Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Chickielady]

Hello all!

I am a fellow Washingtonian and coming summer I will be raising my own chickens for the first time! I am super excited!

 

[Chickielady]

Does anybody have experience with Rhode island whites or white Plymouth rocks?

Not that I will admit to, mine turned out to be seriously mean, even the hens would attack and flog.
There are "nice" strains out there.
That said, remember that some breeds we call "Heirloom Breeds" actually were kicked to the curb for reasons, and other breeds were improved upon and are still popular, like the Barred Plymouth Rock, and the Rhode Island Red.

Jim Volk (east of Centralia area) has prize winning show-stopping White PRs.
He will no doubt be at the upcoming WA Feather fancier's Show in Monroe on the 19th.
PM me if you are serious and I can connect you with his phone#, and you can maybe have him bring chicks or hatching eggs to the show for you. You'll have to ask him.

I also gave up on white birds simply due to the insane mud we have here.
Cockerels get mud all over the ehn's back, and he dunks her chest in the mud when he mounts...the birds end up so messy....

 

[Chickielady]

Road Island whites are a different Breed Then Rd., Island reds, at least that's what it says under the breed section. They might be a little nicer than the Reds. But I think I will go with the white Plymouth rocks. I've heard great things about bard rocks. Of course, I won't be able to till two or three white chickens apart :-( I like the thought of getting two or three different breeds but the store gets different breeds every week and there's no way of telling Bill be any left over going into the next week. Oh well, there's more things to worry about in life than that I guess
In another thread somebody said that you can integrate even three or five week old chicks into a group and that it's easier then when they are in adult. I'm obviously going to have to research that a little more, so far all I've read is that you should wait until they are similar in size.

Remember that RIWs have a Rosecomb, and not a standard comb.
If someone tries to sell you a standard comb Rhode Island White, just smile & walk away.
A Standard Comb Rhode Island White is more than likely, A White Plymouth Rock.
RIRs can be nice birds, and remember that there is production RIRs and then there is breeder RIR.
Production birds are all bred to either make eggs, or meat, and not cultivated one bit for confirmation, nor personality.

 

[Chickielady]

For me, that sounds like a lot of trouble for meat. Cornish crosses get huge and meaty very very quick.

Caponizing is mainly used when you have too many egg laying breed males.
The perfect are kept for reproduction, the capons are kept for stewing, it is a win/win, for the farmer anyways.
Instead of culling unwanted males, you raise them and butcher them for meat.
It is fast to caponize, and once you get used to it, you can fly through quite a few at a time.
Still, I know no one over that way that caponizes.

 

[Chickielady]

Happy Valentine's Day everyone !

Hopefully you are all celebrating your loved ones today !

And they celebrating you !!

 

[Cockatrice6420]

I just watched a YouTube video on caponizing, omg! Forget seeing that on my farm. I'd rather slow cook, stew, and chew. I've had a tubal ligation, thank goodness I was knocked out for it!

 

[torrelee]

Ugh, lost my favorite hen to a coyote today. Teach me to let them out of their pen! Snatched my buff silkie and tore the fluffy butt feathers out of one of my big hens. I doused her with betadine,but wound wasn't bad so I'm sure she will be okay. Super bummed about Johnnie-bird though. I just put her last egg in the incubator, but am a little concerned that it will be crossed woth my barred rock rooster, not my showgirl, lol. My luck it will be a BR silkie cockrel that hatches!

 

[Cockatrice6420]

Ugh, lost my favorite hen to a coyote today. Teach me to let them out of their pen! Snatched my buff silkie and tore the fluffy butt feathers out of one of my big hens. I doused her with betadine,but wound wasn't bad so I'm sure she will be okay. Super bummed about Johnnie-bird though. I just put her last egg in the incubator, but am a little concerned that it will be crossed woth my barred rock rooster, not my showgirl, lol. My luck it will be a BR silkie cockrel that hatches!

I've got an oe priject, collected and hatched two eggs from the same hen.. the chicks are both looking like roos, so much for 50/50, lol. Even if it is a barred cross, it will be a big fluffy neat bird that hatches! Best of luck, sorry you lost your girl.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Happy Valentine's Day everyone !

Hopefully you are all celebrating your loved ones today !

And they celebrating you !!

Happy Valentines right back to you, take the day easy we painted my bedroom called silver dust in the right light is kinda blue very pretty much better then white.

 

[Leigti]

Remember that RIWs have a Rosecomb, and not a standard comb.
If someone tries to sell you a standard comb Rhode Island White, just smile & walk away.
A Standard Comb Rhode Island White is more than likely, A White Plymouth Rock.
RIRs can be nice birds, and remember that there is production RIRs and then there is breeder RIR.
Production birds are all bred to either make eggs, or meat, and not cultivated one bit for confirmation, nor personality.

I'm sure these are production birds, considering they are at the feed store. One store has the road island white and the other store has the white Plymouth rocks. And one of the stores also has four different colored leghorns. I had only heard of white and brown, learn something new every day.
I've heard a lot of reports of leghorns been pretty snotty, and Rhode Island Reds. I know every bird is an individual. I just want to keep it relatively peaceful in my flock. Right now I have one Austra Lorup, to Wyandots and three Easter Eggars.