Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[outlander]

I'm a native Washingtonian living in rural KY at the moment, but moving back to Puyallup hopefully within a year's time.

Currently we have a 40 acre farm with 25 Buff Brahmas...wish I could find a way to bring my hennies across country with us, but we have three dogs and four cats making the trip, too.

Any Puyallup dwellers here? We're specifically wanting to settle in the downtown area. Anyone care to share their Puyallup chicken keeping experiences?

 

[Carolei]

Wow! How old were the chicks when you got them on Father's Day? I have 5 pullets that hatched in June and I wasn't expecting to see eggs anytime soon. Maybe I should be getting ready

Oops I should have quoted Theegoliath -- that's the post I'm responding to. I'm new to this forum with five backyard chickens in Seattle!

 

[Carolei]

Oh and by the way...

After I scraped the poop board this evening, I always check for eggs. This time I laughed and smiled. Our first egg from the chicks we bought back on fathers day!!! A tiny blue egg from our Ameracauna pullet named Annie : D

Wow! How old were the chicks when you got them on Father's Day? I have 5 pullets that hatched in June and I wasn't expecting to see eggs very soon. Maybe I should be getting ready

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Question: What would be a fair price for started pullets between 3 and 5 1/2 months old? There are barnyard mixes who have been chowing down on free range bugs and FF since they hatched. The older birds have combs that are just starting to really pink up, so first egg will happen soon.

 

[ochochicas]

Question: What would be a fair price for started pullets between 3 and 5 1/2 months old? There are barnyard mixes who have been chowing down on free range bugs and FF since they hatched. The older birds have combs that are just starting to really pink up, so first egg will happen soon.

I would say the 3 month olds would be worth $10 and the older ones $15. Once they start laying you might be able to ask $20.

I just bought some TINY 10 week old mixed chicks. I paid $8 each and I thought I paid too much simply because they are so small. They only weigh a pound. The 8 week olds I hatched in July are 2 - 3.5 pounds already. I had to have the the little babies though...they are super cute!

 

[jbkirk]

Question: What would be a fair price for started pullets between 3 and 5 1/2 months old? There are barnyard mixes who have been chowing down on free range bugs and FF since they hatched. The older birds have combs that are just starting to really pink up, so first egg will happen soon.

we basically have the same price range as Originally Posted by ochochicas

 

[CarolynF]

Wow! How old were the chicks when you got them on Father's Day? I have 5 pullets that hatched in June and I wasn't expecting to see eggs very soon. Maybe I should be getting ready

Hi Carolei and Welcome to the Washington Thread!

What breeds are your pullets? It's exciting waiting for that first egg from each one isn't it? They will generally begin to lay when they are between 18 & 24 weeks old. But that's definitely not a hard and fast rule. A few will start younger and a few will take FOREVER. A lot depends on the breed, or mixture if they are cross bred like the sex links. The bird in thegoliath's picture is a typical Easter Egger (a mix) so may have started younger. If they are reaching POL (point of lay) when the days are getting shorter in the fall they will often wait until spring to start, which isn't a bad thing healthwise, but very frustrating for those waiting.

 

[Theegoliath]

As I recall, our Ameracauna that we got on fathers day and think just layed (our other Ameracuana is molting) was 2 weeks old when we got her from farmland. But after 2 days have gone by and a second shellless egg from our year old molting ameracauna, we are having doubts it was our pullet who layed : /

2 shell less eggs in a 2 week time frame from the same bird we thought was molting... any thoughts?

 

[jbkirk]

Does anyone know a way to keep hens laying steady through the winter with out a light?

and does any one here own golden cuckoo marans?

 

[ochochicas]

As I recall, our Ameracauna that we got on fathers day and think just layed (our other Ameracuana is molting) was 2 weeks old when we got her from farmland. But after 2 days have gone by and a second shellless egg from our year old molting ameracauna, we are having doubts it was our pullet who layed : /

2 shell less eggs in a 2 week time frame from the same bird we thought was molting... any thoughts?

I would mix a 500 mg crushed up calcium tablet in with some scrambled egg. It should make the egg shells formed/harder. I have the same issue with an older hen I have. If I give her the calcium once or twice a week she lays normal eggs. If I forget to give it, she starts laying shell-less eggs or thin-shelled eggs that break as soon as she moves out of the nest box.