Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[junebuggena]

Set 26 of my prettiest turquoise blue eggs on Monday. Only 3 clears. Looks like my fertility issues are finally over thanks to longer spring days.

 

[mellifera76]

Well, we lost our runt last week, and I thought we were out of the woods--all chicks growing and getting feathers in--but now the kids' favorite chick has a crooked beak. I'm making crumble mash for her and keeping a close eye on her, but I warned my oldest that she might not make it. So far, though, she seems to be getting enough food and water, so we're hoping for the best.

I'll be moving the chicks from our bathroom to the garage today. They are getting too big for the rubbermaid bin they've been chilling in, so I'll make a cardboard corral for them out there. We should be able to get the coop finished this weekend so as soon as they're fully feathered they'll move out there. I hope that the forecast is correct and we get some sun in the next couple of days--I'd like to paint the coop at some point!

Our two Austrolorps, who I kind of thought were duds, personality-wise, have come out of their shells and are now the first to greet us when we walk into the room. They like to perch on our arms and just hang out with us, which makes me happy--I was hoping for lap chickens.

We've only been in our new house for a few months, but I have a vision for our yard that includes friendly chickens wandering around (supervised, of course) a lush, verdant garden. Maybe the weather will eventually cooperate. It looks like I'll be replanting the sweet peas and sugar snap peas I planted on Washington's birthday--the seeds have drowned and rotted in the mud.

 

[mellifera76]

Might just get my lap chicken!

Aw, how sweet. My 6 y/o likes to pretend that he's a pirate with a parrot on his shoulder when our chicken Alice perches on his shoulder.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Well, we lost our runt last week, and I thought we were out of the woods--all chicks growing and getting feathers in--but now the kids' favorite chick has a crooked beak. I'm making crumble mash for her and keeping a close eye on her, but I warned my oldest that she might not make it. So far, though, she seems to be getting enough food and water, so we're hoping for the best.

I'll be moving the chicks from our bathroom to the garage today. They are getting too big for the rubbermaid bin they've been chilling in, so I'll make a cardboard corral for them out there. We should be able to get the coop finished this weekend so as soon as they're fully feathered they'll move out there. I hope that the forecast is correct and we get some sun in the next couple of days--I'd like to paint the coop at some point!

Our two Austrolorps, who I kind of thought were duds, personality-wise, have come out of their shells and are now the first to greet us when we walk into the room. They like to perch on our arms and just hang out with us, which makes me happy--I was hoping for lap chickens.

We've only been in our new house for a few months, but I have a vision for our yard that includes friendly chickens wandering around (supervised, of course) a lush, verdant garden. Maybe the weather will eventually cooperate. It looks like I'll be replanting the sweet peas and sugar snap peas I planted on Washington's birthday--the seeds have drowned and rotted in the mud.

If I had not said this before

to our little group
I am sorry you lost the one bird ... this weather is being way to
wet mother nature has become a bit bi- polar it seams even gurneys
doesnt want to send my send my seeds till the 18th of March

 

[Duck Drover]

I have been wanting quail for awhile and I just got some Texas A&M quail last night. The quail grow so fast that they were hatched on the 7th and they are almost feathered already. I think I read somewhere that quail are born with feathers so maybe they are just growing longer feathers. I got 18 so statistically there will be about 9 hens for eggs and the roosters will be eaten, except one or two lucky ones so I will have fertile eggs to hatch periodically. I don't want to get too attached because they are meat birds but once we vent sex them (they can't be color sexed because they are white) I can admire the girls and their eggs. I am going to buy some regular Coturnix eggs to hatch for the wildlife rescue so I will need to decide if I also want to keep any for myself or sell enough to pay for the eggs and donate the rest. It amazes me that they are laying at 6 weeks rather than waiting six months and they lay about 300 eggs a year.

 

[pennyJo1960]

more power to ya duck drover not for me

 

[Duck Drover]

more power to ya duck drover not for me

My cholestrol is so high that I have to get a pelvic ultrasound this week to check my liver. Quail eggs are supposed to only have the good cholestrol and not the bad so that is what convinced me more than anything. I took a break from hatching eggs with my injury and surgeries last season so I must have been eating too many eggs!

Now that we are keeping the LGD out of the chicken coop we are getting eggs again but fertility is low on the test hatch in the incubator so I need to figure out what is causing that. The duck eggs, Silkie eggs, and Easter Egger eggs are fertile (even though we moved the Easter Eggers into a tractor coop) but the dog is still getting duck eggs. I have two Orpington roosters with one more dominant than the other so I am going to sell the less dominant rooster to someone who has wanted him for awhile and see if that will keep the dominant rooster more focused on his ladies instead of chasing off his brother. He is going to go around the first of the month after I have some chicks hatched.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Quote: I understand I am in the starting of a new coop 7x 7 square
intend to let the my blue F-1 cockerel either go somewhere or be soup
I bought an old style plucker last year now have yet to use it

 

[Knoble Chickens]

Made it to the weekend! This new job is kicking my arse. I am going for the big push and gonna try to finish the coop and get my first flock moved out there by Sunday evening. They are almost 6 weeks old already! Their combs are starting to turn color, and it is starting to look like I may have gotten lucky and have all pullets!

 

[junebuggena]

Made it to the weekend! This new job is kicking my arse. I am going for the big push and gonna try to finish the coop and get my first flock moved out there by Sunday evening. They are almost 6 weeks old already! Their combs are starting to turn color, and it is starting to look like I may have gotten lucky and have all pullets!

If combs are turning color at just 6 weeks old, they are cockerels. Pullets don't start to develop and turn red in the comb until they are about a month from laying.