Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

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I agree with Jess. My poop scooping time has doubled with the addition of the wee ones. And, we know it will go up even more as soon as the eggs hatch. I do scoop poop every single day - sometimes twice a day - to keep my yard kid-friendly, and to keep the smell non-existent. I did have issues with my neighbors at first. It was pretty bad - but I think relationships have been mended and they have commented more than once that they are surprised they don't see or hear my birds.

All the poop goes into closed garbage cans until I can find the time to bury it in the garden beds. So far, so good. For the most part, until you see the coop, or unless you hear them, you can't tell I have birds in my back yard at all. Cleaning the chick's poop up is much harder than cleaning the big girls poop because the chick's poop is so tiny. Honestly, I can't wait until they start pooping bigger poops to make the job easier.

Jessica's yard is huge. It's easier for me to scoop poop because the area my chickens free-range in is much, much smaller. It just takes a few strides back and forth across my yard, and I'm done. Finding all the poop in a yard the size of Jessica's would be very difficult.

Being that you are in Seattle, I would guess that you have a smaller yard???? Cleaning would probably be quicker for you, than it would for someone with a larger yard. Hope that helps.

I sit on 10,000 sq. feet - but most of that land is my front yard and a rather large side yard that the chickens rarely go on (unless they're in the chicken tractor).
Yeah, I have a smallish yard (but not tiny) and it takes very little time to clean it up. I never smell anything and none of the neighbors even know I have chickens. They haven't said anything about it anyway ;) The only time I hear the hens is on the weekends when I don't open the coop as early--they like to complain, but it isn't terribly loud. I'm just very sensitive to it, I hop up and let them out right away and go back to bed. I think my entire lot is 7000 sq feet. about half in front, half in back. The neighbors to the left don't speak English, the house to the right is empty and has been for sale forever, we don't have anyone directly across the street, the closest house across the street from us has chickens also. People behind us are never around and we never see them. We have a 10 foot hedge between us and them. Our yard works well for the chickens even though it isn't large.

If I fence off the patio, that will eliminate probably 80% of the clean up I have to do. I don't plan to get anymore Jersey Giants--she has HUGE poops. Easy to clean up, but geesh.
 
Favs are pretty timid and don't mix well with an already established mixed flock. But if you raise 4-6 babies together and add them all together it may work. Most mixed breed flocks are fine if raised together. I only ran into problems when I tried to add to my flock. Them I started to realize how different breeds can be great or a problem. I have gotten rid of a few because they terrorized the new ones.

That's interesting. All 4 of my chicks are 1/2 Fav - and the only one that is timid is Latte. And Latte is REALLY timid. I suspect, when the other three are full-grown (if they are girls), Rhodie will find herself lowered, very quickly, on the pecking order. Those three are quite the feisty chicks.

I almost wonder if I should put Latte and Drama together in their own coop alone. It would be kind of weird to put my biggest chicken and my tiniest chicken in the same coop, alone together, but Drama is probably the only one who would not be mean to little Latte.
 
They get along OK for Females
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Quote: Might be a good idea. And I didn't notice the timidness(is that a word? Lol) until I put them in with the older girls. It got better after my Fav boy got big and realized he could be head honcho. You may have to play with the combinations to see who gets along.
I have a silkie hen that is super cranky and fights with all the other silkies excpt one. I brought one home from the show and since the one died I put her in with one rooster and the hen. She and the hen are geting along pretty well. The hen still picks at her a little, but the pullet doesn't challenge her like the others. This little hen doesn't back down! So play with combos until you find a good one. Does Drama not get along with her current flockmates?

Oh, and Favs are not timid with each other.
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My older pullet went right after the younger ones when I added them. But is was over pretty quickly.
 
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Thanks. Actually we have been waiting for a call back from HD. I think they dropped the ball so will call tomorrow again.
It looks nicer & it lasts longer ... we have the marine climate so metal rusts faster. DH doesn't want to do it over in 10 years or so.
~Dee~
We bought quite a few rolls of the PVC fencing from HD, it is green & has 1/2" squares, and comes in 2 and 3 foot widths................then I zip tied it to the bottom of the feild fencing, so as to contain chicks, but keep predators out.
This PVC fencing has no wire in it, and it THICK and very sturdy.



Chick pen to the right....







Hope ya can see how we attached the PVC fencing right to the feild fencing...so far not many chicks escaped, and no predator issues at all.
 
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I'm not sure if this is one of the questions that can be asked but may not be answered :) but it doesn't hurt to ask---how many people are keeping more chickens than they are legally supposed to?    I want more and more hens, and technically I can only have 4 more, however, there are at least 6 more breeds that I would like.   I am in Seattle and have a fairly average size, small back yard.  They have access to the whole yard and only sleep in the coop.  I would need a larger, nicer coop. 

How much trouble can you get in?  Do the neighbors have to complain before anything happens?  What are the consequences?

I would also like to ask for advice about what breeds I should get, but not sure if I should ask here or in another forum.  

Nothing will happen until early spring, at the earliest, so I'm just planning right now..

Well I am lucky and don't have to deal with the same limits that many of you have. My advice would be share some eggs with your neighbors to help keep them happy. I would keep a low profile and not make a big deal about the # of birds you have and don't get too carried away with how many you have.  And I think ya need  some Faverolles

It's on my list :)    also on my list are 
 
copper black Marans, for egg color, 
barred rock,
gold lace wyandotte
welsummer,
black sex link 

a blue/green egg layer
olive egg layer
and there are many others I like..
 
It's too many.  I would gladly get rid of the buff orp.  She is as old as my white leg horn and red sex link, who have been laying since Sept, and she hasn't laid a single egg.  And she's skittish.  

This is actually to everybody ESPECIALLY newer peeps. Please keep in mind that not all birds get a long well so one should really do yer home work before mixing too many breeds in the same housing.

That's why I'm asking questions now :)  Which four would be best to go with the four I have now--or should I just get more of the two that I really like?  (leghorn and sexlink)
In my experience, Barred Rocks are great. I'm on my third and I love her dearly. Mine have not been mean birds and they have gotten along quite well in my very mixed flock. My opinion on Black Sexlinks is pretty much the same. Plus, they have hawk faces!
 
I'm not sure if this is one of the questions that can be asked but may not be answered :) but it doesn't hurt to ask---how many people are keeping more chickens than they are legally supposed to?    I want more and more hens, and technically I can only have 4 more, however, there are at least 6 more breeds that I would like.   I am in Seattle and have a fairly average size, small back yard.  They have access to the whole yard and only sleep in the coop.  I would need a larger, nicer coop. 

How much trouble can you get in?  Do the neighbors have to complain before anything happens?  What are the consequences?

I would also like to ask for advice about what breeds I should get, but not sure if I should ask here or in another forum.  

Nothing will happen until early spring, at the earliest, so I'm just planning right now..



I agree with CR. You can surely get and hide more than just the 4, BUT you could be forced to get rid of them if someone turns you in. Another thing to think about is the mess that more chickens makes. I have about half an acre for the chooks to roam (12 of them) and they make a horrible poopy mess all over the backyard. It's NOT kid friendly anymore and unless I were to spend an hour a day outside wandering in the rain and scooping tiny pooplets, the yard will never be kid friendly again. I know you have young kids, so do you really want your yard dirtier than it is with the 4 you have? Just my thoughts!


I agree with Jess.  My poop scooping time has doubled with the addition of the wee ones.  And, we know it will go up even more as soon as the eggs hatch.  I do scoop poop every single day - sometimes twice a day - to keep my yard kid-friendly, and to keep the smell non-existent.  I did have issues with my neighbors at first.  It was pretty bad - but I think relationships have been mended and they have commented more than once that they are surprised they don't see or hear my birds.

All the poop goes into closed garbage cans until I can find the time to bury it in the garden beds.  So far, so good.  For the most part, until you see the coop, or unless you hear them, you can't tell I have birds in my back yard at all.  Cleaning the chick's poop up is much harder than cleaning the big girls poop because the chick's poop is so tiny.  Honestly, I can't wait until they start pooping bigger poops to make the job easier.

Jessica's yard is huge.  It's easier for me to scoop poop because the area my chickens free-range in is much, much smaller.  It just takes a few strides back and forth across my yard, and I'm done.  Finding all the poop in a yard the size of Jessica's would be very difficult.

Being that you are in Seattle, I would guess that you have a smaller yard????  Cleaning would probably be quicker for you, than it would for someone with a larger yard.  Hope that helps.

I sit on 10,000 sq. feet - but most of that land is my front yard and a rather large side yard that the chickens rarely go on (unless they're in the chicken tractor).
You guys just need some clean-up dogs! :gig
 
I watched a video of a guy who just took a pair of pliers and grasped them and twisted firmly but gently until they just popped off. It works great! VERY little blood. They came off suprisingly easy. All that was left was a little pointy stub. Had to do it because he is a little older and his spurs really needed ro be done. I am glad I did it on my silkie roo before ever having to do it on my Fav boys!
Yes it is easy, but I am out of bleed stop powder, and until I get some more, I waite, and when I waite, I forget what I am waiting for...LOL easily distracted these days with all the construction & holidaze.....I have seen people use both golden seal powder and red pepper powder as bleed stop powders....so that is always posible, but I still would rather get bleed stop...
 

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