Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Chickielady]

Go buy your Thanksgiving Day Turkey NOW folks !

 

[Chickielady]

Hi there Washington neighbors! My name is Mary and I am brand new to chickens but loving every second of it. I'm so happy to have found BYC and other chicken enthusiast!

hello & welcome !

 

[Chickielady]

here is another link to maps of AI outbreaks, if it works...


https://web.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=349703&part=2

 

[Chickielady]

As far as i can understand it is the AI that is going around. It is quite possible that if there is an outbreak being there or with any of the eggs/chicks that have been purchased that are in other states, that there could be a several mile ring of depopulation with or without testing…That is what happened with the Mad Cow in Europe 8-10 years ago. I have only read the FB info, now to research what is real.

I have not heard any of that, and I get weekly updates from Olympia on any Poultry issues.
But I do see thousands of cases in Minnesota and Iowa, and I think it prudent if the Dept of Ag closed these states to shipping out, due to the facts just as you have stated.

 

[LaurelC]

With all of this drama with AI, how do you recommend getting a few laying (or nearly laying age) hens? I have a few breeds that I have been thinking I'd like, but I am not set on anything just yet. I'd like to support people who aren't just raising hatchery birds, but frankly, I don't know enough about buying chickens to make this happen.

 

[Carolei]

I have 3 bottles right now that I will not need until I hatch next spring, so if you were close I could sell one to you...but I am pretty far south of you.

I've made arrangements to get some from ochochicas this weekend. But thanks for the offer!

 

[Chickielady]

With all of this drama with AI, how do you recommend getting a few laying (or nearly laying age) hens? I have a few breeds that I have been thinking I'd like, but I am not set on anything just yet. I'd like to support people who aren't just raising hatchery birds, but frankly, I don't know enough about buying chickens to make this happen.

Try to avoid buying/transporting/eggs or birds especially from unknown sources or from areas with heavy incidents of AI.
Buy from someone you know, and keep the newbies in quarranteen for a few weeks to observe.

 

[Chickielady]

I am working on getting my duck pen converted for chickens and would love your guys' input here. The previous duck "house" will be a temporary nesting box. I'll put a couple of plastic bins in there until I get something built that allows me to collect eggs from outside the pen.

I built a roosting "loft" and will be enclosing the 2 exterior walls of it. I'm building 2 removable walls to mount as interior walls when the weather gets cooler this autumn/winter. I intend to build a poop hammock under the roosting bars and I assume that should be enough protection against the weather? The area that the pen is located is protected by fences and a huge fir tree. I'm getting clear corrugated plastic roofing to go up. I'm modifying my duck waterer to take 5 of the cup-style nipple waterers, and I'm building another 5 gallon PVC elbow type feeder. Does this plan seem like it will work? The pen is very secure, and I have had no evidence of predators in the yard at all. I imagine that my 2 large dogs have a little to do with that.


In my city, we are allowed up to 8 hens, but I think I want to start with 4ish to get started. That'll allow me to work out the kinks and give me room to expand the flock once I decide what types of chickens I really like.

Explain poop hammock ?
As in cloth ?
I would not recommend cloth...I use edged Poop Trays, with sand in them, and scoop poop with a cat litter spoon. But cloth would be so soiled so fast........



Then I also agree, predators could reach in, and the birds should have solid walls to protect them from wind & sideways rain we have here.

 

[elizmartin]

I have not heard any of that, and I get weekly updates from Olympia on any Poultry issues.
But I do see thousands of cases in Minnesota and Iowa, and I think it prudent if the Dept of Ag closed these states to shipping out, due to the facts just as you have stated.

I should have clarified it better. Way back,... would have to look it up, was either mad cow or foot & mouth….but in the UK there were killing zones around the positive tested farms and negative tested animals, even non cows were destroyed. During all this in the United States, there was a governor in the NE of the US, think it was Minn. or Wisc. or…but they said if they had a case in their state they would destroy all livestock within a 40 mile radius. This was then……Now, today, think it was in Eastern Wa. when the AI outbreak was found in the NE….i read there was door to door checking in the perimeter of the outbreak. The guy in the link in Virginia who was going to have his flock destroyed, had only received mailed eggs from someone in another state that had tested positive after the fact….It hadn't mattered that his flock tested negative.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

what breed ? I have no clue if it runs in the breed you have...I have never seen it happen !

I am just about 100% sure this one is pure Jersey Giant. BUT it was an unplanned pairing, so, not carefully bred. She's the offspring of siblings who were also the offspring of siblings. I think? Anyhow, I shared these pics with a member of the National Jersey Giant club and she's not too concerned. She's never seen it either, but she suspects the bird will grow out of it. I'll band her tomorrow (when the others are all in pre-caponizing segregation) and we'll see how she does as she grows.
One thing, though, I won't caponize her for this. But if she doesn't grow out of it, I won't breed her either.