Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[pennyJo1960]

New tarp going on the old coop .. Lawn tractor coming out of the truck today busy day here

 

[Hinotori]

I'm still alive, no thanks to this attempt on my life by covid. Just the lingering crap because I'm severely asthmatic to deal with for who knows how long.

 

[PopoMyers]

That is super funny about the pig. I bet it was happy to be out exploring.

I have a question for the group. I have 3 tubs as nesting boxes that are currently blocked with lids. My hens have never laid, so I am going to keep the boxes closed until it is warm, so they don't try to sleep in the boxes. How do I know when it is time to open the boxes? I assume my hens will be old enough to lay in the beginning of spring. We picked the chicks up on 9/27/21.

What breeds do you have? Some may lay as early as 16 wks, or as late as 28 wks. I had never covered the nesting boxes, and eventually they all chose one or two out of 6 to lay in. How many chicks?

 

[Hinotori]

28 weeks is average for the ameraucanas I've had. Silkies can be even longer depending on when they hatched. I prefer late summer/autumn hatched silkies so they will actually lay around 28 weeks. I've had spring hatched ones go a year. Or the occasional brat that goes broody before ever laying.

 

[Bonkerelli]

Morning fellow Washingtonians! Any fun plans for this week? Just work for me, lol.

 

[fanatic291]

What breeds do you have? Some may lay as early as 16 wks, or as late as 28 wks. I had never covered the nesting boxes, and eventually they all chose one or two out of 6 to lay in. How many chicks?

I have 2 Easter Eggers, 2 Olive Eggers, 2 barred rocks, and 2 blue sapphires. I am going to open up the laying boxes and let the hens get used to them. They are lower than the perch rails, so I should be in good shape.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I'm still alive, no thanks to this attempt on my life by covid. Just the lingering crap because I'm severely asthmatic to deal with for who knows how long.

Hey glad to hear you seem to have beat it.
We get boosters in two days.. Next day Pugsly my little buddy to be altered finally.
So far nock on wood but we stay home otherwise out in masks.

 

[Cluckatar]

I had big plans to move my coops and fencing this morning. Everyone got up on time, but then one by one, son threw his back out yesterday, husband has stomach ache and kidney pain, daughter felt dizzy and had stomach pain and allergies. We are a messed up lot today The chickens will stay in the mud for another day. And they were very unhappy to have been left closed up for an extra hour while we sorted all this out, which resulted in roosters chasing hens, hens flying over fencing, me running around trying to get everyone sorted again. Sigh. From a peaceful standpoint, leaving the flock together means the older rooster keeps the younger one from chasing hens. But it also means I can't incubate eggs and know what I've got. I had high hopes for my cream legbar rooster, but his first spring is making him crazy. I think we can get through it as his basic nature is pretty chill and the hens he grew up with like him a lot. Convincing older hens that he's not a jerk though... longer project.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have no less than than 6 extra roosters that will leave on the 24th.

 

[PopoMyers]

I had big plans to move my coops and fencing this morning. Everyone got up on time, but then one by one, son threw his back out yesterday, husband has stomach ache and kidney pain, daughter felt dizzy and had stomach pain and allergies. We are a messed up lot today The chickens will stay in the mud for another day. And they were very unhappy to have been left closed up for an extra hour while we sorted all this out, which resulted in roosters chasing hens, hens flying over fencing, me running around trying to get everyone sorted again. Sigh. From a peaceful standpoint, leaving the flock together means the older rooster keeps the younger one from chasing hens. But it also means I can't incubate eggs and know what I've got. I had high hopes for my cream legbar rooster, but his first spring is making him crazy. I think we can get through it as his basic nature is pretty chill and the hens he grew up with like him a lot. Convincing older hens that he's not a jerk though... longer project.

Hope everyone and everything else will get better soon. Not feeling % is never fun.