Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Duck Drover]

What part of washington are you in? I live in Shoreline, just north of Seattle.  I am not even sure if she will be successful this time of year but I am tempted to let her try anyway with 6 or so eggs.  She is a medium sized hen, not sure she could cover a full clutch of 12 eggs.  If they were fertile 21 days ago, there is a pretty decent chance they will still be fertile now. 

I live near Kent in Covington but I travel to Seattle three days a week. I set the eggs I collected today already but I can take a break from hatching on New Years. I rarely have clear eggs so my fertility has been high and I rarely lose chicks so the hatchability is good. My hatch rates on eggs I buy from others is never as good but that could be because they don't get handled as much going from the nest box to the incubator as they do when someone else collects and stores them before I drive them home to incubate them. I have bought multiple batches of eggs from the same breeders and some do better than others for some reason but mine have a steady successful hatch rate, even though I use the cheap styrofoam incubators (six total) rather than expensive incubators. If you want to try eggs send me a PM. I have seen listings on CL asking for eggs but I don't answer those because I would rather hatch them myself to sell the chicks or raise them to keep or sell. If you don't need a full dozen I can probably help you out.

 

[Manningjw]

I live near Kent in Covington but I travel to Seattle three days a week. I set the eggs I collected today already but I can take a break from hatching on New Years. I rarely have clear eggs so my fertility has been high and I rarely lose chicks so the hatchability is good. My hatch rates on eggs I buy from others is never as good but that could be because they don't get handled as much going from the nest box to the incubator as they do when someone else collects and stores them before I drive them home to incubate them. I have bought multiple batches of eggs from the same breeders and some do better than others for some reason but mine have a steady successful hatch rate, even though I use the cheap styrofoam incubators (six total) rather than expensive incubators. If you want to try eggs send me a PM. I have seen listings on CL asking for eggs but I don't answer those because I would rather hatch them myself to sell the chicks or raise them to keep or sell. If you don't need a full dozen I can probably help you out.

The eggs I set from my own hens I had 100% fertility with 12 making it to hatch and 11 surviving hatch, so pretty decent odds despite the fact they were all pullet eggs(hens were hatched May 5th, eggs were set in October). Problem is I got rid of my rooster immediately after that hatch knowing I would have more Roos in the new chicks then my hen decided to go broody without a Roo around to fertilize the eggs! I find a lot of people don't know how to handle and store hatching eggs which is probably part of the problem. Today I responded to a CL ad which advertised BCM eggs, which were light brown in color and all stored pointed side up...

Anyway, back on track, I'll PM you regarding the eggs .

 

[Totalcolour]

I have a very accepting large fowl flock, 37 birds. I just add in everyone if they are large fowl at around 9 weeks. They combine quite well and two of the roosters allow them to snuggle with them at night.

When the silkies go broody, I don't remove them from their pen, I just give them a separate area to sit on eggs. After the chicks are a few days old, the mama will take them in with the rest of the silkies so they have more warm bodies to sleep under. I love my silkies. The whole flock cares for the chicks at night, and the rooster helps out mama in the day. The rooster also takes care of them well after mama is done with them.

Sounds like I need a silkie or two - do you sell them?

 

[Hinotori]

I don't. My 5 birds are pet quality. There are breeders around. I'd like a few Catdance silkies, but I passed as the show they had a few for sale at.

 
I have a very accepting large fowl flock, 37 birds. I just add in everyone if they are large fowl at around 9 weeks. They combine quite well and two of the roosters allow them to snuggle with them at night. 

When the silkies go broody, I don't remove them from their pen, I just give them a separate area to sit on eggs. After the chicks are a few days old, the mama will take them in with the rest of the silkies so they have more warm bodies to sleep under. I love my silkies. The whole flock cares for the chicks at night, and the rooster helps out mama in the day. The rooster also takes care of them well after mama is done with them. 

Sounds like I need a silkie or two - do you sell them?

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:

Mum's the word.

 

[Duck Drover]

I recently hatched 6 Catdance Silkies (out of a dozen eggs) but one did not make it after needing assistance at hatching and it had a swollen abdomen. I have been hatching my own Silkie chicks for awhile but I am not getting many eggs now. I separated the roosters I need to sell so the few hens I have are not so stressed out by too many roosters. I sold my older hens and kept their chicks that will start laying in the Spring. I also sold all my pet quality Silkies so the remaining pullets are nice but I am sure the Catdance Silkies will be the nicest in my flock.

I did have a huge drop in the fertility of my Orpington eggs but I think that could be due to the freezing weather we had preventing the eggs from developing. I got some new Korfus hens yesterday and my rooster is definitely not taking a break yet! I am not sure one rooster will be able to cover a dozen hens on his own and my second rooster is not mature yet. The hens I bought are not all laying, though, so I will just have to see how my egg supply and fertility do over the Winter. I will have to cut back once my chicks grow out and mature so I will have some very nice English Orpington chickens for sale in the Spring in addition to chicks. By then I will know which ones are my favorites and which ones I will be willing to sell.

 

[Chickielady]

Sounds like I need a silkie or two - do you sell them?

I picked up a white pullet from Cheryl Butler at the show before last...for a friend who turned out already got one so I was stuck with her.
She was an absolute doll !
You could put her on the bed & she's sit there.
I have heard many things about silkies and their hatching abilities...which are legendary, but most say their raising of chicks leaves alot to be desired, mostly due to their inability to see very well, especially from above.
Even so, MonicaS tells me how absolutely stupid her silkie hens are, even when chicks are calling, the hen wanders off~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, maybe they are the best setter, but not the best mommas.
They do not fair well in rain, for they have no feathers, only down, which wets and sogs against their skin, leaving no air trapped for warmth.
Most who raise them, raise them on wire, with cover overhead from rain.
Even funnier stories came from RareFeathersFarm in E.WA who came home to 6-8" of snow one night & went to lock her coops up only to find some empty of birds.so she hunted to see where they had gone, and saw several bumps out in the snow...no lie........sure enough, she brushed the snow away to find a bird just sitting there..............LOL !!!!!!!!!

I am not positive the birds stuck in the snow were silkies...seems to my old brain as they were some other rare breed.
I think they were Polish.......................just about the same mentality....and you'd think a chicken from a cold place would be able to handle & know what to do in a snow storm !!!!!!!!!

 

[Chickielady]

Mum's the word.

I have just found some really awesome looking poppy seed, called "Mother of Pearl Poppy" have you raised them ?

 

[Chickielady]

And here I was afraid I'd have 6 days of pages to read, only to see there was but ONE...what gives WA ???????????????????????????
Here is something to see, what I have been up to the last 3 days:



The 3/4" solid Hickory floor is in~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I have set & grouted my entryways~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And then the truck came with the appliances!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the dishwasher (above) to it's right is where the sink will go.

Holy Cow ! A real flushing indoor toilet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The laundry/mud room....to the left is a box of a clothes dryer, afar is the water heater, and past that to the far left is the kitchen~
BELOW: This kitchen is getting smaller every day !

I LOVE this refrigerator...not too big, and I am so sick of bending over UNDER an upper freezer...with this, there is no need to bend so far ovwer & have to practically crawl into the fridge...It is awesome !

Well....plus I have primed & put 2 coats of paint on door trim, and tomorrow I sparvar the window sills............................the 26th the carpet arrives.
Sad, we were trying to have the place somewhat ready in order to have the kids/grandkids here for Christmas...................but cabinets & carpet are not due til after Christmas...darn it all.
We can certainly eat on saw horses/plywood tables, lawnchairs and hook up the TV....

 

[Hinotori]

I give my silkies a bit of a trim in front so they can see since I don't show them. I've had good luck with them raising chicks. The rooster actually earns his keep with the chicks by helping out the hens. He also takes care of the chicks after the hens are done with them. I leave the broody silkies in the silkie pen to raise chicks since all of the silkies will let chicks sleep under them at night.