Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote: I believe that is an AUSSIE and I think the silkie is

 

[FirewifeJess]

Mooove it all my house and paint barnred!!! looks great kiddo !!

I'll take that as a huge compliment, thanks CR!

I'm thinking about putting pavers all the way around the whole coop/run structure so I don't get so messy going out there in the mud on wet days. It'd be nice to dress it up! Have no idea what to use as nice looking "steps" up to the coop door though...

 

[Chicken Rustler]

And just for Trav. My pride and joy Quincy. 40# 18" tall Mom is a working lady dad is a working man AND National Champion show MINI.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Up late tonight (for me these days) grieving over a dear friend who lost her baby today. She was 34 weeks pregnant and the doctor couldn't find a heartbeat at her checkup. My heart is so heavy for her, knowing how much she will miss her baby boy whom they named Samuel. He was born still at 5:15pm and weighed 4lbs 10oz, and is now resting safely with the Lord. I can't even begin to imagine her heartache right now, although I know she is comforted knowing he's at peace. I'm just so sad!

 

[FirewifeJess]

And just for Trav. My pride and joy Quincy. 40# 18" tall Mom is a working lady dad is a working man AND National Champion show MINI.

Beautiful dog! Do you recommend the breed to be around chickens? We're beginning to think about a dog for next Christmas...maybe. I want to make sure I do enough research before hand to get a dog that is less likely to munch on my pretties in the backyard.

 

[Sudsy Chick]

I feel the need to know what to do when the time comes to cull a hen. I signed up for a class through the seattle farm co-op, they will be processing 6 birds with 10 'students' watching/participating. Will I regret this???? The thought of watching this really makes me sad/gives me the creeps, etc. but I don't feel like I'm being a responsible chicken owner by not knowing what to do when the time comes. I don't want to eat any of my birds, honestly, I'm just sort of concerned about having an injured/ill bird and I don't want to see them suffer..I guess I could always bribe a local chicken person to come over and do the deed

Anyway, am I going to regret watching 6 chickens be killed and processed? I have pet cats and I don't feel like I need to know how to kill them, ya know? But they can be taken to an emergency vet and they aren't at risk of being attacked by a raccoon (they're indoor cats). Can chickens be taken to an emergency vet to be euthanized? It would probably cost a fortune. There should be an at home euthanasia kit for pet chicken owners. Chloroform, then an injection of some kind. Something easy and not bloody.

I do not regret learning to process chickens. Cockerels around here are very difficult to get rid of (Seattle area.)

If I put them for sale on craigslist or give them away for free, they will most likely be eaten. If I take them to the feed store, they will most likely be eaten.

If I am going to pay to feed a chick that grows into a boy and I cannot get rid of him, I am resigned to the fact that he is going to be eaten. I am going to be the one to eat him, not someone else.

In my opinion, it is more respectful to my cockerels to not let the meat go to waste, giving thanks, making the process as painless as possible, and eating as few chickens from the large producers as possible.

I have to say, has not been easy, but has gotten easier the more that we process.

As to if you should go to a processing class or not, that is really a personal choice. But, it sounds as if you don't really want to go to a processing class, just learn how to dispatch one in an emergency. That's only the first (and worst) step in a long process of "processing" the bird.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Someone told me I should put my broody gal in the garage while she sits to keep her warmer, so that her outings for food and water don't chill the eggs too much. Is that true or should I forget about it and just let her do her thing and hope for the best? I'd like a good outcome but really, if it doesn't work great this winter, I have a dozen girls with high chances of broodiness sometime in 2013 and that's basically all I care about is new birds sometime this year. WDYT?

 

[FirewifeJess]

OK maybe I can sleep now. My friend is home resting with her family now. Her baby is beautiful.

 

[Sudsy Chick]

Someone told me I should put my broody gal in the garage while she sits to keep her warmer, so that her outings for food and water don't chill the eggs too much. Is that true or should I forget about it and just let her do her thing and hope for the best? I'd like a good outcome but really, if it doesn't work great this winter, I have a dozen girls with high chances of broodiness sometime in 2013 and that's basically all I care about is new birds sometime this year. WDYT?

sorry to hear about your friend's baby

I have not hatched winter eggs before, but you might want to ask on the broody hatching thread.

 

[hallerlake]

Quote: He got that right.