Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[itsren]

I got my first silkie egg today. It is so small next to my RIR eggs, but for them to be only 9 months old I am very happy.

Congrats!

 

[CarolynF]

Random post for the day. Anyone else get a kick out of watching their chickens run? They crack me up! They kind of remind me of little dinosaurs, like a t-rex/valasaraptor mix (sorry, I'm sure I spelled that all wrong). But anyway, I love it!!

Definitely! And they sound like a herd of buffalo!

 

[itsren]

A lower temperature will keep chicks from over heating and dieing. Sadly the females are more heat sensitive and fail to hatch if they get to hot leaving you with more males then female. If you run it low you get equal to more females then males. Also your rooster makes a HUGE difference. In the past I had a rooster that created mostly pullets. I was hatching 40 eggs at a time and only ending up with 2 or 3 roosters in 100% hatches. He disappeared years ago I miss him.

Does that happen very early on? In the first hatch, I had 1 of 5 that didn't hatch. In the 2nd hatch I had 4 of 12 that didn't hatch. I cracked all of them a few days after everyone hatched and all of them looked like eggs you'd crack to eat. No signs of growth or veins or anything like that.

 

[WhiskiRanch]

I have what is probably a dumb question or a no brainer to all of you "chicken whiz's"

I have lots of scrap grass hay from when I feed my horses. Its not moldy or anything but is the scraps that fall off the flakes when I feed. Its a pain in the butt to feed it to my horses and I was wondering if i could put that in the run over the dirt? Would it make a bigger mess than just dirt or would it help as a "litter" if I clean it out regularly. I use shavings in the coops but would like something to put down in the run. I know they loved to scratch around near my hay stack last summer. What do you all think?

 

[HoneysuckleHills]

I forwarded that article to DH yesterday. His response was if I got any more organic I better get a pair of Birkenstocks and stop shaving.

I sent him a note that I was looking for Birkenstocks on Amazon and the pits were beginning to itch.

I didn't get a response back.

don't forget the VW bus

 

[HoneysuckleHills]

Dinner tonight at Woodinville's Panera at 6:00 p.m.
So far we have RonB, dawng, TerrorBird, Slinglings, Rainwolf and MamaWolf and HoneysuckleHills.
Everyone is welcome and some of us are bringing our family.
Great opportunity for newbees to meet the oldtimers.

 

[VelvettFog]

Quote:
Magic Bus

 

[itsren]

Quote:
I incubated with both incubators at 99.5. I have the Brinsea Minis and they hold the temp well because they are so small.

Hatch #1: 4 out of 5
Hatch #2: Both bators gave me 4/6 in each bator (8 chicks out of 12 eggs).

So... my hatch rate is OK. Isn't it? It's my cockerel/pullet ratio that is giving me issues.

 

[itsren]

Random post for the day. Anyone else get a kick out of watching their chickens run? They crack me up! They kind of remind me of little dinosaurs, like a t-rex/valasaraptor mix (sorry, I'm sure I spelled that all wrong). But anyway, I love it!!

YES! Especially my big 'ol Drama. She makes me laugh every time! She's so chunky she waddles. And, she thinks she's flying, because she flaps her wings the whole distance. My poor Drama - wants to be a bird that can fly so bad.

 

[itsren]

Quote:

My van is giving me issues. Maybe I'll ask him if I can trade it in for the VW version so I can paint flowers on it!