Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Rainier]

 

[ochochicas]

Thanks! Man, all this access to info and all the possibilities are overwhelming! This is gonna be fun!

Fun...and don't forget about addicting! We started out this spring wanted 4, and thanks to chicken math we are up to 26 already. I'm secretly waiting for another hen to go broody so I can have more chicks. LOL

 

[Ashley Stroud]

Fun...and don't forget about addicting! We started out this spring wanted 4, and thanks to chicken math we are up to 26 already. I'm secretly waiting for another hen to go broody so I can have more chicks. LOL

Oh addicting isn't even the word! I fell and I fell HARD! lol Silly me thinking I was impervious to chicken math! Ha! I just ordered a much larger coop last week and fingers crossed it will be here by the end of September so I can add some hens. My bantam Cochins keep going broody and it is giving me all sorts of ideas for the old little coop--nursery/brooder perhaps?

 

[Hinotori]

Well Hellooooo! You guys are all from Wa?! Me too! I'm a BYC newb and so excited to meet you all!

Welcome! Watch out here, there are some enablers.

 

[Hinotori]

This is the Silkie Horde out expanding their territory. ALL of the large fowl run from them. Only the LF that live in the pens near them don't get chased to the next county. They just get warned off then chased of they don't get out of the way. Pumpkin the rooster doesn't take flak off anyone and his adult hens back him up. The teenagers are now starting to take an interested in the effort to acquire all of the area.

 

[LBurt6]

Welcome! Watch out here, there are some enablers. 

Welcome!

 

[Rainier]

The secret squirrel mission was a success!

DH came home with these (guts/heads go to 22 week olds)




and I got ....

Lemon Cuckoo Orpington chicks that are 12 weeks old!

I think I have two pullets and two cockerels

 

[Hinotori]

The secret squirrel mission was a success!

DH came home with these (guts/heads go to 22 week olds)




and I got ....

Lemon Cuckoo Orpington chicks that are 12 weeks old!

I think I have two pullets and two cockerels

Awesome! and that's a cute little bird. My husband likes the lemon cuckoo color

 

[CarolynF]

The secret squirrel mission was a success!

DH came home with these (guts/heads go to 22 week olds)




and I got ....

Lemon Cuckoo Orpington chicks that are 12 weeks old!

I think I have two pullets and two cockerels

Congratulations!
Pretty pullet, too.

 

[CarolynF]

My wife and I live in Kitsap County. Many of our friends, and ourselves have used "Farm Land" to buy our pullets. Five of five for us, and we have not heard anyone else not getting what they thought they were getting. So if you live in the area, give 'em a call. They get in a wide varriety of chicks in all the time. Just there last week for another 50lb bag of crumble, and almost walked out with another pullet...... Chicken math!!

Farmland in Silverdale gets their chicks from the same type of hatcheries everyone else does, so it sounds like you were one of the lucky ones, congrats! It's not the feed store that sexes the chicks, it's the hatchery.


For those of you that are new to raising chickens or used to raising just hatchery birds, I would really like to encourage you to go to at least one of the poultry shows in the area this fall or next spring. It's very educational to see the huge difference between well bred, purebreed chickens and the birds the hatchery stock produces. The size difference alone will amaze you, but you'll also get to see the proper shape, coloring, combs, etc.. Just like dogs and horses, chicken/poultry breeds have published standards. And more so than other pets, the chicken breed standards are aimed at production, meat, and health rather than "showing". You'll also find, over time, that well bred chickens will have more robust health, will lay well for more years, be less prone to laying problems such as prolapse, and experience fewer tumors. It's not always going to be that way, but I feel it's good to see both sides of the breeding coin so you can make an educated decision. As someone around here once said, it doesn't cost any more to feed a good quality bird! The cost difference in getting the well bred birds is also very minimal. I saw Wilco selling their chicks last week for $4.75. You can easily get well bred (and less stressed) chicks from local breeders for $5.


Upcoming Poultry Shows in Western Washington

Oct 18-19 Pacific NW Poultry Assoc Show -- Vancouver Fairgrounds (technically it's Ridgefield, Wa)
Nov 15-16 Wash. Feather Fanciers Show -- Chehalis Fairgrounds
Nov 29-30 Stevenson Poultry Classic -- Stevenson Fairgrounds

More info here