Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Clumber]

I'm the same way. I think they're adorable, I just don't want any. Same with bantams. So cute, but I don't want any. I like my hens big

I felt that way STRONGLY about bantams, but spouse really wanted the Sebrights and what we thought was a pullet Barred turned out to be a young bantam Barred. So we had 3 Sebrights (all 3 named Heather) and the bantam Barred we call Lady Macbeth and she is the absolute HeadHen ruling over the Standards (currently 2 Speckled Sussex, 2 RIRs) with an iron cackle.

"Had" ? Yeah, now we also have 3 young bantam "Easter Eggers" because after the half-year with our revolving door of chickens (eventually we'll end up with the perfect flock, we just know it!) I decided that the bantams are awesome. So if we don't count the 6 chicks in the spare room (presumptively standards, but whatever) we have more bantams than standards now.

Littlest and only silver/blue/splash chick is looking MUCH better today. We gently used a wetwipe to tidy up some dried something on her back yesterday (from her hatch perhaps??) She is still the smallest, but is just as active now and she's easily shoving her siblings out of her way when she wants something. She fell asleep in my hands tonight, too. Is there any chicken gods sacrifice or dance I can do to beg that at least she ends up a hen??

Oh yeah - an please remind me when it is okay to offer the chicks treats like dried mealworms? (yes, we know about offering chick grit when they aren't 100% crumble anymore)

TIA!

~ Tracy

 

[FirewifeJess]

Hopped on the computer, and discovered I've been logged in for the last 2 or 3 weeks! I hate it when that happens....

The coop is battened down. I can hardly wait for next season, when we will have more cash available for extra roofs and whatnot. For now, we are roofing the door area with tarps and tightening the gaps with anything we have: tarps, old plywood, shower curtains. It is a real hillbilly shack, but dry and snug. Very snug. We are having to convince one of my daughters that the mouse nest over the nesting boxes is not a threat. They use the hay, and each nest is lined with feathers. What a dream!

In our own coop...I mean, house... storage shelves for all our junk in the basement, and I feel like we are practically moved in. I can't wait until we can afford stairs and a woodstove. We are very snug and cozy, too, and without the mouse nests, though our doorways are protected by tarp roofs for now as well.

Extra cockerels have been butchered since last I posted, I think. Though I probably did mention it I was so thrilled. I wasn't thrilled with my friend's set-up, though. His chickens were in small transport cages under tarps in the rain, his knife wasn't nearly sharp enough, and for my boys, the cones were too big to work. He was processing 30 birds a day. Gave me inspiration for my own set-up when the time comes.

Enjoying this brief respite from the rain.... I'll check in again in another 2000 posts.

FirewifeJess I love the egg dispenser thingamadeeely in your profile picture. What a good idea, and pretty with all the colors of eggs.

Thanks! It's called an egg skelter. I got mine at Manna Pro . com

I think I might be the only person on this board who doesn't really care that much about silkies.

Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike them. I'm just way more fond of the more typical-looking chickens. However, I love me some nice butt-fluff/fluffy britches. Orpingtons and Australorps are brilliant that way!

I also don't like bantams or silkies at.all. I think they're ugly

I LOVE, however, our Australorps, EEs (they have huge fluffy butts!!) and our Australorp. I like them bigger I guess. And I like big eggs.

 

[KMHunter]

I think I might be the only person on this board who doesn't really care that much about silkies.

Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike them. I'm just way more fond of the more typical-looking chickens. However, I love me some nice butt-fluff/fluffy britches. Orpingtons and Australorps are brilliant that way!

RonB doesn't care for them either! I have tried to convince him otherwise but it didn't work. Lol!

 

[KMHunter]

Quote: You think all Bantams are ugly? Even the ones that are smaller versions of LF?

right back at ya! Lol!
I can see how silkies are not cute to everyone. They kind of snuck up on me and I fell in love with them out of nowhere!

 

[FirewifeJess]

You think all Bantams are ugly? Even the ones that are smaller versions of LF?

right back at ya! Lol!
I can see how silkies are not cute to everyone. They kind of snuck up on me and I fell in love with them out of nowhere!

I think silkies are ugly and pointless. And I also don't see the point of having bantams, but that's only because I'm in it for the eggs. That's the ONLY reason we got chickens! So if I ended up with a chidken that didn't meet our egg standards (size, quantity), there would be no point in keeping said chicken. I'm sure people who are just looking for pets get lots of joy from those chickens!

 

[KMHunter]

Quote: I get you.

And I totally understand.I was giving you a hard time.

They are high maintainance and just for fun. I definitely wouldn't get them if I just wanted layers, although they lay pretty regularly, the eggs are small. I used to think they were ugly too, I am not sure when or how that changed.

I am about having fun, not just layers anymore, so they suit me fine. I do think they serve one purpose though....good broodies! I have on right now sitting on 5 eggs that I am not sure are even fertile yet!

 

[drumstick diva]

I like silkies but the sight of a rooster with his jumbo comb makes me want to retch. At least a hen usually has enough fluff to hide it but, the boys - oh, gag me with a spoon! The combs are just hideous, I always think they should be rushed to surgery to have them removed. Where did walnut combs originate? I don't know of any other breed that has them. But I can't believe a breed standard would require them. Such a beautiful bird but the combs are like a jumbo gorilla in the room. You can't stop staring at them but, you hope they don't come near you.

Silkie people please don't hate me - while others are confessing their feelings about silkies- the only thing I don't like about them is their combs. Am I the only one who feels this way about their walnut combs?

 

[RainyDayChicken]

"oh gag me with a spoon" someone is giving away when they grow up. I have not heard that in years it made me smile. I have 9 silkies the thing i do not like is how long it takes to tell roo from hen. I have a black one that was going to a awesome hen wrong it crowed about a month ago.

 

[Clumber]

I get you.

And I totally understand.I was giving you a hard time.

They are high maintainance and just for fun. I definitely wouldn't get them if I just wanted layers, although they lay pretty regularly, the eggs are small. I used to think they were ugly too, I am not sure when or how that changed.

I am about having fun, not just layers anymore, so they suit me fine. I do think they serve one purpose though....good broodies! I have on right now sitting on 5 eggs that I am not sure are even fertile yet!

Since we are just 2 humans here, and not really much for using eggs since I have an egg allergy (EXCEPT with our own birds as we found out this Spring!) the laying and egg size are probably perfect for us, though we LOVE the RIR's eggs. (Sussex and easter eggers not laying yet). We are increasing our use of fresh eggs -- gotta' make up for all those years I couldn't eat eggs! LOL

We are starting to get a lot of interest from friends, especially the ones with kids, for any surplus eggs so hopefully some of the baby chicks are HENS and we think they are standards. So far, then, the only "NO!" to our list of why we got chickens is that I cannot imagine bantams are good for much meat. Eggs, kitchen scrap disposal, bug killing, slug killing, friendly (I don't much care to feed something that bites...), compost assist - the bantams check for all of those. Except the new EE I am calling Rabies, she is NOT docile or friendly. The other 2 EEs are friendly and warming up to us quickly.

 

[Hinotori]

I had a hatchery silkie rooster last year who had a single comb. Marty was personable little bird. I hate that dog who killed him. I know that boy died defending the flock.