Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Two Chicksahs]

ochochicas So sorry to hear about the loss of your hen! I'm so saddened by it! Many of us become very attached to our chickens and they become part of our family. Again sorry for your loss!

 

[Two Chicksahs]

Cockatrice6420 Isn't it exciting! Three of mine are too! One of them already seems to putting out Extra Large or Jumbo brown eggs! It might be the SCM chick/pullet Ruby that came from Chickielady's Farm but I'm not sure. I've only seen one of mine go into the nesting boxes but they've made wells or nests right next to it for some reason. All the hard work is finally paying off. Here's to all of us first timers!! Cheers!

 

[Cockatrice6420]

Two Chicksahs, just wait until you make lemon meringue pie or lemon bars, no food coloring needed.

 

[Cockatrice6420]

Two Chicksahs, do we have the same counter tops, lol.

 

[ochochicas]

Quote: Thanks for the reply. I was thinking about it, but I really don't have the time, and I can't trust DH to do it properly. In addition we don't have room in the freezer for them. I suppose I could give them away to my family.

The cockerels are getting a bit too much attitude with the pullets. Any time the pullets lay down to rest the boys think it is a free-for-all. They boys are so much larger it just isn't a good situation. I moved the cockerels into a grow out pen today. They weigh 4 pounds so I'd like to give them some more time to grow up. If most people process them at 18 weeks it looks like they only have a month or so to go.

 

[Cockatrice6420]

Thanks for the reply.  I was thinking about it, but I really don't have the time, and I can't trust DH to do it properly.  In addition we don't have room in the freezer for them.  I suppose I could give them away to my family. 

The cockerels are getting a bit too much attitude with the pullets.  Any time the pullets lay down to rest the boys think it is a free-for-all.  They boys are so much larger it just isn't a good situation.  I moved the cockerels into a grow out pen today.  They weigh 4 pounds so I'd like to give them some more time to grow up.  If most people process them at 18 weeks it looks like they only have a month or so to go.  

I'm facing the same thing but as it stands I have seven and more growing to take care of. I'm tempted to post a give away at the community resource office. There are people who will take them for meat or pest control. If I butcher them, then I am the one in the big family that will do the whole process. Everyone else turns green.

 

[Frindizzle]

Hello everyone! I have looked everywhere (except here) until now to find other Washington chicken people! Now I have found you!!

Welcome! I love your mixed flock. A great variety!

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
If you all were closer I'd offer my assistance in trade for a couple of finished birds.... timing and location seem to work against me sometimes -- darn.

 

[Carolei]

First, thanks to everybody for being so eager to help. The qualities we are looking for are pretty simple I think. We'd like good layers that are tolerant of Pacific Northwest weather, friendly (easy to catch), not too broody. My kids are 11&13 and it would be a bummer to have snobby, skittish birds. We also have a 1 year old lab that will be very slowly introduced to them over a period of time while on a leash. I've looked at all of the breeds and ratings on BYC and also some other sites and I made a list of the ones that sounded like a good fit for us. We'd like to have 6-7 birds and I'm not at all interested in chicks or future breeding. They will simply be spoiled pets that happen to provide breakfast.

Ok so here is my long list of possibilities:
(I starred the ones I'm leaning towards)
* austrolorp
*welsummer
*wyandotte
*orpington
*plymoth rock
*red star
Dorking
New Hampshire
Sussex
Dominique
Barred rock -bossy???
Sex link

I have Barred Plymouth Rock, Speckled Sussex, Australorp and Buff Orpingtons. Of those, my Orpingtons have been the most friendly and problem free. They are great with people, both big and small, and they get along well with the other chickens.

 

[Flaming Chicken]

I have an awesome Rhodebar broody. She is raising 4 pullets and 1 cockerel. She hatched some and took on 3 more after I moved the eggs to the incubator. The chicks are Rhodebar also. So lovely to watch a nice mommy hen cluck over her chicks. No worries for me over heat lamps and power outages.