Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Duck Drover]

We have more roosters than I ever would have kept because they are grandfathered against the code change that now bans roosters. I had planned to sell off roosters but now we have multiple roosters in case something were to happen to one. Normally we would keep hens and sell roosters, swapping out the rooster every year, but we had to sell hens and keep the roosters instead. Having more than one rooster breeding together does help mix up the genetics a bit more in case people get a straight run of chicks and keep a rooster for breeding the hens (less likely to be full brother and sister but still possible). Most people know to sell off the roosters (or eat them) and bring in an unrelated rooster for breeding or they just keep hens for eggs.

Our roosters crow but it is not too annoying. I like barnyard sounds over people noise but not everyone feels the way I do. We may decide not to have roosters in the future but we hatch to cover our feed costs so they are necessary for now. If we could just hatch ducks or maybe quail to cover feed costs for layers then we could do away with the roosters but I enjoy preserving heritage breeds and making purebred birds available. So many people with roosters have barnyard mixes rather than breeding with purpose and intent.

 

[mixedbreeds]

I don't mind the crowing either and I don't have close neibors. I like doing some different crosses for egg color to sell interesting looking eggs. I plan on making more pens to have other pure breed chickens it's all for fun for me. I raised fish for a living for 37 years guess I just need to keep raising something.

 

[Duck Drover]

I don't mind the crowing either and I don't have close neibors. I like doing some different crosses for egg color to sell interesting looking eggs. I plan on making more pens to have other pure breed chickens it's all for fun for me. I raised fish for a living for 37 years guess I just need to keep raising something.

That is breeding with intent combined with an expected outcome. Some people just have a mix of hens running with a mixed rooster and they hatch the eggs or sell the fertile eggs as hatching eggs for others to hatch. I get that every hen lays an egg no matter what breed or mix of breeds it is but I just don't think the mixed up unrecognizable mutts are worth enough to hatch them on purpose or to ask for money for them. Of course that is my opinion and some will disagree.

 

[Leigti]

I like mutt chickens. Of course I also like mutt cats and dogs. If I had the space, time, and money, I would think it would be kind of fun to see what different colored eggs you can get. And I don't think there's anything wrong with selling them as long as you're honest with the person buying them as to what breed or variety they are. I guess it's kind of like dogs, I think if you're looking for something specific stick to a known breed. Sometimes you get healthier animals when they are not "purebred". Does this work with chickens also?

 

[Leigti]

My neighbors have a gigantic rooster. I'll try to get a picture of him, he might be a cochin, I think he had fuzzy feet. He never shuts up. We are actually allowed to have roosters in town here although most people think we can't. I almost got a rooster but change my mind. Now I'm glad I did because the neighbors rooster is plenty for one neighborhood.

 

[Hinotori]

If you don't select for egg laying ability, you loose quantity. That's why the old farmers would eat any hens not producing. Mixes are fine as long as you keep in mind what purpose you want from them. That's how a landrace like the Icelandics developed all the colors. The farmers kept all the colors. It was encouraged as long as the hens produced in their climate.


I had a run in with a hatchery silkie rooster that was nasty the first year I had chickens. I didn't know then that temperament was highly inheritable and hatched eggs from him and my fairly friendly EEs. Offspring were nasty. Then I has the joy of getting an 8 week old wheaten ameraucana pair. Both were sweethearts. Duke was super people friendly and passed that on. The rooster I got later wasn't as friendly, but he wasn't evil.

These partridge silkie roosters are so far on the friendly scale, even when not handled, I won't tolerate nasty ever again. The roosters are even easier to tame than the hens.

 

[Hinotori]

Kill count today is 5. The dogs tilled half of one of my raised beds when they dug them out. With everything so saturated and flooded, the garden is one of the drier places.

Much praises and chicken jerky for them. I should get a treat too, since I killed one that tried to run

 

[Chickielady]

8 times a day seriously I think my Roo crows 80 times a day and he is a bad boy. If it wasn't for the cool crosses I have planed for him I would take him out he is one mean machine you can never lower your guard around him.

I have at least 8 cocks right now, and 3 cockerels learning to crow....and it is 24/7........almost a comfort at 3 in the morning when 1 crows, the next crows, and on it goes...and I am to the point where I know each and everyone's individula crow & voice...LOVE my birds !

 

[Chickielady]

And that's why I will be a hen only flock. No crowing, no meanies. No P O'ed neighbors...........

OH NO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hens are far meaner than the cocks are !!!!!!!!

Hens will attack & peck to death a new addition or another hen they were raised with, if it is meek or slow in anyway.....make no mistake...girls can be seriously mean !
In alot of ways a cock in the coop will act as a referee, and sometimes he will almost act as if he encourages the strong hens to attack a weaker...............and sometimes he will step in & disband the marauders....

 

[Chickielady]

My neighbors have a gigantic rooster. I'll try to get a picture of him, he might be a cochin, I think he had fuzzy feet. He never shuts up. We are actually allowed to have roosters in town here although most people think we can't. I almost got a rooster but change my mind. Now I'm glad I did because the neighbors rooster is plenty for one neighborhood.

If you can hear him, so can your hens...and watch he does not call them over....