Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[CarolynF]

Finished processing the last of the Red Rangers today at 13 weeks all hens and weighed in at 5 1/2 pounds dressed after I took out about a pound of fat. Glad to have all the butchering done it has been an experience and have a freezer full of really tasty chickens and ducks. Good eats

Have you ever done other meat breeds? I've heard a few others discuss the pros and cons of different breeds, so I just keep collecting opinions in case I ever get to raise some. One person said that if she has a broody hen she can't break she buys a few meat chicks for her to raise. I thought that was really clever!

 

[CarolynF]

BUGS: as a new chicken guy I want to ask my fellow Western Wa people about what I am hearing in regards to the wet runs we all have 6 months or more a year and bugs that get the chickens like mites. My girls are 10 weeks old now and I want to do it right. I have a nice big dry coup with a covered patioesque front of the run so they can at least sit outside and watch the rain, then another large open fenced run attaching to that.

Is there anything I should be aware of and do? I don't even know what a chicken mite is but it doesn't sound good and I hear they live in the wet run areas.

Being prepared before it happens is a great approach. Of course taking the preventive approach will save you all kinds of grief. Mites are not as common as lice, similar to head lice for kids at school. You can find plenty of photos online to help with recognition. I've been reading that Sevin dust is no longer advised, but permethrin is a better alternative. A good preventive is adding wood ash (if you have a fire pit or burn area) to their dust bath area.

Worms will also be an issue and many people will choose to treat for those on a set schedule, much like what they do for dogs and cats. There are a variety of plans, but remember that if you see worms in their droppings it has already become a heavy load on the chicken, not the onset. It's a good idea to have two or three different treatments that you rotate between to avoid building up a resistance. There are several threads here on BYC that can provide good information.

 

[pip pip 062194]

First time out in the yard

 

[mixedbreeds]

Have you ever done other meat breeds? I've heard a few others discuss the pros and cons of different breeds, so I just keep collecting opinions in case I ever get to raise some. One person said that if she has a broody hen she can't break she buys a few meat chicks for her to raise. I thought that was really clever!

I did cornish X, Red Rangers and Pekin Ducks this year I liked the Cornish X better than the Rangers the Cornish were very nice birds to the point of being frendly had great feed conversions and got big fast the Rangers grew slow and had bad attitudes they were more like regular chickens but at full size in 12 weeks. The ducks are really tasty but were real messy I will have them outside somewhere if I do them again.

 

[pennyJo1960]

View attachment 1036658
First time out in the yard

lot's of fun, how many birds do you have there?

 

[pennyJo1960]

I did cornish X, Red Rangers and Pekin Ducks this year I liked the Cornish X better than the Rangers the Cornish were very nice birds to the point of being frendly had great feed conversions and got big fast the Rangers grew slow and had bad attitudes they were more like regular chickens but at full size in 12 weeks. The ducks are really tasty but were real messy I will have them outside somewhere if I do them again.

happy you do not mind the process I have heard the Rangers are not the best.. never cared for duck personally myself either... oops typos

 

[mixedbreeds]

Finally just got my large 8'x8' brooder cleaned out today that's what I raised the Pekin Ducks in what a mess I'm sure glad I put a heavy tarp down before I put the bedding in that saved my brooder/rearing pen. I set it up and put the next group of young chickens in 4 golden sexlink and 8 cuckoo Marans they were getting a little cramped in the smaller brooder. It's seems to be a never ending job around here.

 

[pennyJo1960]

my brooder is a kiddie pool with the card table as a roof, the card table is like 30years old and seen better days we do not use it... New project here going to make our own dining table we bought dining chairs that fit us each personally..
actually also had my first egg from number 5 I received from @junebuggena

 

[mixedbreeds]

my brooder is a kiddie pool with the card table as a roof, the card table is like 30years old and seen better days we do not use it... New project here going to make our own dining table we bought dining chairs that fit us each personally

That should be a fun project making your own dinning table. I made 3 brooders in my tack room in the barn a 4'x4' a 4'x7' and a 8'x8' they are brooder/ rearing areas just move them to a bigger brooder as they grow and they double for a place to put sick or injured chickens I will not raise ducks in them again if I do them again it will be in the barn horse stall as I don't have horses.

 

[pennyJo1960]

We technically do not have a barn we have 4 geodesic domes.. all yard equipment mowers weed eaters all that stuff are in the first one we call the "barn" then came the coop as I wanted it solid no leaks, predator proof... then the greenhouse most challenging to cover but think we did it now the last an outdoor kitchen with a nice little propane stove and counters a place to barb-b-cue in bad weather.... our Home