Recent content by jovial_cynic

  1. jovial_cynic

    Washingtonians

    I just felt like sharing some pictures of my birds. They are cute. That is all.
  2. jovial_cynic

    First post, first chickens, first coop

    I have WHAT in my yard? : I got one word of warning for ya! Two hens are NEVER enough! I keep hearing this from people. Actually, it's my plan to have 4 total. I wanted two in the beginning to get a feel for how much work (time/energy/money) it takes to raise them, and now that I feel...
  3. jovial_cynic

    First post, first chickens, first coop

    Quote: Dirt. Thanks! I think my chickens are beautiful. Except when they're molting, during which they are hideous.
  4. jovial_cynic

    First post, first chickens, first coop

    With no artificial light or heat, what kind of egg production should I expect to see from my birds this time of year? During the spring and summer, I was averaging 5 or 6 a week per bird. I'm lucky if I see one a week these days. Is that normal? Also, should I expect their food consumption...
  5. jovial_cynic

    First post, first chickens, first coop

    Winter is nearly here - it's getting colder and colder at night. Is there any need to provide any extra warmth for the birds, or are they fine as long as they stay dry?
  6. jovial_cynic

    Two gold-laced wyandottes -- one keeps pecking the other

    I know that hens peck each other... but at what point do you intervene? I've got two 10-month old gold-laced wyandottes, and one of them keeps pecking at the other's tail features, leaving a bit of a bald spot. Should I separate them? Will I end up with a featherless hen? What's the story here?
  7. jovial_cynic

    First post, first chickens, first coop

    Yup - the padlock is going to stay on. I've watched too many documentaries on raccoons -- they are clever critters.
  8. jovial_cynic

    Washingtonians

    I'm in the Lacey/Olympia area, a little over 10 minutes away from the capital building. I just got my first hens this last weekend -- two 10-month old gold-laced wyandottes. They're gorgeous, and producing. This site has been tremendously helpful.
  9. jovial_cynic

    First post, first chickens, first coop

    And... more pictures. My 4-year old wanted to name the hens "bambi" and "mimi," but I already had some names picked out. Original Extra Crispy Extra Crispy is in charge. She pecks at Original's tail feathers. You can see how much fuller Extra Crispy's tail looks. And here's the padlock I...
  10. jovial_cynic

    First post, first chickens, first coop

    Thanks for all the encouraging comments. As it turns out, the chickens figured out the nesting boxes -- I had two eggs in the boxes today. So far, between yesterday at 11 a.m. (which is when I got them) and right now (8 p.m.), I've had three eggs. Woo hoo! I did some more construction work...
  11. jovial_cynic

    First post, first chickens, first coop

    Thanks! The chickens are closed up in the coop at night, but the coop's front door doesn't lock - it just drops shut. I'm pretty sure that raccoons could get in if they get past the run. So far, so good, though. I've noticed a few particular behaviors that I didn't expect. For instance...
  12. jovial_cynic

    First post, first chickens, first coop

    Hey folks - I'm new here, but I've been browsing around and gleaning a lot of information. I decided recently to get a couple of chickens, and after searching around on craigslist, I found 2 10-month old gold-lace wyandottes that have been organically fed and handled enough to be friendly...
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