Washingtonians

[herbandteas]

I like your thinking on what to do with the eggs. The food banks would love them thats for sure. Maybe if I gave up my rabbits I could have more chickens. The rabbit feed goes faster than the chicken feed since I can suplment thier food with veggies and weeds. What breed chickens do you have? I have 1 ee use to be 3 but two passed away, and 2 white rocks A pair of bantam rhode island reds which are show quailty so I am hoping to raise some chicks to sell from them and a pair of silkies in black and white. They are my youngest chickens so I am not sure what sex they are yet.

 

[AnnesChicks]

My Wynnadottes are actually really quiet hens, we put our coop close to our bedroom just in case. Recently my closest neighbor commented that she had forgotten I had chickens. I have eight hens about seven months old and we average 5 large size eggs a day. With just two of us that is more then we need, but my son and his wife and my mom and dad are delighted to take the extra off our hands. Our dogs get eggs a few times a week. A couple of times when visiting friends I have brought a dozen eggs as a gift. It is so fun to share. And every night my husband and I take turns racing each other to see who gets out to collect eggs first, it is still fun even after a couple of months.

 

[weaveagarden]

I can't wait for eggs! Nobody to race, but I have a feeling I will still be running out to check the boxes 3 or 4 times a day at first.

Hey Anne, I am in Hoquiam. Do you know if there is a local chicken group? I am thinking of starting one to help to fight the city ordinance that is about to be enacted here. Not sure of Aberdeens rules, but it might be a good idea to band together to support others of our kind. What do you think?

 

[tomato lady]

Tailfeathers, don't forget about the Welsummers that I am going to get out of your next hatch -- due this month if I remember right. New coop will be ready to house my older birds by then. My smaller coop has a built in brooder. Let me know when they hatch!

Herbanteas, I have a mixture but no show quality. I have 3 Light Brahmas, 2 Red Leghorns, 3 Jersey Giants, 3 Black Sex Link, 5 EEs, 2 Partridge Rocks, 6 Golden Comets, 3 SL Wyandottes, 2 GL Wyandottes, 2 Polish (both roos), and getting new Welsummers chicks from Tailfeathers soon. YEA!

My new coop is great. My granddaughter and I decided it was so nice that it needed a name so we are calling it The Cluck and Cackle Club. I have put 6 windows in it, most are stationary, but two open. I do not have a pop door because one of my big doors opens to the run so I will just leave that open during the day. It has a total of 204 sq. feet and a roost area suitable for 45 or 50 chickens. I was given some used 2 x 2s that I used to line the walls in the roost area. I know it doesn't matter to the chickens, but the 2 x 2s give it a cute rustic look. I haven't put the chickens in it yet, still have a door to hang, so it is still poop free! My family thinks I'm having way too much fun for an old lady.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Oh my, Tomato you scared me there for a second. I didn't put you together with your emails. Had to go look at my orders. I've got you down so no worries.

They are due to hatch on Saturday!

God Bless,

 

[suburbanchickchick]

Tomato wrote: My 31 chickens are for my enjoyment but someday soon they will be old enough to lay eggs. The question I get most often is, "What are you going to do with all the eggs?" I am not sure yet, but I have some ideas.

I have chickens purely for enjoyment as well. They just make me happy. We just started getting eggs and as of yesterday it looks like we have three layers so far from 9-10 hens (I am still in denial regarding one hen/roo. No crowing yet so I am going to continue to pretend its a pullet!) It is so exciting to get the eggs. I don't even eat very many eggs - I just think it is fun to collect them!

Right now all three layers and three of their friends are on a vacation at Grandma's house (my mom). When they got there only one was laying and now three are producing eggs. I told my mother that I am going to have to send all the girls over to learn how to lay!

The girls get completely spoiled at Grandma's. Although they have a smaller run there they get tons of free range time and lots of extra treats from Grandma and the neighbors. They sleep in their carriers at night and lay eggs in them during the day.

 

[AnnesChicks]

Hi Weaveagarden ~ yes I've seen the saga in the paper about the Hoquiam chicken ordinances. What a bunch of small minded baloney. Luckily we live out in the county so don't have to deal with that. I don't know of any local chicken groups~but I love this website and this Washingtonian group. Everything I know about chickens I learned here, and it's been good advice~we're doing well with our chicken ranching.

I just don't get why people automatically assume that chickens are loud and messy - my girls are way less noisy then some neighbor dogs, and unlike neighbor cats they don't crap in my flower beds or kill my wild birds.

 

[tomato lady]

Tailfeathers, how soon should I plan to pick up the chicks? If they hatch on Saturday should I plan my trip up north Sunday or should I give them a couple of days? It will be about a 2 or 3 hour trip -- not sure exactly where you live but getting through Seattle and Everett can be awful! Maybe if I go up 405 it would be better traffic wise.

 

[Centaurheart]

Hey Guys...

Sorry Ive been so quiet. I've had a really bad cold (its over now) and been crazy busy. I can't wait for my hubby to have the chicken house done so I can post pictures. He hasn't had a lot of time lately to work on it, but as of this week he just got laid off work so we should see something by the end of the weekend. My RIRs haven't started laying yet either, but I can't believe how big they are getting, so I'm sure its going to be any day now. I can't wait.

Also, since my hubby has been moping around, hes totally bonded with our new rooster. It's really cute. Goblin follows him around everywhere, rides around on his arm like a hawk, and has no qualms about stealing any food Matt's eating outside. I wish all our girls were as friendly. I think if we didn't have so many cats, that rooster would be living in the house and sleeping with my DH.

IF I missed anything, I'll read back and edit this post... but I'm glad to see everyone's doing well. Oh oh! I'm going to the fair on Saturday (I finally have time off!) is anyone showing chickens at the Southwest Wa Fair? I'll stop by and say hi if so!

Jen

 

[crazychickenluver]

So today I am absolutly heartbroken. A few weeks ago my hen hatched her first three chicks. We were excited to add the new guys to the family. Yesterday one decided to check out what was on the other side of the chain link fence. Unfortunatly the dogs were there. Well it wasn't pretty so we now only have two left. Momma hen is beside herself and will not leave her barn right now. I hope that she can forget. My two boys 7 and 5 are just heartbroken. My youngest reid all day yesterday. Today he is a little better. I feel terrible and cannot understand why this little one traveled so far from momma but there is not much I can do. TOday I took out some watermelon rind to her to make her feel better.

On the up side of life a wonderful lady has offered me her 8x8 chicken coop. It i perfect, I just have to figure out how to dismantle it and get it home.

I think all the hens a roos will be very happy with their new digs!!!!

Still looking for a welsummer, black copper maran, and wheaton maran hen let me know if any of you have any or know where I can get them. Hope you
all have a wonderful weekend!!!