Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Stumpfarmer]

I read somewhere that 14"X14" is a good size for a LF egg box. Is this true?

Yes - that's a good size if you want the option to get larger breeds.  I believe mine is ether 14x14 or 15x15 and my Light Brahma is comfortable in it.

The Hamburg nest box is a 3 gallon bucket braced between two bricks. Malvina has a cheap catbox (actually two of them, for cleaning purposes) which held her and six chicks until they were four weeks old. The EEs have a plastic barrel under a roof which exactly one of them uses, and the BLRWs refuse all models of nest boxes, on the ground or off, and are offended out of laying at all when such boxes are introduced.

Your Hamburgs are gorgeous!

I've seen pics of cat boxes and buckets used as nest boxes. I figure I will build in these 3 nest boxes, and if I have a stubborn bird that won't use them I'll try something else, until I find what works (or give up, lol).

Jennifer

I've given up, and just try to make sure there's plenty of dry bedding in the ground-layers runs. I got two eggs today, one EE and one BLRW, neither of which needed washed, so I figure that is some kind of evidence.

The parent hamburgs look ridiculous right now, all four hens have dropped their tails and bits of the rest of their plumage; Malvina the Australorp is also pretty sad looking. The BLRWs moulted back in September, and look rather spiffy now.

 

[Greg Richardson]

For all the miserable people who fake ads on Craigslist here is a post from some one that counters some of the worse part of people with their scams.................


"Jody" (Marysville)

Date: 2012-10-27, 4:02PM PDT
Reply to this post [email protected] [Errors when replying to ads?]

There is still good people in this world..God is good, he blessed me and my two daughters by sending us "JODY" ..a complete stranger who went out of her way and took time out of her day to help us in our time of need..you will never understand how much we appreciate what you did..may God continue to bless you and more..you did more than you will ever know..thank you!!!

​

• Location: Marysville

 

[KMHunter]

Quote: I wish my Favs were to the point of my being able to hatch! We will see if I can wait til spring. Although I guess it would be helpful if all of them were laying and my younger cockerel was mature and mating. Will have one pair and one trio to work with as soon as it happens.

I was also hoping for a Blue Silkie boy, but I do have a blue hen and will have two black boys, so I can breed for at least one good one, I hope!

I thought you had a blue silkie boy? I knew you gave one away, but thought you'd kept one you hatched?

Trying to keep up with your flock, because I'm interested in what comes from your initial forays into breeding...

What did CR bring home from Salem for you?
I had to let the blue boy go. He had a crooked beak and split wing. I waited for him to grow out as long as possible to see if the wing was truly split and it was. Wings issues are a major no no, And he was a little long in the back. He had a lot of things going for him so I kept waiting to see if the wings were ok. I would have done a test breeding with a very short backed girl if his wings had been good. I am on the fence about crooked beaks. If it showed up in offspring then I would have stopped using him. But alas, the wings were bad.

I got a black Cockerel and a hen from Florida, and Ultsol sold me a Splash hen and a black pullet. She is bringing another Black boy to Chehalis for me also. So I should be set to start pair breeding in the spring. I would love to also get some Catdance eggs if I have a broody.

 

[KMHunter]

I am so frustrated...... I got all excited about ordering some chicks from Meyer Hatchery, they are one of very few that hatch through the winter. I was going to order 4 WLeghorns, 3 Splash Maran pullets and one cockrele and 4 EEs, got to a page that said the EEs and the leghorns were not available and that I could only get 1 boy and 2 girls of the splashes. Although I was not feeling great about getting only 3 chicks for $30 I was going to anyways, then it came to check out and the shipping charge was about $45. It came to $73.10 to order 3 fricken chicks, really????

That is pretty average for shipped chicks. It's expensive to ship live birds.

Believe me, I just had two silkies shipped from Florida and I paid more in shipping than I did for the birds!
Thanks goodness they got here safe and sound, in one day even. So USPS did a good job for me. but I was nervous after Cloverleafs experience recently.

 

[KMHunter]

Quote: Yep! I just got another bale. I throw a couple of flakes of it out in the run which is mostly arbor chips and dirt. Works great. I do this like two to three times a week I am going to have DH put the leaves from our yard in there also. Should be good for the winter!

 

[Farmin Momma]

Quote:

If there isn't anyone on here with chicks to buy call Monroe Farm & Feed.
I don't know what they have now but for a feed store they have the best selection I have seen.

Thank you very much, I don't know if they use to carry chicks all year round o not but they do not now. I actually bought about 8 of the last batch they were going to carry a few weeks ago. Again thanks!

For all the miserable people who fake ads on Craigslist here is a post from some one that counters some of the worse part of people with their scams.................


"Jody" (Marysville)

Date: 2012-10-27, 4:02PM PDT
Reply to this post [email protected] [Errors when replying to ads?]

There is still good people in this world..God is good, he blessed me and my two daughters by sending us "JODY" ..a complete stranger who went out of her way and took time out of her day to help us in our time of need..you will never understand how much we appreciate what you did..may God continue to bless you and more..you did more than you will ever know..thank you!!!

​

​

• Location: Marysville

This is to great, there have been a handful of posts that I have seen on Craigslist kinda like this.

Oh I am so very excited, I set 31 eggs in the bator 3 weeks ago (almost) checked them and only lost two as of 3 days ago. I went in to put my 29 eggs into lock down 5 min ago and when I opened it, I heard *PEEP PEEP PEEP* one of the eggs right up front already had a pip in the shell. So I very quickly candled them as I moved them into the ready for lock down bator and I have 10 others that are internaly pipped!!!!!

Although I was really frustrated with the situation of ordering chicks from the hatcheries (didn't do it) and then cause DH and I had to put a tarp on the roof (leaking everywhere) now I am as happy as can be. Pics of lil chicks to fallow in the next day or so!

 

[KMHunter]

Anyone have info on the swap in Centralia/Chehalis in November?

It's actually a poultry show, that people bring chickens, eggs, etc to sell.
http://washingtonfeatherfanciers.webs.com/wffwintershow.htm

 

[Farmin Momma]

Quote: Yeah that also made me worry a lot too. I am glad that yours got to you just fine.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Quote:
Ah bummer. I can't go. My son has State Cross Country Race that weekend down in Eugene, OR. Guess I will have to wait for the Spring Swap in Canby, OR. I am torn between ordering chicks in spring and paying outrageous shipping, or getting chicks at the swap and run risk of getting cockerels. I can have them but I don't want to have more than 2 to keep overmating down. I already have 1 with my 6 hens and have 3 pullets in the grow-out tractor. Looking to get some 2 silkies, 1 frizzle cochin, and either 2 delewares or 2 favorelles. Thanks for replying.

 

[justbugged]

Quote:
Ah bummer. I can't go. My son has State Cross Country Race that weekend down in Eugene, OR. Guess I will have to wait for the Spring Swap in Canby, OR. I am torn between ordering chicks in spring and paying outrageous shipping, or getting chicks at the swap and run risk of getting cockerels. I can have them but I don't want to have more than 2 to keep overmating down. I already have 1 with my 6 hens and have 3 pullets in the grow-out tractor. Looking to get some 2 silkies, 1 frizzle cochin, and either 2 delewares or 2 favorelles. Thanks for replying.
There should be another WWF show in about March. It will be held at the Evergreen Fair grounds. We can let you know as soon as it is announced. I think that the March show tends to be a bigger show, than the winter show in Chehalis, It is still a lot of fun to meet up with a lot of our group in person.