Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[mikeyb]

I've been getting a kick out of watching our littles now that they're in with the hens. I was fascinated one evening when I lingered in the pen after the hens had already retired to the coop and the littles were still playing outside. Once they got bored pestering me for treats they noticed it was about time to go to roost. So #1 starts walking all around the ladder to the coop looking up as if to say "I know it's here somewhere, but I just can't find it!" She kept it up for the longest time.... pacing and searching, pacing and searching. She finally hopped up onto the ladder, walked part way up, looked around and decided that just wasn't the right place. So she hopped down and renewed her search for the pop door. Round and round, looking every where. She finally hopped onto the ladder again and made it to the top, stopping just inches shy. Looked all over and AGAIN decided it wasn't the right place. By then #2 had followed her up and was hot on her heels, so they had to do quite the dance to do a thorough search only to decide it wasn't the right place!!!! It took several trips up and down and all around before they finally got all the way inside the coop. And one of the hens kept reaching down from her strategic location above to give them a good peck, letting them know SHE was having None of this follie! I was *fascinated* and totally laughing out loud. The next evening I drug DH out to watch and yep, they did the whole thing again! He laughed even more than I had. These little critters are SO much fun! LOVE THEM! And my DD just doesn't get why I like chickens so much.

Hey, hello

Carolyn. Hope you enjoyed the rainy, rainy weekend.

 

[mikeyb]

Paradox; you do some fine work. That is one nice coop.

 

[Paradox]

Paradox, does it have any windows? Chickens love to roost near a window and look out.

Not yet. I am on the lookout for a cheap/free window to put in the wall on the right in the photos though. Thanks for the tip!

Paradox; you do some fine work. That is one nice coop.

Thanks Mike.

 

[RedReiner]

Greetings fellow washintonians!!

  My wife and I were considering purchasing an incubator so as to avoid the (what we feel is) inflated cost of buying chicks. We were wondering if anyone sells fertile(or atleast likely to be) eggs? We read the trader joes add and that it was a smashing idea. Alas, Trader joes in our area does not sell fertile eggs(darn!) We live in teh Graham/Tacoma area. No real specific breed, however if you have polish my wife will love you and me that much more. Cheers!

 

lots of us sell fertile eggs for hatching, but those are probably over inflated also... if you were looking at buying purebred chicks from breeders they are going to cost more than feed store or hatchery chicks, lots of thought, time and MONEY went in to producing a purebred that looks like the purebred it should be. if you just want mutts for laying eggs there are lots of folks who would probably just give you eggs to hatch. incubators are not cheap either, at least a good one that actually works anyway. if your handy you can build your own. some good instructions on how to do so here on BYC. There are some folks in your area that have polish, but they do show them and spend a lot of time and money producing some really nice birds. doubt they are going to give them away either.

 

[RedReiner]

Paradox; you do some fine work. That is one nice coop.

I second that, am going to set up a new coop this week, my first one I made the mistake of building on the ground like you did and after a bit ended up with a rat problem under the building, someone gave me a pig house on skids, I am putting it up on blocks so no rats can hide under it and eat my chicken feed!!

 

[Paradox]

Coop looks awesome!!
What girls did you get and from how?

yeap you are needed at the next work/building party

2 Welsummers, EE Mutt, and a hatchery Barnevelder. I'm excited I think it's a good start for me. I got them from Tailfeathers, he has a beautiful spread out in Granite Falls.

 

[BerrytangleFarm]

Greetings fellow washintonians!!

My wife and I were considering purchasing an incubator so as to avoid the (what we feel is) inflated cost of buying chicks. We were wondering if anyone sells fertile(or atleast likely to be) eggs? We read the trader joes add and that it was a smashing idea. Alas, Trader joes in our area does not sell fertile eggs(darn!) We live in teh Graham/Tacoma area. No real specific breed, however if you have polish my wife will love you and me that much more. Cheers!

We have fertile eggs -- www.berrytanglefarm.com

(though they are imported breeds, so they may be more than you'd like to pay)

 

[rapunzel162]

How cute and funny. I live in Chehalis. Do you have any chicks for sale?

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
Tailfeathers sold you HATCHERY Barnevelder?? And an EE mutt? That seems very odd from him.

 

[CarolynF]

Greetings fellow washintonians!!

My wife and I were considering purchasing an incubator so as to avoid the (what we feel is) inflated cost of buying chicks. We were wondering if anyone sells fertile(or atleast likely to be) eggs? We read the trader joes add and that it was a smashing idea. Alas, Trader joes in our area does not sell fertile eggs(darn!) We live in teh Graham/Tacoma area. No real specific breed, however if you have polish my wife will love you and me that much more. Cheers!

Maybe you can give us a little more information so we can respond appropriatly. What do you feel is a fair price for chicks? Are you looking for specific breeds or just farmyard "mutts". Are you looking for show quality chickens? What do you feel is an acceptable price for chicks and fertile eggs.

If we know what you're looking for we have a much better chance of pointing you in the right direction.