the cold. Buff Orps are supposed to be very cold hardy and certainly ours were still laying if just a little less often when the days got shorter. Right now we have Cochins, which are supposed to be VERY cold hardy. Ours haven't started laying yet because they're still young but any day now....
Sorry, can't help you with the chicken sitting duties as you're at the other end of the world from us.

 

[ColoradoGirl42]

Thanks! I saw your earlier post about having chicks that are very tame and sweet -- those were the Cochins? I've read about the Orpingtons, and they sound great, too. Never heard of Easter Eggers! I look forward to researching THAT!

I've been reading the threads about cold, esp. the one initiated by the person from Alaska, so I'm not *too* worried. But we're having -20 degrees nights lately, and I have a hard time leaving any critter outside in that. Heck, I even feel bad for the coyotes.

 

[coloradochick]

Hiya CG42

Welcome to the world of chickens and every other kind of poultry!!

 

[Coopa Cabana]

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Salida's a great little town. I went to school over the hill at WSC, but that was YEARS ago. My sis and her family are still in Gunnison. I don't remember hearing of anyone else on this thread currently down by you that can help with chicken-sitting, but there's always folks 'lurking"!

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

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Welcome! I just started my chicken experience about eight months ago. I started out with Easter Eggers. They've done awesome and they are all *finally* laying. I definantly recommend having some EEs in your flock, especially since you're just getting started.

I'm trying a few other breeds now (picking them up next week); Austrolorp, Light Brahma, Speckled Sussex and a Silver Spangled Hamburg. They're all suppost to do well in the cold, so you might want to look into those breeds too.

Good luck choosing! And beware the Chicken Math!!