Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[FirewifeJess]

IMO (my unexperienced one at that) I would say Blackie is a cockeral and Latte is still up in the air. She's looking like a cockeral to me, but sometimes they surprise me.

I can't even count the bags of feed we've used since April when we got our chicks. It's a LOT though! Thing is...they aren't in the run very much either during the summer; but during the winter they hang out in there almost all day because the weather is so wet. I'm sure we'll go through less in the summer. I'll do the same experiment during peak laying time (summer equinox) just like I did now during winter equinox. Wonder how different it'll be?!

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

As I was typing my posts to Istren, my rooster started doing the "egg song", which means predator. I ran up stairs grabbed the rifle and went outside. The big kids are all huddled against the house so I walk out to the back fence. I see feathers on the ground, hawk attack. Then sure enough just above me in the tree is a Coopers Hawk. He flew up into a tree about 50 yards away. I shot the ground to scare it off(took 3 shots to make it fly away). Then started looking for a body since there weren't a ton of feathers on the ground. About 5 feet away against the fence is Peep the EE lying on the ground and gasping for breath. I almost just put her out of her suffering there. But picked her up and inspected her wounds. She has a 1/2" gash at the base of her skull. I brought her in and put antibiotic ointment on it and have her in the 30gal brooder tub with the dark lid on to keep it dark. She is sitting normal but still very much in shock. Hopefully she will make it since her wounds aren't severe. But we can't find Elphaba(EE) or Amber(GSL). they have flown the yard and are hiding. Hopefully they can make it back before dark.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

IMO (my unexperienced one at that) I would say Blackie is a cockeral and Latte is still up in the air. She's looking like a cockeral to me, but sometimes they surprise me.

Latte has even all over coloring, where Blackie has the splotchy red patches of males. Latte is definitely a girl. I would bet all my chickens on it.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote: Yeah now that you mention that aspect she's more like a pullet. Her comb just looks so masculine to me, even with a pea comb! I'm just used to "pure" bred chickens is all...mine are all hatchery "pure" breds

 

[SadieSue]

As I was typing my posts to Istren, my rooster started doing the "egg song", which means predator. I ran up stairs grabbed the rifle and went outside. The big kids are all huddled against the house so I walk out to the back fence. I see feathers on the ground, hawk attack. Then sure enough just above me in the tree is a Coopers Hawk. He flew up into a tree about 50 yards away. I shot the ground to scare it off(took 3 shots to make it fly away). Then started looking for a body since there weren't a ton of feathers on the ground. About 5 feet away against the fence is Peep the EE lying on the ground and gasping for breath. I almost just put her out of her suffering there. But picked her up and inspected her wounds. She has a 1/2" gash at the base of her skull. I brought her in and put antibiotic ointment on it and have her in the 30gal brooder tub with the dark lid on to keep it dark. She is sitting normal but still very much in shock. Hopefully she will make it since her wounds aren't severe. But we can't find Elphaba(EE) or Amber(GSL). they have flown the yard and are hiding. Hopefully they can make it back before dark.

Gosh darn hawk... I sure hope Peep pulls through and that your other girls find their way home safely!

 

[FirewifeJess]

So sorry about your hawk attack Travis! I hope your gal makes it!

 

[LaughingFeather]

Do your chickens shake their head when you call them by name? Mine do. If you call for Patti she shakes her head quickly and the others do not. Each one does it for their name like they are saying "I hear you, what do you want?". I didn't expect this with them. I do take them inside alone and give treats and cuddles in the evening. They perch on my knee and coo and snack.

Just curious, do yours shake their head in recognition of their name when you call?

Oh, and no snow in Poulsbo but it is cold.

Kathy

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Do your chickens shake their head when you call them by name? Mine do. If you call for Patti she shakes her head quickly and the others do not. Each one does it for their name like they are saying "I hear you, what do you want?". I didn't expect this with them. I do take them inside alone and give treats and cuddles in the evening. They perch on my knee and coo and snack.

Just curious, do yours shake their head in recognition of their name when you call?

Oh, and no snow in Poulsbo but it is cold.

Kathy

My teen pullets and the Silkie chicks do it when ever you talk. My adult birds do not, nor does the orphan chick in with the Silkies.

 

[itsren]

Hangin' with my shoulder buddy... Snow...

 

[FirewifeJess]

Am I just lucky so far that we've had no predator attacks? We've had the girls for 8 months and I've never so much as seen a raccoon, hawk, coyote, etc. I also don't watch them in the yard. At all. Sometimes I'll go out there and give them treats, but even if I don't see all of them I don't worry until nightfall. Is 8 months just too short a time to expect an attack from something or other and have it not happen yet? Maybe I've lulled myself into a false sense of security. If I don't let them out of the run, I'd have to get rid of some of them because we're at the bare minimum for happy chickens (10s/f in the run per girl...3s/f in the coop). Because I let them out full time without worry, I know I can keep them all though. WDYT? Am I playing with fire? I know others also let theirs free range full time...