Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Shanny050]

My birds can walk from the nesting box right onto their roosts. I haven't had any issues. Only broodies give me trouble because they ALWAYS pick the favorite nest box. 

This is taken from where the nest boxes will be. You can see the roost, I'm thinking it will be fine.

 

[Shanny050]

My wife and I are so overjoyed, I just had to drop in and post pictures of our broody momma, and her six chicks. I frequent BYC on facebook more then I do the actual website lol. To many posts to keep up with on this thread. On to the babies! Momma: Black Copper Marans 3 Buff Laced Polish: from Papa's Poultry fertile egg. 1 Olive Egger: from Papa's Poultry fertile egg. 1 Lavender Orpington: from Jennifer (Aisling Farms) 1 Gold Copper Marans: from Travis Lacey All one big happy family! We introduced the GCM and LO pullets this afternoon. They hatched a day before ours did. It went off without a hitch, like they knew they were family. And I also finally got around to finished our rooster weather vane as well. Here is a picture of it. I will be updating my coop page with more specifics on the weather vane though. Hatching with a broody momma was such an awesome experience. I highly recommend doing it to anyone who is able too!

How adorable! Very nice family and great vane too!

 

[ShockValue]

Mama and 2 of her chicks. 2 more underneath. 2 more waiting to hatch!

 

[Shanny050]

Mama and 2 of her chicks. 2 more underneath. 2 more waiting to hatch!

Are these the ones that your still waiting for the two marans to hatch?

 

[ShockValue]

Yes. One has pipped, the other isn't showing much signs of life yet.

 

[Theegoliath]

We are now down to 5 chicks : ( Wife came home today from chores and found one of the buff laced polish chicks dead, with no visible signs of any wrong doing : / sigh.

 

[CarolynF]

ShockValue...congratulations on your babies.

OverEggstended & ochochicas...haven't started feeding my babies scratch, yet. They are 7.5 weeks old. Are they old enough to be supplemented with scratch? Do I need to put them on oyster shell when I do start feeding them scratch? Right now, I just get a handful of their baby starter pellets (or whatever it's called) and either toss it out for them or let them eat it out of my hands. I'll probably have to stop feeding them from my hand soon because they are pecking harder as they grow older.

Better go get lunch. Going to leave soon and hit the town to go Home Depot shopping.

Before starting to feed scratch or anything other than manufactured feed, be sure they have access to grit whether it's from sand on the ground or store bought. NOT oyster shell. They don't get supplemental calcium (like oyster shell or layer feed) until they're ready to lay. Mine get little treats from about 3 weeks, in small quantities.

Yes. One has pipped, the other isn't showing much signs of life yet.

Please keep up posted! It's been a rough 3 weeks for you. Hang in there.

We are now down to 5 chicks : ( Wife came home today from chores and found one of the buff laced polish chicks dead, with no visible signs of any wrong doing : / sigh.

So sorry, I hope the others thrive.

Love your weather vane. Did you have a pattern for the rooster, or are you just super artistic?

 

[ShockValue]

Please keep up posted! It's been a rough 3 weeks for you. Hang in there.

This morning we went out to check.. The 4 hatched from yesterday seem healthy. Peeping, scurrying, and mostly trying to stay hidden under mom.

The egg that had pipped had been shoved out of the nest overnight or early this morning. It was far enough out of the nest that I'm confident it was intentional. It was cold to the touch so I went ahead and peeled it open. Fully formed but dead chick.

There is one more egg. Not pipped. I tried listening to it, but heard nothing. I suspect it stopped developing at some point (or never started, I never did candle with anything approaching confidence.). We figure if there are no signs of life by tomorrow morning we'll crack it open and see what is inside. I suspect it will be icky, but we're a curious lot.

 

[Amberjem]

been busy busy busy here expanding coop. still lots to do paint trim finish the roof.........and plenty to do in the greenhouse transplanting stuff out and getting ready for this year

 

[OverEggstended]

ShockValue...congratulations on your babies.

OverEggstended & ochochicas... a thy babies scratch, yet. They are 7.5 weeks old. Are they old enough to be supplemented scratch? Do I need to put them on oyster shell when I do start feeding them scratch?  Right now, I just get a handful of their baby starter pellets (or whatever it's called) and either toss it out for them or let them eat it out of my hands. I'll probably have to stop feeding them from my hand soon because they are pecking harder as they grow older.

Better go get lunch. Going to leave soon and hit the town to go Home Depot shopping.

Not sure about others here, but I have always used scratch for what the word implies and thought of it as an enrichment item. IOW... As something to enrich their diet and lives with. I like to throw it where they can play hide and seek for their food and it will keep them busy (in a pile of shavings ora pea gravel path for instance). It also teaches them to forage for food, like INSECTS! I personally think that the sooner this taught, the better. Same with fruits and veggies.