Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[RebelChief]

Hi all. I'm not in WA yet but will be moving back to Whidbey Island in Dec. I am in total research mode because I really want chickens. Only planning on about 8 or so. Just enough for a good supply of eggs.

Looking forward to learning from you all.

Is there anyone else on Whidbey?

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

That sounds really odd. How old? What type of set up (barn/brooder/house/garage etc)? What kind of food? I've never ever heard of that happening without symptoms of some kind.

Edit: Any observable (no matter how irrelevant it might seem) change in routine or their environment?

No change in anything, they are eating the purina chick starter grower (as they have been since i got them) they are a month old fully feathered.
They are my dining room which is kept at 70 degrees with a light on them. Their brooder has been reduced to 90 (which happened last week). they were doing totally fine and all the remaining ones have no symptoms either. So I don't understand it at all.
Like if they were getting sick or something I'd have expected it. But they seemed completely healthy.

 

[clankeyes]

Hi all. I'm not in WA yet but will be moving back to Whidbey Island in Dec. I am in total research mode because I really want chickens. Only planning on about 8 or so. Just enough for a good supply of eggs.

Looking forward to learning from you all.

Is there anyone else on Whidbey?

I'm not on Whidbey anymore.. we lived their for 25 years and moved off this last summer to Bellingham area... Are you Military ? I have a few friends on the Island with chickens..

 

[DuckyDestiny]

Just got a couple new chicks yesterday!! My bf made it very clear he had no interest in my birds. Until it was time to pick out. Then it was "you should get a spotted one" lol do we came home with a black sex link and a silver laced wyandotte. Silkies April 10 and holland white turkeys April 29! So can't wait!

 

[Totalcolour]

No change in anything, they are eating the purina chick starter grower (as they have been since i got them) they are a month old fully feathered.
They are my dining room which is kept at 70 degrees with a light on them. Their brooder has been reduced to 90 (which happened last week). they were doing totally fine and all the remaining ones have no symptoms either. So I don't understand it at all.
Like if they were getting sick or something I'd have expected it. But they seemed completely healthy.

That should be down to bout 75 by now (reduce 5 degs a week until you reach 70). That seems high, but not sure if it would cause "sudden" death.

 

[BGMatt]

No change in anything, they are eating the purina chick starter grower (as they have been since i got them) they are a month old fully feathered.
They are my dining room which is kept at 70 degrees with a light on them. Their brooder has been reduced to 90 (which happened last week). they were doing totally fine and all the remaining ones have no symptoms either. So I don't understand it at all.
Like if they were getting sick or something I'd have expected it. But they seemed completely healthy.

Totalcolour beat me to the temperature thing, that's really really hot for that age especially, but if their activity levels were normal I wouldn't think that would cause sudden death either. Sad occasion but very intriguing as that is just odd circumstances.

 

[Chickielady]

Welcome to the group, your going to love your chicks. What kind did you get.
I'd love to see a picture too, I'm a craftaholic, I'll try anything once.

Craftaholic...that is a good one !
I am deciding now to get into stained glass.
I have done quilts forever....I have always wanted to do stained glass but with kids it can be dangerous, and expensive & really needs it's "own room"........now I have the room...and the kidlets
are long gone !

 

[Chickielady]

I never vaccinate and when i order chicks I request they don't vaccinate them. But that is just my preference.

The vaccine that the hatcheries use, is slightly different than the one offerd to us...and it is positive vaccination.
The one we get is not positive, in other words ours is a preventative, not positively guarranteed to prvent the bird from Marek's.
Any time you have a chance to get hatchery birds, please vaccinate them, it helps stop the spread of the devastating disease.

 

[Chickielady]

Not my first year owning them. 2 of the females hatched out ducklings last year. so it's impossible for them to have laid last year and be males. I just dont get why mine are so late to lay eggs.

Wow, I have no idea...are they not happy ?
Is there dogs or something around that was not there last year ?
Do they have light in the coops ?
My lights are on timers & come on at 6 AM & go off about 5.
This nasty dark weather, along with coops under the big fir trees, can be dark !
Speaking of which, my best blue copper marans hen just started laying yesterday..

the second to he last to start lay...the Black Javas are always last !

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

Totalcolour beat me to the temperature thing, that's really really hot for that age especially, but if their activity levels were normal I wouldn't think that would cause sudden death either. Sad occasion but very intriguing as that is just odd circumstances.

I know it seems high right now. The reason it's still high is because they weren't staying to far from the light. So that told me that reducing it more would cause them to get cold.
I just *sigh* I don't know. I've never had chicks this age die on me. Also these ones unlike any chickens I've ever had I cannot hold. I put feed in and they hide, refill their water they hide. They've been like that since I've got them so they are not bred for temperament at all
I don't like the breeding practices based on what these chicks are acting like and the death rate.