Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[ochochicas]

I was just about to mention Craigslist, I was interested in blueish chickens and found several there. I was wondering if there is anything to worry about with craigslist chicks? A few of them claim they are vaccinated for mareks.

A lot of people are vaccinating for Marek's. Many breeders I have talked to started vaccinating because clients wanted them vaccinated. I've purchased eggs, chicks and pullets from craigslist and most transactions have gone very smoothly. I did pay quite a bit of money for some legbars that ended up being infertile and the rooster is not pure like he was advertised. We culled him anyway because he was aggressive. Other than that all the chicks have been healthy.

 

[Chickielady]

Why did the lollipop cross the road? Because it was stuck to the chicken.

 

[Chickielady]

Hey Chickie lady- it's not too late to get meat birds. I saw that there's a new hatchery in Bellingham (?) area advertising on CL- chicks just over $1 each, and of course there's Linda who gets from Jenks in Oregon. I'm growing some this year- feeding them non-GMO food and giving them piles of weeds and grass currently since I haven't built a PVC tractor (yet). I'm excited to see how they turn out, being "pastured and organically fed, yet still fast-growing Cornish X.

Rainmom

There is no way that I want to get them now, it would be way too hot for the fatties in the latter part of summer.
We usually get 25 in January, and put them out in the tractor about 3 months old, and presto, the second 25 arrive, so the brooder gets a fresh load of fatties.
That means we are done & butchered by June.
It is far too hard on them when our temps get up 80+
I just canceled my last order that was supposed to arrive Memorial day weekend...it is too late, too hot.
Next year I'll think about it...

 

[Chickielady]

If it is decent out tomorrow, I will take some really good ones and PM them to you through messenger!

OK, and if you see Bi-Mart chicken feed on sale, let me know !!

 

[Chickielady]

So my buff has had no improvement, it's day 3 now..

It feels a bit cold to be asking, but I've been thinking of getting a lavender orpington.. Are there any breeders around for them?

Cowgirl Grace, Gig Harbor

 

[Chickielady]

Thanks, she is okay just very very old. Tomorrow is cataract surgery on her lazy, nearly blind eye. Until she got macular degeneration in her "good" eye a few months ago she didn't really use it. Now the lazy/blind eye is her good eye, so we're doing what we can with it. For anyone considering living a very very long life, I would recommend against it, it's anything but enjoyable.

We have longevity in my family.
I just went down to NorCal 12 years ago to care for my single 95 yo Grandmother.
It was all well & good for a year or so, then the mini strokes & dementia crept in...and she began to not thrive & get thinner & thinner.
Then died in my arms as I fed her.
She was pretty much ambulatory & had her wits about her until 96 yo...the sad part is when the mind goes, and she would accuse me of stealing her food (I just fed her !) and all sorts of stuff....hard to argue with dementia.

 

[Chickielady]

I'm not really joking about those lavender orpingtons though, they are beautiful!

My Big Mama chicken laid her egg finally, so I think she will be ok for now.. but I have been thinking of getting another chicken~

 

[Chickielady]

I have a problem (maybe). I went out to my coop this morning to say hello to my girls and found a bloody spot on top of their feeder and a smaller dot of blood on the rim of the feeder. The big spot is about 1.5"-2" wide and about 3" long. The girls are 13 weeks old and haven't laid any eggs, yet. Is this blood just one of the hen's way getting ready to lay an egg? (In the picture, the blood is on the top left and the drop of blood is on the rim on the right.)

They all appear to be eating, drinking and moving about just fine. Is there something I should be looking for? I've tried to check their butts for blood but haven't seen any. I look forward to hearing from you.

You may need to get them on Amprolium again for a week or 2....Either Corid in their water OR Medicated chick feed to deal with Coccidiosis.

 

[Chickielady]

Just finished the page for our new mobile chicken tractor and wanted to share here as well. Very appreciative of all the great ideas and suggestions that people share on this site.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-cluck-o-stoga-chicken-tractor



And since no one but chicken folks are interested in these sorts of details, here are a couple of videos of our finished product.

Tractor overview:

Moving the tractor:

Love the slanted 'coop' in the rear, so you can hitch it up & not drag the rear end.
We did ours 2 years ago, it has a wafer thermometer inside, attached to a space heater, so I can put youngsters in there early in spring (late winter) and they stay warm.

There is a radio-sending unit for a thermometer too, so I know how warm it is inside the 'coop' from my kitchen window.


The hatch (with skylight) opened...
Last years' cornish


Holes drilled around the coop have screen over them, to keep out mosquitoes & no-see-ums which bite the half bald cornish relentlessly & provide air when the doors are shut at night.


I put plastic over the run part, which is a big chicken wired 'door'...Einstein made the hitch from a bed frame, so it attaches to our lawn tractor easily...


Before he put the skylights in...and it was so dark inside...


These tractors are so awesome for meat birds...I have 3 week old Silver marans & Barred Rocks chicks outside in the tractor now, getting sun, when they are cold, they go inside.
Two long handles sticking out on each side of the front (above) are for us to lift it & put it on the tractor.

 

[Chickielady]

Hey everyone. It's been a while and although I'd like to say I want to be here more, I'm starting a new job next Tuesday and I don't think I will even have cell service where Im at. I hope everyone is doing well.