Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[pennyJo1960]

What in the world is wrong now ? Nasty to you ?

I couldn't figure out what she meant either

 

[Chickielady]

Interestingly, the flightiest most unfriendly silkie hen I have becomes an angel on the nest. Woe and curses upon you if you try and touch her chicks though. I have scars from her. She never loses a chick, though. She takes them very seriously

It is funny because alot of people mistake them for being so 'cute and fluffy' as if they are super mellow, dull and not too bright even...but they are and they will defend their babies ! The cockerels surprised me, they were aggressive boys !

 

[Chickielady]

okay fine ordered 12 hatching eggs from ebay dark copper marans egg 38.00 total

 

[pennyJo1960]

View attachment 1263249 View attachment 1263250 View attachment 1263251

what I did learn in all this as the colors on the marans become diluted from changing the birds feathering they loose the dark eggs only reason I want the darn things is the reaqlly dark eggs

 

[Chickielady]

Hi WA chicken keepers! I popped in back in November after losing a hen to a Cooper's Hawk. A couple of weeks ago I lost two more--the hawk went into the run and killed two young birds that I had in a playpen set up. Our chicken run is an 8'x14' Fort Knox when it's closed. Normally, the girls get run of the yard and the man-door was open.
View attachment 1263152 View attachment 1263153 (The hawk was stuck in the run for a bit while we checked on the rest of the flock.)

Now, our five girls are closed in the run until we enclose part of the backyard. My husband and I saw a friend's set up and got some ideas between aviary netting, posts, and wire fencing.
Can anyone share with me how they are keeping their flock safe and also allowing the birds room to roam? Thanks!

Holy Cow !
I have had 1 hawk attack, it sat in a fir and waited til the hen was under the tree, then flew straight down, it had a hard time taking off is how I found the hen, dead, the hawk had cut her up with its beak........Never has happened again...maybe the LDG in the yard has something to do with that, as he will bark if there is any predators about, even hawks. I am thankful for that.
I think to stop the hawk, you'll have to greatly discourage the bird not to hang around any loner...maybe shoot over his head & scare him.
Trapping can work to scare them too.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I am afraid I would shoot to kill with my cockerel he is great at bringing the girls running back in

 

[Hinotori]

what is the protein amount ? Wish we had that out here !

20%

 

[Hinotori]

It is funny because alot of people mistake them for being so 'cute and fluffy' as if they are super mellow, dull and not too bright even...but they are and they will defend their babies ! The cockerels surprised me, they were aggressive boys !

Ive been selecting for temperament now. The boys Im keeping and have been using for breeding now are almost all friendly. I can just walk up to them and pick them up. One follows me around and will tug on my pants for attention. He likes me to pick him up so I'll rub his earlobes.

 

[pennyJo1960]

by the way my mud came out to eat nabbed the 2 Silky eggs leaving the two I gave her the other day all 4 nice and warm and when a hour later walked back their coop she was back on her eggs

 

[Hinotori]

by the way my mud came out to eat nabbed the 2 Silky eggs leaving the two I gave her the other day all 4 nice and warm and when a hour later walked back their coop she was back on her eggs

Sounds like she's being a good girl.

I dump my broodies in the communal pens off the nest once a day when I feed, however, those in the isolation pen have food and water a foot in front of them so I leave them be.

I'm tempted right now to put the blue cross hen in the isolation pen with some dummy eggs to see if she'll sit since she goes broody easy.

The lightest and darkest pullets you got from me are her daughters. Can only only hope they got some of her broody traits.