Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[KMHunter]

Hi everyone! I've been lurking for a while, but this is my first real post. I'm in the snohomish area and have a few questions. I grew up on a farm in Iowa and kept chickens for years. Mostly layers and meat birds. Now my wife and I picked up 11 bantams (silkies, sebrights, polish, and sultan) but it appears we have a multi-roo situation. I have read a lot about keeping Roos of differing breeds, but want some experienced opinions on how to deal with this issue. Currently we have 3 sebright Roos, one sultan roo, and possibly two silkie Roos. They have been raised together since hatching but are getting aggressive in their small-ish tub. I have a 24 sq ft coop coming next week, and we built a 24'x8'x6' run that will be attached to the coop. Is this enough space to keep that many boys? Will the sebrights or sultan keep my silkies from mounting? Would either of those breeds cross with the silkie hens? I would like to end up with fertile silkie eggs. Thanks in advance for your help. Ask any questions you need for clarification.

You can keep multiple roos, especially if they were raised together. But that might be a few too many.

I would maybe just keep one of each breed? Or you can always see how they do in the bigger coop and run as the hormones get pumping. If you want fertile silkie eggs then I would keep the silkie boys. The only way you will be able to know what boys are breeding with your girls is if you only put one breed of boy in with the girls at a time. I have two LF Faverolles in the same coop and smallish run, but let the boy I want to use in with the girls for a few days to a week to get fertile eggs. I also have 3 separate pens for my silkies so I can keep the girls in the different groups, then add the boys to the pens as needed. But I basically put the boys out in each pen the same every day, but can switch them when I feel like trying a different genetic combo.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Here is what I've been told by moderators and the admins.
follow the rules.
They do not luke on the forum looking for misdeeds, but rely on reports from members, then they investigate and take action if warranted.
My conclusion is; someone is reporting all infractions in a spate of revenge, ill humor or what ever.

The big thing I think is to purchase the platinum feather. I can't afford it and if I did, I wouldn't have much use for it as I don't have anything to sell/barter.  If you obtain the platinum feather then you can list your business, etc, etc in your signature line. I don't remember all the things you can do, I hight recommend that you read the rules and look at the req of the platinum feather.

Since most of the knowledgeable people have left, this forum has slowed down eminsley, but with the infusion of the new peeps it is picking up but I fear  we will never reach the back and forth of the last few years. It is a sad thing. Mike

Some haven't left entirely, but I like the fact that I can be on one site and be in touch with all my groups of friends, so I spend most of my time there. I like to pop on here to see what's going on. Looks like lots of nice new peeps!

I think one other important factor is that this site doesn't have a good mobile version, so many of the people over there are using their phones to post.

 

[KMHunter]

Quote: I think one other important factor is that this site doesn't have a good mobile version, so many of the people over there are using their phones to post.
That is very true! I can keep up better because I can check and post from my phone much easier than here. Sometimes my phone won't let me post on this thread, so it gets frustrating.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

I don't suppose anyone is going down to the Coal Creek auction tomorrow? If I shed the Hamburgs I'm sure are cockerels I can put off building the outside brooder (which will be a beast to keep warm in this weather, anyway) until July 1 or so.

Last night I had to go check the blue cow, who is either pregnant or not, sort of a Shroedinger's calf thing, and the last 1/8 mile in and back was through knee-high going-to-seed cheat grass that kept wrapping around my ankles, ugh. It should be pasture-clipped to give the clover and the better grasses some light, but all the hay eqipment is down on the fields we contract for (two big old dairies in Nisqually) and bringing a tractor and mower up here is a waste of fuel. Anyway, not a fun ramble for somebody with bursitis in both hips, let me tell you, although I'm sure it was good for my core muscle strength and cardiac fitness or something.

Everything is laying up a storm though- they held back in the hot weather in early May- and I've solved the egg-eater problem for now, at least (although I can also smell where every rat burrow was, since they crawled home to die). The calves are all growing, the bull has finally gotten taller than the tallest cow, which means he's HUGE, and there are, against earlier evidence, a few apples and pears in the orchard despite the horrible weather while the blossom was on.

 

[Hinotori]

Omg, trying to quote on the phone here is horrid. I find it easier to read in the mobile format, but switch to full site to reply because it is much easier to get to the bottom of the quote.

 

[Hinotori]

So DH said he'd buy me some kennel panels to make 20 by 20 pen we can move as needed. I'm going to get some electric fencing so I can move pasture areas. Then I think I'm going to start out with two sheep wethers to see how well I like keeping them. I'm trying to figure out some sort of shelter for them I can move.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Hi everyone! I've been lurking for a while, but this is my first real post. I'm in the snohomish area and have a few questions. I grew up on a farm in Iowa and kept chickens for years. Mostly layers and meat birds. Now my wife and I picked up 11 bantams (silkies, sebrights, polish, and sultan) but it appears we have a multi-roo situation. I have read a lot about keeping Roos of differing breeds, but want some experienced opinions on how to deal with this issue. Currently we have 3 sebright Roos, one sultan roo, and possibly two silkie Roos. They have been raised together since hatching but are getting aggressive in their small-ish tub. I have a 24 sq ft coop coming next week, and we built a 24'x8'x6' run that will be attached to the coop. Is this enough space to keep that many boys? Will the sebrights or sultan keep my silkies from mounting? Would either of those breeds cross with the silkie hens? I would like to end up with fertile silkie eggs. Thanks in advance for your help. Ask any questions you need for clarification.

You can keep multiple roos, especially if they were raised together. But that might be a few too many.  I would maybe just keep one of each breed? Or you can always see how they do in the bigger coop and run as the hormones get pumping. If you want fertile silkie eggs then I would keep the silkie boys. The only way you will be able to know what boys are breeding with your girls is if you only put one breed of boy in with the girls at a time. I have two LF Faverolles in the same coop and smallish run, but let the boy I want to use in with the girls for a few days to a week to get fertile eggs. I also have 3 separate pens for my silkies so I can keep the girls in the different groups, then add the boys to the pens as needed. But I basically put the boys out in each pen the same every day, but can switch them when I feel like trying a different genetic combo.

I will note that this is more true of some breeds than others, and depends on the amount of space, too; I had to break up the pen of d'Anvers yesterday because the four week old babies were starting to fight; the much bigger and thus more crowded Hamburgs are still fine with each other (although the ones in the broody pen started fighting at about 16 weeks).

The really important thing is that cockerels and especially roosters eat a whole lot more than pullets and hens of the same breed and age: keeping too many cockerels is an expensive thing to do.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

So DH said he'd buy me some kennel panels to make 20 by 20 pen we can move as needed. I'm going to get some electric fencing so I can move pasture areas. Then I think I'm going to start out with two sheep wethers to see how well I like keeping them. I'm trying to figure out some sort of shelter for them I can move.

Livestock panels are much cheaper than kennel ones, although the 4X4 stuff, which is the most rigid, is blasted heavy (it's what my broody pen is made out of, clad with smaller mesh wire to keep predators out and chicks in, and I hate it). I keep my wether in an 8X8 night pen built from regular livestock panel, PVC pipe, and tarp (the tarp has to be replaced every year because of wear) and tether him with a 10ft chain (maximum length; sometimes it's adjusted down to 5 ft to keep him out of the flowers) anchored to a spading fork. I should be building a shearing table right now so I can give him a haircut, but I've got sixteen other things in front of that right now.

20X20 is also a real beast to move: better to make it smaller and move more frequently, which will also solve the chicken crater problem.

 

[BGMatt]

Omg, trying to quote on the phone here is horrid. I find it easier to read in the mobile format, but switch to full site to reply because it is much easier to get to the bottom of the quote.

I think I might be the only one that has more problems with the real site than the mobile version. iPhone user here and it works pretty well (when autocorrect co-operates)

Edit: I agree with it being far easier to read, especially images on mobile. My browser freezes everytime I try to open an image on the actual website. I have just decided that BYC hates Safari and Mac users.

 

[motherochickens]

I wish my husband had taken a picture... but he found our new rooster this morning sleeping in one of the girls "old" spot, right in front of the door to get out. The funny part is the chicken who usually sleeps in that spot was sleeping on top of him! The rest sleeping in their normal pile on the floor. Cozy flock.