Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[FlyRobinFly]

I seem to remember reading on one of the National Silkie web sites, that the only way to tell a Silkie cockerel from a Silkie pullet is when it either lays an egg or it crows. So far this has been pretty much the only way I have known one way or the other for sure.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Does everyone notice more eggs as the days get longer, or does the rain need to subside a bit too? I hope I don't have to wait until June to get more eggs! I'm so sick of rain!!!!

 

[justbugged]

Does everyone notice more eggs as the days get longer, or does the rain need to subside a bit too? I hope I don't have to wait until June to get more eggs! I'm so sick of rain!!!!

It was raining in April of 2012 when RonB got his record number of eggs. I do think that it might make a little difference at this point in the year, but it is still about visible light rays, and that light exists even with rain clouds.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
Thanks!

 

[JennS]

I seem to remember reading on one of the National Silkie web sites, that the only way to tell a Silkie cockerel from a Silkie pullet is when it either lays an egg or it crows. So far this has been pretty much the only way I have known one way or the other for sure.

I was looking through one yesterday that said that crowing isn't a good way to tell, because the pullets might do it too!

Jennifer

 

[itsren]

We get a lot more onions from our garden than we can use before they spoil, so we chop them and freeze in ziploc bags. I was pleasantly surprised last week when I sauted some for soup, it worked really well. And wonderful to have on hand when you need some!

That's a great tip! Thanks. I can't even begin to tell you how many home-grown onions have ended up in my compost bin.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Hey Itsren, did Latte coop herself or did you have to grab her?

 

[itsren]

I highly recommend NOT bringing in new flock member then. You take a huge risk with both the new birds and your existing flock. I now have a closed flock due to illness scares, and won't ever bring another flock member in unless it's through hatching them ourselves!

That's why we hatched, too. Hatching has it's own set of challenges though - you can end up with cute little buggers known as boys!

 

[itsren]

Quote:

Oh, that's too funny!

 

[itsren]

Hey Itsren, did Latte coop herself or did you have to grab her?

I finally caught her - late in the evening, after yet again, another chicken chase. It was getting dark and she was running into walls and flower pots, and I finally cornered her.

She can't coop herself - the screened-off section of the coop she and Blackie sleep in doesn't have a pop door. I have to lift the roof and set them in. In the morning, I have to lift the roof and attempt to lift them out - but one or the other seems to manage to jump out while I'm grabbing the other one. That's when the chicken chase usually begins.

Since I'm trying to get the big girls used to Latte being in the coop, she's gonna have to stay in the big coop. I've had my moments of thinking about switching them to the new little tractor/coop combo though, to alleviate this problem. It's not painted though, and I really want to save it to use with the tiny littles when they are old enough. Right now, we have that little coop under the boat tent drying out from the serious scrubbing I gave it back when we bought it. But, with all this rain, moisture is still getting on things under the tent, so I'm not sure if I can paint it or not when it is damp.