Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Chickielady]

It's been almost a week and the new roo (who we've named Sunny) is still alive and well. He's a mutt... Maran, Cochin and I forget what else. So far he seems to be acting like a rooster should, and he actually crowed this morning for a few minutes.



We tore off the old rotting deck in August, just in time for our contractor to get laid up with a shoulder injury. He did manage to come do the concrete work so we could build our wood fired hot tub.

Beautiful cockerel !
He diffinetly has Black Copper Marans in him.
And the tub......is it a California Cooperage Redwood tub ???????????????
We had one years ago (in Los Osos California...by Pismo beach) and it took quite some time to bleach the tannin out of the wood.......til then, you will have a tan from the neck down......LOL!!!!!

 

[Chickielady]

I think I've seen them at the one in Federal Way before, but I don't normally look at eggs there. Marlene's Market has had fertile eggs before. They had free range, organic, blue eggs for $8 bucks a dozen before, too. I couldn't get over that.

There is also advertised fertile eggs at my Health Food Store I shop at in Aberdeen........including duck eggs.
The infertility thing due to cold temps has been driving humans crazy for years.
So much so that a bunch of us here on BYC were discussing various ways to create a knitted mad bomber hat for our cock birds....................................I tried to photoshop a pic of a cock with a rabbit fur mad bomber tuk on......but never could do it.
Perphaps some of you younger more techy types could do so !

***************Hinotori you were probably around back then when we were talking about that, do you remember ?*******

 

[Chickielady]

After much searching via google and BYC I am still torn on what I should do with my broody hen. I would love for her to hatch eggs but I had read conflicting information about whether or not the chicks will survive with it being the middle of winter.

I live in the Shoreline area and our temps have been dipping below freezing each night lately and could do the same in 1 months time. Can chicks make it when raised by a broody in that kind of temperature? Or should I just try and break her broodiness and hatch next May/June?

BYC's "Engteacher" has posted many photos of his Black Java hen hatching & raising youngun's in MINNESOTA in the middle of winter..............you can see on the Java thread...I'll see if I can find it.

I sent her a PM to see if she'll send link to her pics.
She had wonderful photos of this Black Java hen, with all these black chicks following...right out of the barn into the snow.
We laughed, cuz when the hen went broody in the first place, it was fall-ish.
When she had hatched her brood and decided to venture out into the world.................it was dead winter...the hen came out, babies in tow, looked at all the deep snow, and went right back inside the barn again !

 

[Chickielady]

Beautiful Holiday Card, TC !
Thankyou!
I love the colors !!!
I love the message !
Peace on Earth !

Have to get up your way soon & do a tea.
I want to talk duck with you...we want 15-20 to hatch/raise & butcher in the early spring/summer.
I am looking into Rouens....................need input on what you think are the best.

 

[Hinotori]

Quote:

I think I remember the discussion. Well as well as I can remember stuff sometimes.

If every egg wasn't precious to me right now, I'd crack an egg to see how fertile they are. The silver ameraucana cockerel has been loving the rocks and brahmas. But they are just starting to start laying again and I have lots of people wanting eggs. They are even taking silkie eggs.

 

[Hinotori]

After much searching via google and BYC I am still torn on what I should do with my broody hen. I would love for her to hatch eggs but I had read conflicting information about whether or not the chicks will survive with it being the middle of winter.

I live in the Shoreline area and our temps have been dipping below freezing each night lately and could do the same in 1 months time. Can chicks make it when raised by a broody in that kind of temperature? Or should I just try and break her broodiness and hatch next May/June?

I was going to break my silkie that went broody right before Thanksgiving. She sat on the nest for 4 days, then decided that it was going to be to cold apparently.

I don't really care to have chicks at this time of year. I have a hard enough time keeping the big water bowls ice free.

 

[Ogress]

That, my colour loving friend, is a purebred Blue Ameraucana (all of them in that photo)
Nope, you cannot 'make' one, but you can buy some, or hatch eggs.
You can then breed this Ameraucana to a Blue Copper marans, and make some BBS Olive Eggers.

I love my Blue's I got from you and I would like some more pullets. They are nice birds. A bit flighty until I started bringing them food and water in the nest boxes they were broody in over the summer. Now they trust me. Oddly, they stopped being broody 2 days before hatch. The poor BCM who just went broody at the same time that the other girls left the nest hatched the chicks. She stayed with them until they were full size! Never seen a hen still want to hang out with her chicks that long! (entire amount of time was about average though, when you include the 3 weeks most broodies will sit)

 

[Totalcolour]

Quote: But I already have some Splash Ams. If I got me a blue Am Cock I could make some more blue birds! Or, yes, I could breed olive eggers with my Marans!

 

[Chickielady]

But I already have some Splash Ams. If I got me a blue Am Cock I could make some more blue birds! Or, yes, I could breed olive eggers with my Marans!

Yes.
And if you do, please ask after Jean Ribbeck~~
The Ams I have are from Cree Farms, and are slighter, and flightier.
When & If I get more, I will go to Jean for eggs.

P.S. To breed an olive egger, you need 1) a Marans, and 2)an ameraucana.
If you have the 2, you are set to go.
You may not get the exact blue I have in the phot...

 

[Chickielady]

I love my Blue's I got from you and I would like some more pullets. They are nice birds. A bit flighty until I started bringing them food and water in the nest boxes they were broody in over the summer. Now they trust me. Oddly, they stopped being broody 2 days before hatch. The poor BCM who just went broody at the same time that the other girls left the nest hatched the chicks. She stayed with them until they were full size! Never seen a hen still want to hang out with her chicks that long! (entire amount of time was about average though, when you include the 3 weeks most broodies will sit)

Miss you !