Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[RR funky chick house]

My wife grew up in both Juneau and Ketchikan so she enjoyed revisiting her childhood home

I'm sorry you're having to deal with losing your Pippi. He looks like a nice one in your profile pic.

So sorry and yes - he's an impressive roo! It's hard to lose them but you have to do what's best for the flock. We had to re-home a hen who the rest of the flock was picking on harshly - it was hard but all for the best

 

[pennyJo1960]

My wife grew up in both Juneau and Ketchikan so she enjoyed revisiting her childhood homes!

My Daughter, her Husband and the 1 each of the 2 grand kids live on Douglas there.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Such a sad day today. We made the decision to cull Pippi for the good of the flock. Two roosters are not working out in the rain. Pippi will not let Cooper in the main shelter of the coop during the day. There are other shelters, but Cooper is alone and that won't do. The flock has to be together. Cooper is the future of the flock. Pippi is the past. So now that the rain will be here off and on throughout the winter, it's time to manage the situation.

Pippi is a beloved rooster around here. I raised him from an egg, the only one to hatch out of 13 that I bought in order to produce a Buff Orpington rooster. He was the cutest chick and has been a gorgeous and good adult rooster for several years now. He is a little deformed these last couple years. I could never find a lump or anything wrong with him, but he holds his wing in a hunched manner.

Tomorrow, when it's not raining, DH will take care of him for me. I'm so sad. He is only 4 years old, but not able to do his job anymore. I will miss him so much. But this is life in chicken world. The part of it I don't like.

Pippi is my profile picture. Isn't he handsome?

He is hansome. I had a rooster "Dizzy" I had got from Meyers. He was dizzy, and would try to walk backwards. I got him in a fry pan. I thought, well if he was always this goofy maybe he will not end up crowing. He did though, and he had normal babies. He was so friendly. I gave him to a family who had a little boy, and they said he made a lot of normal babies and eventually stopped bobbing his head.

 

[ValerieJ]

RIP Pippi.

 

[Sequel]

RIP Pippi.

I’m so sorry! I hate that part of chicken keeping too!

 

[ValerieJ]

As a salve to my wounded soul, I went out and spent some time with the chickens this morning. Cooper is getting the lay of the land, so to speak. Not acting totally hormonal as I was concerned about. Just getting the feel of having the flock to himself. Hopefully he spent enough time observing Pippi to know how to be top rooster. He is only a cockerel, so I will give him time to step into that roll.

The girls, especially the top hens, are making sure everyone knows they are still there and they are still on the top of the pecking order.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Val sorry for the loss of Pippi.
I raise a cockerel ya hard to take them out.

 

[ValerieJ]

Val sorry for the loss of Pippi.
I raise a cockerel ya hard to take them out.

It really is. It was a bad day for Pippi and me. But a really good day for Cooper and the flock. I have to look at it that way. I have a few broodies and they need a functional rooster. I'd like them to raise my next chicks, so I guess I need one too.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I went to scrape the tables, boards and floors.

 

[Smokerbill]

Everything is sopping wet outside from 100% humidity and dew. Sure made the spiderwebs in the garden stand out.