Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[DeltaBluezTess]

She was a stray, had been. Living under moms porch and around her coop for a couple weeks. The neighbor lady said she was new as well.

. Gotta get her fixed soon, she's acting like she's in heat and more kitties is the last thing we want!

a stray....sad to see that...did you have her scanned for a chip?

she is very beautiful!

 

[Coupleofzees]

Hi There!

And Welcome aboard!
Boy do I have a great day for you!!! On Saturday the 26th there is a Poultry Swap in Rickreall, Oregon and there are going to be quite a lot of birds, supplies, crafts, etc. being offered for sale. There are about 80 booths in 2 barns at the Fairgrounds. You can learn more about it on their web page and their FB page. Search "Oregon Spring Poultry Swap". Even if you don't buy it should be a very entertaining day!

If you do choose to buy off CraigsList, please be very careful about checking for parasites, injuries, health, etc. There are a lot of hatchery birds sold from home, too. If you want good stock be sure to ask about the parentage. And if you can wait, BGMatt's suggestion of going to a show in the fall is a very good one. Check out Washington Feather Fanciers and PNPA for their show schedules. These shows are a wonder to behold especially if you've never been before.

There have been a lot of folks hatching in the past few weeks so over the next couple of months there will be more birds of the age you're looking for become available. Good Luck and Enjoy!



ETA:
I was just told that Diane at the Feed Bin in Rochester is a very good source. That she deals only with breeders. It's a small feed store with great service. The Feed Bin....360-273-7440

I've been in the Feed Bin. They are so helpful and I am contemplating making some bird purchases from them if the ages of the birds are right for me when the time comes. The person that I spoke to that works there was showing me the catalogs that the store orders from so I don't think they exclusively deal with breeders. I think they get their chicks from breeders, hatcheries and from their own hens that they have there at the store. But don't hold me to that. I've been doing a lot of research and reaching out for knowledge that my details could be a little fuzzy!

That poultry swap sounds fun but that is quite a drive! I think I'll try closer to home for now. I am actually pretty leary about buying off of craigslist for the very reasons you stated. Inexperience on my part could result in making some risky or bad purchases. I will be careful if I go that route.

I've been planning for chickens for a year now and all we have left to do is make our run and do some final decorative painting on the coop. This is gettin' real!! LOL

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
Good feedback on the Feed Bin! I'll give that information to my source. It's good to get the full picture. Sounds like you're doing a great job! Have fun!

 

[elizmartin]

Hi Washington people! Do you have any recommendations on towns (rurals even better) that are good to move within an hour commuting distance of bellevue? Thanks!

From Bellevue, i would take some time driving in each direction at rush hour to get a better feel how far that may be…..I would try any promising direction several times as traffic is inconsistant. Then i would start looking…..I usually work in the Seattle area but live north between Marysville and Arlington. During rush hour it can take 55 minutes or so far up to 2 hours……I would also check out the closest feed stores and other important places like a decent grocery and hardware distance…..eliz

 

[Rainier]

We took the chicks out to their run (not ready yet so they are in a dog playpen) to see what they thought. We had lots of "happy" cheeps!

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
Excellent advice! There really isn't anyplace I would consider bad. Your budget will play a big part in the decision, too. Real estate prices vary quite a bit and depending on where you're coming from, you may experience some sticker shock. The "east side", as anything east of Lake Washington is often called, has some of the most expensive land in the area thanks to Microsoft. Good luck!

Remember too, that the further east you go heading into the foothills of the Cascades, the colder and wetter the climate. The town of Snoqualmie, for instance, is quite a bit different than Redmond.

 

[AliceSaurus]

Hi. I am new to chickens. So new that I don't have any yet. We are almost done with the coop and run. I want to start with girls that are almost ready to lay, rather than chicks. What is the most common way to find that age range? I would prefer to buy locally rather than from an online hatchery. Any recommendations in the Rochester area? I lean towards Orpingtons, Barred Rock, Easter Eggers, Australorp, maybe Welsummer. Just going to use for eggs and entertainment.

There is a poultry auction in Rochester every Saturday at 11. You can easily find it on Google. I know auctions are sort of sketchy to some folks so there is another option... This farm will have pullets available starting mid May: http://www.olyfarmstead.org/farm/chickens/

It's about a 30 minute drive from Rochester but worth it for what you need. Just email or call with questions. I know they have Ameracaunas and Barred Plymouth Rocks and a couple other breeds.

 

[AliceSaurus]

...

Hi. I am new to chickens. So new that I don't have any yet. We are almost done with the coop and run. I want to start with girls that are almost ready to lay, rather than chicks. What is the most common way to find that age range? I would prefer to buy locally rather than from an online hatchery. Any recommendations in the Rochester area? I lean towards Orpingtons, Barred Rock, Easter Eggers, Australorp, maybe Welsummer. Just going to use for eggs and entertainment. [/quote

I have no idea where my last post went so here is a summary.:

There is a poultry auction in Rochester every Saturday at 11 (Google it - registration starts at 9:30) but I have no idea how reliable they are. I never went.

There's a farm here in Olympia that sells pullets for $12 and they have Barred Rocks and Ameracaunas, among others. I would have bought from them if i hadn't decided to get chicks.

http://www.olyfarmstead.org/farm/chickens/

 

[Coupleofzees]

There is a poultry auction in Rochester every Saturday at 11. You can easily find it on Google. I know auctions are sort of sketchy to some folks so there is another option... This farm will have pullets available starting mid May: http://www.olyfarmstead.org/farm/chickens/

It's about a 30 minute drive from Rochester but worth it for what you need. Just email or call with questions. I know they have Ameracaunas and Barred Plymouth Rocks and a couple other breeds.

Thank you AliceSaurus. That looks like a lovely farm! Will definitely check them out.

 

[ochochicas]

You do have to be careful with craigslist, but there are some good deals to be had as well.

I figured the hens we found on CL were deserving of a second chance, too.
They are awesome girls. I think they are some of the happiest chickens in the county now! Today they figured out the horses are very sloppy eaters. The chickens waited in the horse stall and ate the grain as it dropped out of the horse's mouth. I'll have to get a pic one of these days.

I also just picked up a 5 gallon water fount, a water heater, and 3 large feeders on CL for only $30. I figure it would have been about $150 to buy it all in a store.