Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[ChickAudie]

Hi Jordann and welcome to BYC!!!

I'm out in Tacoma, so I don't think I can help answer the chicken laws in your neck of the woods, but best a-luck to you!!! Hopefully the neighbors don't mind and never complain!!

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

It's so going to bum me out if we can't get a rooster .... That's the whole point of getting the chickens, to cut down on chick buying costs.

Too bad they don't make anti crow collars.

I wish they had anticrow collars. LOL Or a breed of rooster that had no voice.

 

[Jordann]

If I do get a broody girl, what are your experiences with buying fertile eggs for a girl to hatch? Guess we could always try that route if no Roos are allowed?

 

[Jordann]

Chickaudi, we only have one neighbor we care about. The people behind us are tweakers, so they obviously won't be calling the cops and their neighbors are always loud so it would be nice to have something loud for them. Our neighbors on the other side we don't like and they don't call the cops, because they too do not follow the rules and have a dog that barks ALLLLLLLLLL day long. Maybe I'll keep the roo right by their fence.

Sweetlilbaby .... We may be onto something here .... Make a collar that vibrates when the Roos are obnoxious ... But one that fits a roo neck.... Haha

 

[ChickAudie]

Haha, or the citronella collars that spray in their face

I am imagining the look on that roosters face!!

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

TurtlePowerTrav, thank you! I have no problem paying more for someone that breeds the chicks on their own, since they have so much into the birds, but the feed stores (out where I am at least) like to overprice everything because they can. It's really all stores, not just the feed stores. I want to have everything ready for the chicks/chickens before we get them, so I'm sure we'll be getting the kiddos in the spring sometime.

Do you think it would be better to get chicks at least the first time around, to introduce to the dogs, or would an older girl be better? I'm not going to leave the girls alone with the dogs (especially the Hound) until I see how everybody reacts. That's why I would like a roo too .... To chase off the hound if need be.

Just be aware, most roosters will be no match for any dog, especially if the dog has a poor control of his chase/hunt drive. I would get chicks that you raise from day old. Introduce the dog to the brooder(next to it of course) so it can smell the birds. NEVER hold a chick in your hand and put it in the dogs face(they think you are giving them a treat). As the chicks get older and you transition them out to a coop/run/free range, have you dog on a leash and when he starts to show interest in the chickens, take him inside. Then after a few minutes, repeat. Do this until he has NO interest in the chickens at all. Then try with either a loose, long lead or nothing(with you out there to intervene) and see if he chooses to ignore the chickens or if he wants them. It will take lots of time and patience, but the dog can be trained to be around the chickens. But if he does happen to attack/kill one ever, never let it around them again(hard to stop it once it starts). My dog is buds with my rooster, they sleep together during the day on the porch. We are going to be adding a new dog into the mix and will be going through the training with it too.

What breeds of birds are you looking for? and what purpose, layers, meaties, pets? I can possibly get you pointed in the right direction as far as who is breeding what.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

Sweetlilbaby .... We may be onto something here .... Make a collar that vibrates when the Roos are obnoxious ... But one that fits a roo neck.... Haha

yup we need to make one. I have a vibration collar for one of my dogs but it's one that i push the button on. I used it to introduce him to the chickens because he's hyper and loves to play.
I just want a rooster that doesn't crow so i can hatch my own eggs instead of having to get them from other people.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

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[itsren]

I am looking into getting into the chicken adventure and all I have been able to find is feed stores charging an arm and a leg because they don't have competition out here... Jerks! I have been looking on Craigslist but it must still be too early because people there are also charging (what seems like to me) a lot for chicks and 3x as much for pullets. Maybe I'm just a cheap person.

Chicks from feed stores around here (Auburn) are about $3 each. Maybe that will help you figure out what you should be paying. Feed store chicks are usually not true to breed, that is why they are so inexpensive.

 

[ChickAudie]

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That is some great advise Travis! I was going to do exactly what you said not to do! I guess I never related showing puppy the chicks to here puppy, have a treat!

Sweetlilbaby, my dog is a little on the hyper side still, too. He is two in November and has all that puppy energy. But he is very smart and listens well (except for "down"!). We are hoping with work, he'll be a great chicken herder!

He looks a lot like FlyRobinFly's puppy on her profile picture, he's a poodle/golden retriever and Australian shepherd mix. He has some great traits!