Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[chickenmomma16]

It's the penalty for me letting birds free range here. Most of the silkies stay within 10 feet of their coop. That silkie cockerel is very good at watching the sky and giving warning before anyone else.

So sorry for your loss, I lost a chick too a few weeks ago. I guess it was to a hawk too, maybe even the same one... (I'm your neighbor in Eatonville!)

I choose to let my birds out and free range too. Its a risk I choose to make for their enjoyment.

 

[TerrorBird]

It's the penalty for me letting birds free range here. Most of the silkies stay within 10 feet of their coop. That silkie cockerel is very good at watching the sky and giving warning before anyone else.

I used to have no opinion on hawks or other predators, but since I've owned chickens and have lost several over the years to predators, I hate them. I didn't appreciate roosters for the longest time until one was saving my girls from hawks. That being said, I'll always have a rooster and a shotgun for chicken defense purposes!

 

[KMHunter]

Is it OK to transport hatching eggs in one of those hard plastic camping egg containers? Or will it damage them? I'm trying to figure out the best way to kid-proof eggs.

I could also bring a cooler or hard box of some sort - just in case the wee ones get hyper and try to climb out of the van any other direction than the door they're supposed to go out. The coolers we have are pretty big, though. The kids have "Me first" mentality and tend to race each other out the door. I haven't figured out a way to effectively curb it. There are days I wish someone would invent child-proof seat belts in the same way they've invented child-proof doors.

If it were me, I would bring paper soft paper, like toilet paper and wrap the eggs and put them in the camping egg container. And then put the egg container into another box or some sort of protective container.

Maybe a safe?

Sorry, I remember having kids that age that get into everything and then usually brake or damage something. OH! My bad! They still do!

 

[KMHunter]

Ok, so I went out and bought another small dog kennel off of Craigs List. I now have three of those, and two small wire transport cages to bring with me if needed. I also am bringing CR his crate. Thank heavens it is staying with him! Hopefully I will be able to finish off my initial breeding stock of silkies and be set for spring, OR whenever one goes broody!

Lol!

I am so excited to meet some new people and see some old faces again.(and I do not mean old as in OLD) I hope we can find a place to congregate!
Also excited to meet some silkie breeders so I can ask many questions before I jump in with both feet!

Would also love to meet some other Fav breeders that I haven't met yet. But there aren't many.

 

[FirewifeJess]

I can't catch up but had to share. I had no idea one of my younger pullets started laying.

I kept finding these eggs that were identical to Willow's eggs but smaller and was thinking "Now why in the world would her eggs go from sm/med eggs to peewee eggs?!" And then it dawned on me: It's not from the same bird. Duh. I have been waiting on those babies to start laying forever and one of them finally did at 22 weeks...and it went unnoticed!

So I looked over both their vents and it's Louise who is laying.

They're sweet little tiny eggs that start off a bit of a darkish green, and on the tail end they're super rough like sandpaper and turquoise! Can't wait to stalk the coop tomorrow and see her lay!

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Stupid freaking leafhoppers on my computer screen, ugh, ugh, ugh...

 

[sushifish]

Hi Washingtonians... (found the new thread )
I'm in Lacey and these cold temps are making me nervous. I've got a well insulated coop but this morning it was only 40 degrees in there. How do I know if my chickens are too cold? They all acted normally and were ready to get out and do their thing in the yard, no visible signs of distress or unhappiness but I'm worried about them.
Who heats their coops? Do you have a heat lamp or other source of heat? Do you have some type of sensor that will initiate the heat source when the temp drops below a certain point or do you do it manually?
If you don't heat your coop, how do you know your chickens are warm enough? What types of signs would I look for in a chicken that was too cold?

Thanks washington chicken forum friends. I'm new at having chickens and always a perpetual worrier.

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Hmmm, wonder where JB is tonight. Looks like I have the night shift. Heres another good one I found on Facebook. This one is for everyone. Not just the ladies this time. LOL

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Humility is perfect quietness of heart.
It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me.
It is to be at rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed and despised.
It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, kneel to my Father in secret and am at peace,
As in a deep sea of calmness when all around and above is trouble. Andrew Murray