Hi everyone!
I just got my first two chickens to keep with my boyfriend's free-range flock here in Seattle and I'm completely in love with them! They are Exchequer Leghorn pullets - three months old - and so far are fitting in well with the three young laying hens already there (one Welsummer, one Golden-Laced Wyandotte, one Blue Leghorn). They are sooooo cute and beautiful and I can't wait for them to start laying! Hopefully our mild Seattle winters will translate to winter laying as well (fingers crossed).
I know everyone will probably tear me a new one for this, but all our chickens sleep up in a big old pine tree rather than in their coop. They like it better up there and have been safe from predators (they've been doing it since my BF began keeping them outside six months ago). Honestly, they just started doing it and he couldn't get them down, so he figured what the hell, we'll see what happens. Frankly, it's probably for the best as we don't really live a routine lifestyle and would probably have trouble being home every night to close the coop, anyway. We do have many raccoons in the neighborhood but either they can't see the chickens or are too big to get far enough out on the branch to reach them. So far, at least (again, fingers crossed).
Other than that, they have a huge fenced yard (they could hop the fence if they wanted, but they don't) and roam around eating bugs all day. It's awesome.
We can have up to seven hens in Seattle and if these two new additions work out, we'll probably get two more. Thinking about more Leghorns because of their laying capacity and flightiness (which might come in handy if a raccoon comes around). I really love the photos I've seen of Silver Duckwing Leghorns, but can't find anyone in our area who sells them and I'm not sure we have the time/energy to raise chicks. Can anyone suggest a more common Leghorn that is extra beautiful?
Alright, well, I look forward to talking more with everyone about chickens! I'm quite infatuated with mine at the moment (see photos).
I just got my first two chickens to keep with my boyfriend's free-range flock here in Seattle and I'm completely in love with them! They are Exchequer Leghorn pullets - three months old - and so far are fitting in well with the three young laying hens already there (one Welsummer, one Golden-Laced Wyandotte, one Blue Leghorn). They are sooooo cute and beautiful and I can't wait for them to start laying! Hopefully our mild Seattle winters will translate to winter laying as well (fingers crossed).
I know everyone will probably tear me a new one for this, but all our chickens sleep up in a big old pine tree rather than in their coop. They like it better up there and have been safe from predators (they've been doing it since my BF began keeping them outside six months ago). Honestly, they just started doing it and he couldn't get them down, so he figured what the hell, we'll see what happens. Frankly, it's probably for the best as we don't really live a routine lifestyle and would probably have trouble being home every night to close the coop, anyway. We do have many raccoons in the neighborhood but either they can't see the chickens or are too big to get far enough out on the branch to reach them. So far, at least (again, fingers crossed).
Other than that, they have a huge fenced yard (they could hop the fence if they wanted, but they don't) and roam around eating bugs all day. It's awesome.
We can have up to seven hens in Seattle and if these two new additions work out, we'll probably get two more. Thinking about more Leghorns because of their laying capacity and flightiness (which might come in handy if a raccoon comes around). I really love the photos I've seen of Silver Duckwing Leghorns, but can't find anyone in our area who sells them and I'm not sure we have the time/energy to raise chicks. Can anyone suggest a more common Leghorn that is extra beautiful?
Alright, well, I look forward to talking more with everyone about chickens! I'm quite infatuated with mine at the moment (see photos).
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from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard. Congrats and good luck. 
