Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[elizmartin]

Hello All because this thread moves so fast i am sure i missed this but did it get posted about the new proposed Postal service charges for live animals and poultry in May? I came across it by accident. If passed will affect all related shipments..... eliz

 

[CarolynF]

Thanks for the great welcome!!! I am really enjoying this site so far. I have 2 rhode island reds, 1 rhode island white, 1 black sexlink, 1 silver laced Wyandotte, 1 brahma,. They are absolutely beautiful hens! I have a coop in my backyard, and let them range in the backyard for anywhere from 1-8 hours a day. I am consistently getting about 4 egss a day but one of my hens has a broken leg and one isn't laying yet due to her age....

If it was up to me I would have a FARM but my wife wont let me... lol We live in a new housing development in Bothell and I kind of SNEAK the chickens... haha

They are so much fun! I don't give them a ton of left overs right now other than cabbage and corn, but I would like info from you all on WHAT to feed them other than the laying feed.

Thanks all!

Since chickens are omnivores they can eat anything that isn't poisonous. But processed food isn't any healthier for them than it is for people, which means bread, spaghetti, and most things that come from a bottle or can. They'll eat it, and love it, but it isn't going to help them stay healthy or lay more eggs. My birds go nuts for kale, the guts and seeds from melons, fruit, and meat (both cooked and raw). If I'm not going to give it to them right away I store it in the fridge. Also remember that in nature chickens will be pecking little bite-sized pieces off of a larger chunk or bush rather than picking up a piece of something a human placed there. So a good rule of thumb to avoid chocking hazards is "smaller than a pea or larger than a golf ball". I have a suet feeder hanging on the side of their pen that I fill with greens. They peck at it and rip off little pieces as if it were still a whole plant, if that makes sense.

Remember that if they eat too much people food they may not be getting all the nutrients they need. Layer food is a balanced diet.... bugs and stuff from the yard are good protein, but people food can throw that out of balance, depending on what it is and how much. Some places I've read say to limit their table scraps to 10% of their daily intake.

And, yes... crush those egg shells and feed those to laying hens, too. They're full of calcium just like oyster shells. No need to bake or anything special, just let them dry and crush them.

 

[SadieSue]

Quote:
Yes, she graduates Friday. Still hard to believe. But she got her dorm assignment and roommate info this weekend, so her leaving for WSU is becoming more and more real!

I'm excited for you two! It's a new adventure for sure!

 

[HoneysuckleHills]

Hi and welcome to the group!

There are several people out in your general area. Every few months they tend to have a meet-up at Third Place Books in Lk Forrest Park. So keep you eyes peeled. And it's usually done on short notice, maybe 3-4 days. If you look back a couple of weeks, on this thread, you'll see Honeysuckle Hills, she is often the instigator. I keep trying to make it to one, but haven't been lucky enough, YET.

Hey All!!
I just found this thread!! I live in Bothell Wa and have 6 chickens......I am new to this... so wondering if anyone else is around my area.......

Hello and welcome! There are lots of us out here in the north. Great group of people.
I'm in Kenmore.
PM me if you'd like to get together.

 

[fingbob]

I have some 12 week old roosters I need to re-home. 1 Black Copper Maran, 1 Dorking/BCM Mix and 1 Olive egger. The olive egger is 75% BCM and 25% EE.

Please message me if you are interested in any of them.

 

[motherochickens]

Well, in a strange turn of events - we now have a rooster. I was talking to a co-worker of mine that started raising chickens the same time I did about my chicken that just died and he says, "well guess what, we just noticed we have a rooster and can't have a rooster in Kent city limits". So I brought his rooster home last night. He's about 4 months old - about the same size as all my 5 month old girls and is pretty good looking, a Plymouth Rock. I'm very new to this... what should I know about a rooster or what should I know now that I have a rooster? Thanks!!

p.s. I put him in with the girls this morning and they all seemed to get a long great. He put them in their place right away - but not in a violent way. Hopefully while I'm at work things continue to go smoothly.

 

[mikeyb]

Well, in a strange turn of events - we now have a rooster. I was talking to a co-worker of mine that started raising chickens the same time I did about my chicken that just died and he says, "well guess what, we just noticed we have a rooster and can't have a rooster in Kent city limits". So I brought his rooster home last night. He's about 4 months old - about the same size as all my 5 month old girls and is pretty good looking, a Plymouth Rock. I'm very new to this... what should I know about a rooster or what should I know now that I have a rooster? Thanks!!

p.s. I put him in with the girls this morning and they all seemed to get a long great. He put them in their place right away - but not in a violent way. Hopefully while I'm at work things continue to go smoothly.

Most roos don't like to be picked up, but some will tolerate it and there are some that want to be pets. From what I witnessed over the last year is that a good roo will watch out for the flock, warn of danger, find and tell the girls (call them) where there is food. Will usually maintain control of the flock just by his presence and sometimes will take action if a hen is too agressive in the flock. He will also watch out for chicks if you hatch with a broody. He will also have his favorite girls. The mere presence of a roo will increase the dynamics of the flock and increase your enjoyment of watching them.

 

[motherochickens]

Most roos don't like to be picked up, but some will tolerate it and there are some that want to be pets. From what I witnessed over the last year is that a good roo will watch out for the flock, warn of danger, find and tell the girls (call them) where there is food. Will usually maintain control of the flock just by his presence and sometimes will take action if a hen is too agressive in the flock. He will also watch out for chicks if you hatch with a broody. He will also have his favorite girls. The mere presence of a roo will increase the dynamics of the flock and increase your enjoyment of watching them.

That is soooo true. From the moment he was introduced the dynamics changed. He is so confident, strong and manly. But this one is pretty sweet too. He's let me pick him up a few times already... the previous owner's kids carried him around a lot. Unless I get home and find them fighting, I think he's a perfect addition to our flock.

 

[hallerlake]

Quote: I really like having roosters in my flocks.

 

[NinetreesMom]

Just got a BEAUTIFUL Golden Laced Wyandotte..... Shes a year old and laying beautiful eggs...

pics to come!

If you have pics of yours I would love to see!

A chance to share pics of my chicks, of course! I spared you all of them, but I happen to have 3 Wyandottes; Peep, a year-old laying hen (silver laced), and 8 week old pullets Goldilocks (gold laced) and Rose (blue laced red). Goldilocks got a red comb very young, so I have some suspicion she might be a he, but Rose has caught up on comb and wattle size and color now, and Goldi's haven't changed much, so now I just don't know. Time will tell! Peep is one of my best layers. My kids name most of the chickens