Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Lutefisk]

It's been almost a week and the new roo (who we've named Sunny) is still alive and well. He's a mutt... Maran, Cochin and I forget what else. So far he seems to be acting like a rooster should, and he actually crowed this morning for a few minutes.

We tore off the old rotting deck in August, just in time for our contractor to get laid up with a shoulder injury. He did manage to come do the concrete work so we could build our wood fired hot tub.

 

[Hinotori]

That hot tub looks nice!

 

[Hinotori]

Quote:
I think I've seen them at the one in Federal Way before, but I don't normally look at eggs there. Marlene's Market has had fertile eggs before. They had free range, organic, blue eggs for $8 bucks a dozen before, too. I couldn't get over that.

 

[hallerlake]

Quote: I have Brabanters and Spitz who want to sleep on top of the coop. Every night I have to put them inside.

 

[Totalcolour]

That's one nice bird, I want one. Oh, wait, I can breed some myself, I think.

 

[Manningjw]

After much searching via google and BYC I am still torn on what I should do with my broody hen. I would love for her to hatch eggs but I had read conflicting information about whether or not the chicks will survive with it being the middle of winter.

I live in the Shoreline area and our temps have been dipping below freezing each night lately and could do the same in 1 months time. Can chicks make it when raised by a broody in that kind of temperature? Or should I just try and break her broodiness and hatch next May/June?

 

[Chickielady]

Most of the frostbitten combs I've seen have been result of insufficient ventilation in coop space at night. I'm not in the coldest area (the lowest I've had during this cold spell is 3* F overnight) but all my birds are in pens that are entirely open on at least one side with wire, no heat lamps or anything else. All birds combs and birds themselves are happy healthy and thriving despite the temperatures.

OUCH ! That is cold !
Lowest here so far has been 15...which went on for 2 days, and joined with 17 degrees for 3 days............
The biggest thing is humidity, which can cause freezing, as you mentioned.
Dry coops help!
Some people rub their cock bird's comb & wattles down with vaseline to prevent heat loss, and therefore help with frostbite.
I never have.
Only time I have seen frostbite was in Okanogan..........................and in Idaho where it dropped to -27 for a week one winter...................and that killed about half of my huge flock of PBR's.................it was very sad.

It is horribly sad to sit warm in your TINY cabin when it is -27 outdoors, and you know the unheated coop is a death tomb...and there is nothing we could do short of bringing 30 chickens in our 16'x16' cabin.
We had no electricity yet, pole was installed, but no power yet ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Takes moolah to bring power in to the woods)

 

[Chickielady]

To be fair, his frostbitten comb was my fault. I didn't notice how low the windchill had gotten the first day the wind really kicked up, and thus didn't get the flock inside in time. The girls had all gone into the coop, but Mr Rooster decided to stay out in the wind. I felt awful about it. Beginner's mistake and it's my poor roo who paid the price for it.

To be fair to yourself, it may not have been your fault after all, birds are not the most brilliant of animals.
And old timer told me years ago, that in freezing cold weather, hens will tuck their heads under a wing when they sleep.
Cocks more often than not, do not.
These birds can sleep with 1 eye open, and there fore are always on a constant alert, as if they can sleep half their brain, but the other half is awake.
So the head cock is on this alert all night & that is how they get frostbite and the hens do not.
So he said.
I have heard this from more than 1 old timer, too.
hard to sneek up on a sleeping rooster to see if he indeed, has 1 eye closed and 1 open..............................................

 

[Chickielady]

That's one nice bird, I want one. Oh, wait, I can breed some myself, I think.

That, my colour loving friend, is a purebred Blue Ameraucana (all of them in that photo)
Nope, you cannot 'make' one, but you can buy some, or hatch eggs.
You can then breed this Ameraucana to a Blue Copper marans, and make some BBS Olive Eggers.

 

[Chickielady]

Thanks CL.

My big Leghorn cross has certainly had a rough time of it. Despite my best efforts, he still got a frostbitten comb. But the other three roos are all small combed and they're spending plenty of time chasin' the ladies and doin' the rooly duties. I'm just surprised at how few fertile eggs I'm coming across when I check em. They were fine 2 weeks ago

Even if the males are mounting, they will be shooting blanks until warmer temps.
Every bird is different, too, but all will go sterile in severe cold.
Some will not show any interest in mounting or mating whatsoever.
Some will mate, but all will be infertile.
I believe the colds reduce the testosterone level in the birds, slowing sperm production and making the males much less interested in reproduction.
My males are still attentive to the females, watching over them and being good protectors.
But not mating.
In the spring, we who sell hatching eggs have to watch diligently for the bullseyes to appear after the long cold seasons, before we can sell hatching eggs.