Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[pennyJo1960]

Silkies are soooooo cute!

if you only have Silky see about a nice run where they can lay in the sun doesn't need to be the main one

 

[Chickielady]

That litteraly just shook my world!! I haven't even thought about that. I'm still looking for chicks (silkies)have a shipment this upcoming week at the feed store. Waiting for the weekend to build more of the coop frame/YouTube every chicken video known with my daughter, but the brooder is good to go. I'm a bit on anxious at this point, and now worried about work and mixup of the chicks. Time to start messaging again and calling some hatchery (closest a 12 hr drive there and back)

I do not think you (or the sales clerks there) will have any trouble ID'ing a silkie chick from the other breeds.
That said, if an uninformed sales clerk waits on a customer, who loves & wants to buy those cute little fuzzy ones....then they could sell them before you get there.
It is my belief that this is how super rare breeds get bought from a feed store..then you go back a year later & want to know if they will ever have any more (for example) Araucanas,and they say they never ever had Araucanas.

 

[Chickielady]

got a clue from another member went to Ebay for Marans eggs was really enlightened
that want that really dark egg stay with the black

Black Copper Marans lay the darkest egg, and the silver colorations lay the lightest dark brown eggs.
Silver Cuckoo Marans, and Silver Marans eggs can start out really dark and lighten as lay goes on through the summer.
My silver Cuckoos never got as light as a light brown layer, but they were not as dark as the Black Coppers.
Marans breeders are working hard to not only introduce new colors of the Marans breed, but also to cull for any light colored eggs and only breed the darkest laid eggs.

 

[Chickielady]

Hi! Anyone in Vancouver, WA interested in sharing a February order of chicks from MyPetChicken? They seem like the only source for sexed chicks vaccinated for Mareks. There is a 15 chick minimum now, so I'd love to have a partner in this....

I usually buy from McMurray and they not only sex but vaccinate for Marek's also, and I think a few others do too.

 

[Chickielady]

Nothing like watching a couple dozen teenagers and young pullets go lame and die to convince me. Was 100% mortality in everything under 9 months. You can't breed for resistance with that

Yeah that sucks !
We vaccinate all chicks that hatch here. Even if the breed's resistance appears stronger..with half the birds vaccinated and the other half unvaccinated, they say you are asking for trouble as the vaccinated birds can shed the virus, and the unvaccinnated ones can get it.
While I have never seen this happen, I still vaccinate all my birds.
Even adult birds I buy from someone else, I give them a shot, too.
Only old birds I have seen go wobbly and after a day to make sure it isn't a simple sore leg or muscle, we cull them
I stagger hatches, and after I get about 30 or more chicks in the brooder (indoors) I vaccinate them before they go outdoors (and any older birds that are unvaccinated) that we may have bought that are unvaccinated.

 

[Chickielady]

Pacific Northwest Poultry Association show at the Clark County Fairgrounds.

Ive been saving my little Amazon boxes so I can look for chicks

What are you looking for ?
Still working on Partridge ?

 

[mixedbreeds]

Black Copper Marans lay the darkest egg, and the silver colorations lay the lightest dark brown eggs.
Silver Cuckoo Marans, and Silver Marans eggs can start out really dark and lighten as lay goes on through the summer.
My silver Cuckoos never got as light as a light brown layer, but they were not as dark as the Black Coppers.
Marans breeders are working hard to not only introduce new colors of the Marans breed, but also to cull for any light colored eggs and only breed the darkest laid eggs.

Yes that's what I have found out as well with egg color. The Black Copper Marans I have now are really nice they are from Greenfire Farms they should be nice at 60.00 a chick. They come with a certificate from the American Poultry Association.

 

[Chickielady]

Hello everyone! Im new to the site. I dont have any chickens yet but I am hoping to start a small flock this spring/summer.

First step for me is figuring out a coop!

Oh yeah, I live in the arlington area.

I am probably the last one to say Welcome ! But welcome anyways !

 

[Chickielady]

That should work. I'd use hardware cloth for the run walls then in 1/2 or 1/4 inch. Screw it up and down between wall joists. It can be a little expensive, but it's the safest. Chicken wire is only good for keeping chickens in and breaking. It doesn't keep predators out at all. Amazon is by far the cheapest place to buy it.

I have been tossing ideas for hoop coops around with Chickenmomma16 and we have these coupla photos that are awesome, and predator proof. One woman uses no wooden coop, she has only hoop coops and the birds love it. Less maintenance, less cost, more sunshine and the birds are already "out" in the morning and so require no locking up at night or unlocking in the morning...I like that !



So here are a few ideas..........some used pallets as sides, which work great for pigs or goats even............the last photo is of my "no dig" fence, which prevents predators from digging under the hoop coop or fence.
I am thinking of using this same design with (white or clear tarp) for my new green house, the old wooden green house has seen better days.

 

[Chickielady]

Yes that's what I have found out as well with egg color. The Black Copper Marans I have now are really nice they are from Greenfire Farms they should be nice at 60.00 a chick. They come with a certificate from the American Poultry Association.

A certificate from the APA ?
What does it say ? That they are poultry ?
Sorry, just had to ask.
Or members ?
I am a member, too, most hatcheries are, and alot of small breeders too.
I get my Marans from Marans Club of America breeders, like Bev Davis and Wade Jean.
I have never seen GFF do much other than import birds from someone else.