Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Chickielady]

Oh boy Robyn, i agree with Kim, wow, wish i was a close neighbor !!!! I would help in any way…..and learn everything i could…..I drool every time You show you gooooooodies……vbg, eliz

I would put you to work too young lady !

And welcome to all the new folks here !

 

[Rainier]

I just now realized that feeding layer is bad for the boys

So what do you guys/gals feed a mixed flock and by mixed I mean 22 week old pullets and cockerel? We also have oyster shells out.

This is what we currently feed and the chemist report on the actual content of what is listed.
FD-02-0022-13 LAYER RATION COMPLETE
Crude Protein: 16% 16.3%
Lysine: 0.6% 0.675%
Methionine: 0.1% 0.236%
Crude Fat: 2% 5.2%
Calcium: 3.2% 4% 3.49%
Phosphorous: 0.45% 0.709%
Selenium: 0.04ppm

I'm not sure if they have a feed that is not layer (chemist report doesn't show any other chicken feed). Does fermenting the feed change the amount of calcium at all?

ETA
http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalFeed/Publications/rpt_Feed_Nutrient_Chemist_Findings2013.pdf

 

[Theegoliath]

I loved it when our girls were curious when we built our coop. They had to come inspect everything : )

 

[AliceSaurus]

Some excitement here this evening! I have been waiting impatiently for a sure sign that one of my buff orpingtons is either male or female. Tonight at sundown I heard the suspected rooster making a VERY loud call, over and over, and wanted to see if it was finally crowing. I ran out and the noise stopped as soon as s/he saw me. Then I saw a big fat rat jump off the roof of the coop on to the fence! Looked in the coop and the bad rat had tried to steal the ceramic eggs! The poor chickens must've thought their eggs were being pilfered so it wasn't a rooster crow I heard at all but rather a distress signal. The suspect roo also made a very distinct egg song type call ("bokbokbokbaGAWK") when the barred rock hen decided to jump the fence to follow me around. This bird has me guessing every minute :/ I wish it would cut the suspense and just crow or lay already. I had myself thoroughly convinced it was a rooster just yesterday, but today I picked it up and held and petted it without any fuss (usually I can't even touch it). I wonder if it was just pleased I ran out to scare away the would be egg thief? At 22 weeks old, shouldn't there be pretty obvious saddle and sickle feathers? Crazy bird! Next time I'll remember that buff orpingtons are for people who don't mind a guessing game Now my newest project will be laying MORE rat traps. I finally got them out of my basement only to have them in the coop, ugh! Filthy varmints.

 

[ochochicas]

I have an old fat hen that crows about once a week. Not sure what her breeding is but she looks like a Jersey Giant crossed with a Black Copper Marans. Usually she starts to crow when the rooster wakes her up too early and she crows back at him to shut up.

 

[CharterChick]

I just now realized that feeding layer is bad for the boys

So what do you guys/gals feed a mixed flock and by mixed I mean 22 week old pullets and cockerel? We also have oyster shells out.

This is what we currently feed and the chemist report on the actual content of what is listed.
FD-02-0022-13 LAYER RATION COMPLETE
Crude Protein: 16% 16.3%
Lysine: 0.6% 0.675%
Methionine: 0.1% 0.236%
Crude Fat: 2% 5.2%
Calcium: 3.2% 4% 3.49%
Phosphorous: 0.45% 0.709%
Selenium: 0.04ppm

I'm not sure if they have a feed that is not layer (chemist report doesn't show any other chicken feed). Does fermenting the feed change the amount of calcium at all?

ETA
http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalFeed/Publications/rpt_Feed_Nutrient_Chemist_Findings2013.pdf

I was told that with only 1 roo layer feed is ok... its the calcium that can be an issue on the kidneys. If you give them a general feed the extra calcium needs to be supplemented (It's only 1.4% i think). My dad's roo has been on layer feed since he got it at around 6 months old and he's now 5 years old and still very spunky!

 

[elizmartin]

Some excitement here this evening! I have been waiting impatiently for a sure sign that one of my buff orpingtons is either male or female. Tonight at sundown I heard the suspected rooster making a VERY loud call, over and over, and wanted to see if it was finally crowing. I ran out and the noise stopped as soon as s/he saw me. Then I saw a big fat rat jump off the roof of the coop on to the fence! Looked in the coop and the bad rat had tried to steal the ceramic eggs! The poor chickens must've thought their eggs were being pilfered so it wasn't a rooster crow I heard at all but rather a distress signal. The suspect roo also made a very distinct egg song type call ("bokbokbokbaGAWK") when the barred rock hen decided to jump the fence to follow me around. This bird has me guessing every minute

I wish it would cut the suspense and just crow or lay already. I had myself thoroughly convinced it was a rooster just yesterday, but today I picked it up and held and petted it without any fuss (usually I can't even touch it). I wonder if it was just pleased I ran out to scare away the would be egg thief? At 22 weeks old, shouldn't there be pretty obvious saddle and sickle feathers? Crazy bird! Next time I'll remember that buff orpingtons are for people who don't mind a guessing game

Now my newest project will be laying MORE rat traps. I finally got them out of my basement only to have them in the coop, ugh! Filthy varmints.

How is her shape compared to your other hens….males will often be a bit taller and thicker of leg and their tail feathers will begin to curve more, their comb will start to be more pronounced…..flip her over and compare her and a few other hens in the vent area…the vents of older females will have a wider smile than boys who will be a smaller O…..I have a buff trio and the boy at 4 months is clearly a boy, so am guessing yours is a pullet.

 

[AliceSaurus]

Thanks for your input I'll try to catch them later to look closer for signs of being male. So far, the three chickens are all the same size. The suspected roo seems a little more dense, if that makes sense. Slightly thicker legs but not tree trunks. HUGE comb and wattles but I read somewhere that comb size is the worst physical sex predictor because there is so much variation between individuals. My barred rock also has an enormous floppy comb but has laid 4 eggs in 5 days, so no question about her! I thought the first one looked fertilized but none of the other's have, so I think my eyes played a trick on me the first time. Dang androgynous birds. I am really hoping Buffy is a girl but I will not be shocked whatsoever if she turns out to be a rooster. The tail could go either way for me at this point but looks pretty masculine today. Of course, so do the others'. So really I am just as stumped as I was a month ago :/

 

[AliceSaurus]

These two threads have plenty of photos of the combs

Http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/898162/11wk-buff-orpington-sickle-feathers#post_14014365

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/920644/my-3-chickens-ate-an-egg-together-what-to-do#post_14015149

Here are the two orps together

 

[Flaming Chicken]

These two threads have plenty of photos of the combs

Http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/898162/11wk-buff-orpington-sickle-feathers#post_14014365

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/920644/my-3-chickens-ate-an-egg-together-what-to-do#post_14015149

Here are the two orps together

That looks like a hen tail to me. The boy tails are not so even, Then they get the long tail feathers. She does have a huge comb. I can see why you might be suspicious. Doe the lighter hen have a rose comb?