Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Eagle2026]

Really, Because I sell my birds directly to the feed store, don't make me call you.. it's late!

 

[Tailfeathers]

Royce we all know, your birds are the best... calm down, just have fun with your chickens and our too, please?
Mike

That's just completely uncalled for. I've never said my birds were the best and for the information of everyone on here, I don't even breed and show Buff Orpingtons. And I don't know what the "calm down" is all about. I'm not upset and as far as I know nobody else is either.

I'm also aware that you sell your birds to MFF. What I'm not aware of is how many you've shown or how many awards you've won from showing them. I am NOT saying there is anything wrong with hatchery or feedstore birds. I refer folks to MFF all the time. But anyone who would claim there is no clear comparative difference between a hatchery or feedstore bird with a good SQ breeder bird simply is either completely oblivious to what a breed should look like or I don't know what. It also does a grave injustice to the time, effort, expense, dedication, commitment and everything else that a true breeder goes into in order to produce the best specimen that can be bred.

What I do tell folks is that it does cost the same amount of money to feed a really good looking SQ breeder bird as it does a poor looking bird. Some people care about that and some don't. Makes no difference to me.

But I am getting really tired of your cheap shots at me for whatever reason. You got a problem with me, then at least PM, email, or call me and let me know what it is.

 

[Duck Drover]

I picked up two dozen NPIP Orpington eggs to hatch. They are blue, black, and splash. I am hoping for good fertility so I have lots of chicks to sell.

We also finished our nesting boxes so they are ready for the Silkies. My plan is to be able to use them as incubators and brooders but for now I want eggs to hatch. I read that people often clip the vent area to help the roosters do their job so I am going to do that tomorrow if it does not rain. I wanted to paint the rest of the exterior of the coop today but it was not dry enough. It is really looking like a coop instead of a playhouse and the chickens seem happy with their home.

 

[Lutefisk]

General rule of thumb is 4 sqft per bird in coop, 10 sqft of run per bird (you can do less, I have used anywhere from 8-10 sqft total for birds depending on their size).  Even at those first larger numbers they're still turn it barren.  It's been a while since I looked into it but I want to say for them to not destroy it the requirement is something like 200 sqft of pasture?

Edit:  I currently have three rescued hens in a 16x24 area, which works out to 128 sqft per bird and it is barren dirt.  Just as an FYI

When I read about the problems people have with their chickens it almost always appears to be due to inadequate space for the number of birds. Bumblefoot, parasites, cannibalism, infectious disease. It's incredible how much money and effort people put into building tiny palaces for their chickens, which don't begin to provide for their actual requirements.

We have 10 chickens and 3 dogs in about 3/4 acre fenced area and so far the grass is holding up. I'm planning to add another 4-5 chickens, then see how it holds up over the winter. Ultimately I'd like to have about 10 layers and 25-30 meat birds, but I'm guessing the fenced area will need to be expanded to provide forage space for that many. As it is now, the chickens are actually helping the areas tracked by the dogs recover somewhat. The only place that's really worse is under the utility trailer, which they have taken for dust bathing, and that's fine by me. The roosts and the feed station are floorless and mobile so there is no bedding to clean except in the nest boxes, which only need cleaned out every couple of weeks or less. The only problem with free range is they can get on the deck (and for some reason they loooove to hang out on it) so that needs hosed off frequently.

 

[Lutefisk]

Hello!  I am in washington too, shelton area.  New to chickens and have our first 3 chicks.

Noodle, Empress, and Penguina

welcome! I'm in the Sheton area too out Cole road by Fawn Lake.

 

[robj]

Thanks very much for the warm response!

At this point it's all about the eggs. Chilled easy going temperament that lay well. Color of the eggs is less important to me than getting nice size and good tasting eggs if they happen to be cool colors then that is icing on the cake for me. Maybe later I'll be looking for other attributes? My coop is 4.5' by 6' with 18' x 4.5' of run space. 4.5' x 24' total for the birds.

My breed list at this point is:

Red Sex-link
Black Sex-link
Gold Sex-link
Silver laced Wyandotte
Blue Andalusian
Ancona
Black Jersy Giant
Egyption Fayoumi
Gold Laced Wyandotte

Not in any particular order, based on what could be available at one particular source. I'm easy on the breeds if I know thye are coming from a good source.

Thanks!

Well Rainwolf has some really good egg layers and is a Great Peep!!!

Hi there!
I am located right by northgate mall! I have many chicks for sale, just hatched to started outside ready birds. You can stop by and chat chickens if you like.

send a pm since it is difficult for me to keep up here.
Welcome to BYC!

We're down to like a few posts an hour even I can almost keep up with that!! We're pickin up though!!

 

[CarolynF]

Well Rainwolf has some really good egg layers and is a Great Peep!!!
We're down to like a few posts an hour even I can almost keep up with that!! We're pickin up though!!

Hey Rob... seems like Chicken Math is consuming more and more of your time! Pretty soon you won't even have time to sleep let alone hang out with us!

But I'm glad you ARE here.

 

[robj]

Congrats on your new chicken plans! I am new to this also. I found out that more space than you think you need is the way to go. You will hear
everyone talking "chicken math", which means the number of chickens you planned on usually turn out to be more. I started like you wanting
good layers with nice brown eggs, then found out there are a couple breeds giving chocolate brown eggs(French Marans), and of course, that sounded lovely, so
added a couple of those. Then my whole world changed when I found the Cream Legbars who lay blue eggs and are auto-sexing (meaning you can
tell for sure which is chick is pullet and which is roo) so how could I not have blue eggs?? And then there are green, pink, etc. And throw in a white one
just for tradition.
My girls are not laying yet but by summer's end I hope to be seeing a nice assortment of colors.
Good luck with your chickens. They are really so much fun.

How all all your Little's doin? I think pics may be in order

PLEASE I WANNA SEE SOME BABIES

!!!

Anyone near spanaway? If so come on down to the Del's on Sunday and support your local 4-hers by buying a paper clover for a dollar a peice. Tey will also be there with their animals including chickens!

Wish I was closer sounds like fun!!!

Thank you all for the advice. These 3 were given to me yesterday and before bringing them home I dusted their yard very well and the yard and coop for my original girls, I even dusted them. When I got the three in for the night I dusted their feet and their feathers. Not sure what to start with I guess I will bring them in and dip their legs in vegetable oil tonight and put them back in their coop for the night. They may not be able to hold on to their dowel to perch.

Someone asked "how does it affect the hen?" being that she hikes up her leg and is willing to stand on only one I will take the leap and say she is in pain, and the roo has a limp, which is not a good thing to live with.

Vaseline, WD40, I will smother the pests any way I can I think the hen is an old girl. The white hen lays a light blue/greenish egg I will assume that they are EE's. The roo is a little guy not very big at all. The neighbor has a naked neck roo that I will be going over to get as well. The chickens were left behind and they do not care to keep them, so adopt we did I only hope that I can get this mite issue cleared up so they can be comfortable the white hen does not see to have the issue.


They kept turning from me when I tried to get their photos. They are not human social, they take flight when I go into the yard. how can I teach them to interact with me as my others do? The little brown girl seems to be an old hen not sure if she is still laying today is my first day with them. He is not aggressive toward us at all stays away from us completely and so does the white hen. The brown one will approach then quickly leave. Isn't he a handsome roo? does anyone know from his back side what breed he might be? Thank you for your advice.

Try Raisins you may have to toss them in at first but they"ll love them and it gives them a chance to build up a little trust. We don't handle our birds a whole bunch so hey tend go stay back a little but you bust out the raisins and you have the a running you're way. STAMPEDE!

We can sit there and they'll take them one at a time leave us our finger tips intact.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Well, something in that incubator is talking to me.

 

[robj]

Hello! I am in washington too, shelton area. New to chickens and have our first 3 chicks.

Noodle, Empress, and Penguina

Hi Neighbor

!! well almost neighbor I'm in Olympia near Steamboat Island. Cute Chicks