Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Paradox]

More then welcome! might have to invite you to the next work party so you can meet all those here in the area

Plus you do really good work!

You bet. I'm more than willing to join in and help out. Just let me know when.

 

[hallerlake]

I have just admitted defeat by circumstances and called my sister to say I will not be taking non-existent flowers to the cemetary in the pouring rain.

Bad me. Bad, bad me.

Sometimes reality wins.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

I have just admitted defeat by circumstances and called my sister to say I will not be taking non-existent flowers to the cemetary in the pouring rain.


Bad me. Bad, bad me.

Sometimes reality wins.

Rain this persistent always wins: she's not even going to try the Oly cemetary today, which is at one of those places that catch more rain than anywhere near it.

Me, I've got a kink in my neck and stiff shoulders from snagging a five pound sack of medicated chick starter from Ruby, who was going to have a little snackeral of it.

Guess I won't be moving the broody pen today after all.

 

[GJPA1996]

Thanks for the help. Now to figure out what to do, can't have roosters in the city and one of my kids is going to be without a chicken.

 

[Hinotori]

Thanks for the help. Now to figure out what to do, can't have roosters in the city and one of my kids is going to be without a chicken.

Just need to get MORE chicks.

Sorry, being an enabler. As if I didn't have enough birds, I have silkie chicks due overnight. Last hatch wasn't good and I'm still needing the trio for the kitten payment.

 

[HereChikyChiky]

Hello All,

Living in Tacoma city limits and I have 3 Rhode Island Red hens. I had 4, but 1 was a rooster so I sent him back to the fellow I bought from. The girls are almost 10 weeks old and beginning to cluck instead of the little baby peep-peep-peep. I'm kind of watching for eggs, but I've read that 16 weeks is when they will start laying. I'm also thinking of switching them from Flock Raiser to something for laying hens. Suggestions would be most welcome. I'd like to stick with non gmo if possible.

Otherwise all is well. I had to buy a BB pistol for the tom cats that have been stalking them at night and just before dawn. "Word on the street" must have got around because I haven't seen those cats since I was out back practicing with that thing

Here are some photos of Scarlett, Ruby and Ginger:

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Oh, just peachy.

So to speak. There's a whole boring saga about this peach tree, starting with the fact it was supposed to be a semi-dwarf Frost except That Terrible Dog ate it down to the roots and it's as big as only a full-sized twenty+ year old seedling peach can be. I was hoping one of the noisy BANGS during the ice storm would be it breaking, but no, of course not, it stood up to having an inch of ice all over it, and all the hard wind and bad weather in the ensuing sixteen months, only to come apart in the middle after a week of warm rain and come down, first over the fence and then rolling on to the lilacs, roses, and quince tree in the yard, so there's no good way to deal with it without calling Toby the tree man.

I am not having a good day right now.

 

[mikeyb]

Hello All,

Living in Tacoma city limits and I have 3 Rhode Island Red hens. I had 4, but 1 was a rooster so I sent him back to the fellow I bought from. The girls are almost 10 weeks old and beginning to cluck instead of the little baby peep-peep-peep. I'm kind of watching for eggs, but I've read that 16 weeks is when they will start laying. I'm also thinking of switching them from Flock Raiser to something for laying hens. Suggestions would be most welcome. I'd like to stick with non gmo if possible.

Otherwise all is well. I had to buy a BB pistol for the tom cats that have been stalking them at night and just before dawn. "Word on the street" must have got around because I haven't seen those cats since I was out back practicing with that thing

Here are some photos of Scarlett, Ruby and Ginger:

They'll start prob around 20 wks, don't get too discouraged. They will produce very nice size eggs and very tasty with the proper feed, etc. They can get a tad loud with their egg song. Very nice looking Rhoadies!
I went to flock raiser at the same time and then switched to layer feed at 16-17 weeks. (I'm no expert, just saying what I did with my RIRs)

 

[hennotrooster]

I thought one of my girls might have fallen victim of those nasty things, but on closer look her legs look normal. Whew. But I took the opportunity to do more reading and found something interesting. I'm going to pass it along here in hopes of spreading good information.

Most posts I saw said that it's necessary to do a complete clean out and treatment of the coop, nest boxes, perches, etc. to kill the mites. Turns out that scaly leg mites live their entire life cycle only on the bird. Other types of mites can live and breed elsewhere in the coop, but not scaly leg mites. Which makes treatment so much less complicated.

I posted a pic of the legs of a roo and hen that we were given (post #21431) I have been dusting every couple of days and every other day I pour vegetable oil on there legs and feet..the hen does not hike up one leg as often as she did when we first got her and she seems to like the oil being poured on. I have to wait till they are in for the night since they have major trust issues and the roo goes nuts if there is any day light left when I go out to treat their legs. I thought the hen was not laying but now that she is eating better she dropped an egg yesterday and she too is an EE dropped a pretty little blueish egg. Still won't let me near and will not come near even when I go out to feed or sit in the yard with food the roo keeps them at bay. The white EE forget it she just loses it completely when I am in there. Thank you for the advice and as soon as the weather stays warm enough I am going to bring them in one at a time and bath them with some epsom salt so I can see if anything else is going on with them. Oh I got the naked neck and he, I thought, was really ugly but the more I look at him he is really a beautiful bird, and wonderful with my hens he is very gentle and protective of them but he does not try and attack me. I could not isolate him since my girls flew out of the yard and coaxed him out of the juniper bush. Food did not work but five beautiful ladies did the trick. Again thanks for the tips they are doing better.

 

[CarolynF]

Paradox: That's a very nice carrier, lucky birds.

Totalcolour: Cute little chick!

Mikeyb: HI!!!

Hope all is going well.

And Welcome to all the Newbies, it's great to have you aboard.

Quote:
Mikey is right, you'll need to be a bit more patient. Not easy I know, but worth the wait. Their combs and wattle will get quite red and most hens will start squatting if you reach down as if to pet them. Then very shortly you should start getting eggs. Often times they will also start checking out the nest box. It's fun to watch.