Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[ochochicas]

Does anyone know someone in Western Washington that buys chickens for processing? Is there someone who will process in exchange for getting meat for free? I'm not processing my chickens myself and I don't have room in the freezer for them anyway. Thanks in advance.

 

[Rainier]

Does anyone know someone in Western Washington that buys chickens for processing? Is there someone who will process in exchange for getting meat for free? I'm not processing my chickens myself and I don't have room in the freezer for them anyway. Thanks in advance.

You could try craigslist. I sold our turkeys on there. They went pretty fast too!

 

[CharMac76]

I discovered a patch without feathers on the back of one my Cream Legbar pullets yesterday, and I initially thought she was molting. Today, however, I saw one of my Black Copper Marans pulling her feathers out.

I also noticed she did the same thing to the other two pullets, but to a lesser extent. I've isolated the bully in a small dog crate with the bottom removed, and placed it inside the run with them. All four pullets will be in quarantine for another two weeks, but I'm not sure if I should keep the two Legbars separate for longer. I don't want my big girls pecking at her exposed back. What do you think?

 

[Hinotori]

I discovered a patch without feathers on the back of one my Cream Legbar pullets yesterday, and I initially thought she was molting. Today, however, I saw one of my Black Copper Marans pulling her feathers out.

I also noticed she did the same thing to the other two pullets, but to a lesser extent. I've isolated the bully in a small dog crate with the bottom removed, and placed it inside the run with them. All four pullets will be in quarantine for another two weeks, but I'm not sure if I should keep the two Legbars separate for longer. I don't want my big girls pecking at her exposed back. What do you think?

I'd put a saddle on her to cover the bald spot and let the feathers grow back. I'd have the bully in isolation where she can't see anyone for a few days. I had four bully pullets before and two of them didn't learn even after isolation. One learned after the first couple days and another after four days. The other two could only be with their cronies safely. We ended up eating them as much as I hate getting rid of layers.

 

[tridentk9]

I discovered a patch without feathers on the back of one my Cream Legbar pullets yesterday, and I initially thought she was molting. Today, however, I saw one of my Black Copper Marans pulling her feathers out. 

I also noticed she did the same thing to the other two pullets, but to a lesser extent. I've isolated the bully in a small dog crate with the bottom removed, and placed it inside the run with them. All four pullets will be in quarantine for another two weeks, but I'm not sure if I should keep the two Legbars separate for longer. I don't want my big girls pecking at her exposed back. What do you think? 

I read something about how keeping a feather plucker is not usually a good idea. The plucker usually gets worse eventually leading to skin plucking and wounds. The flock also tends to learn to learn the same bad habit.

Even if it started with an aberrant moment, she's working on three different pullets- all she could reach. I'm not sure how satisfying it is to pluck out feathers but I'd guess that it does release endorphins making it more likely to continue than not. I wonder if medicating with naloxone would help break the cycle. Hmmm. Sorry- not something done in home environment but more of a lab study.

 

[CharMac76]

I wonder what will happen when she meets the big girls. None of them pluck feathers, but do you think they would put her in her place?

 

[Melnurse]

I'm in College going to school for nursing and I'm taking Microbiology right now. She said if we do a project not class related she might give us extra credit. So I was explaining my teacher what I was doing with the children hatching eggs in the class and how I made them a coloring lab book. So the teacher is giving me extra credit if I give her a coloring book to show her the process of what the children recorded. Worth an extra 5% on my final grade!!! Chicken math improving my grade!!!! Woo Hoo!!!

Totally worth that (especially in micro!). Good luck in your nursing career. It's been veddy veddy good to me.

 

[Snorkel]

I have hens that have lost back feathers to roosters. I have used chicke saddles and they seemed to help the feathers grow back.

 

[DiamondDust]

I wonder what will happen when she meets the big girls. None of them pluck feathers, but do you think they would put her in her place?

I had a pullet that started plucking out feathers this summer. I took her out of the pullet pen and put her in with the "big girls" and she stopped right away. The older hens didn't put up with her and put her in her place She is still in with the hens and they all seem to get along fine now. If she had not stopped I would have gotten rid of her as I show and can't have someone messing up everyone's plumage.

DD

 

[NotSoSimple]

Heya.
So i am haveing a problem with one of my young roos, i posted it in the Emergencies section yesterday, but have gotten no replys. Would you guys m\ind takeing a look?