Washingtonians

[PitterPatterPalace]

Quote:
Are these hatchery quality? If so, you could get any breed available as most of their breed 'traits' are bred out of them. Our favs in our backyard flock are LF Dark Brahma, LF Silver-Laced Wyandotte, & Bantam Araucana.

 

[PitterPatterPalace]

Quote:
Hallerlake and RFF use the same "shock and awe" method.

I'm not asking him to build a coop or anything, so what is it to him?

Very true. DH only talks anything about the quantity of the chickens when he's cleaning the coop.

 

[PitterPatterPalace]

Quote:
Are these hatchery quality? If so, you could get any breed available as most of their breed 'traits' are bred out of them. Our favs in our backyard flock are LF Dark Brahma, LF Silver-Laced Wyandotte, & Bantam Araucana.

Also, if hatchery, the size of all birds are about 4-5# you will not have a 10# brahma.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
I'm not asking him to build a coop or anything, so what is it to him?

Very true. DH only talks anything about the quantity of the chickens when he's cleaning the coop.

Yeah...but I have been bugging mine to FINISH my large coop since 2009...I gave up on that and got something that I thought could be easily converted into a second coop...that was also about 2 years ago...and then I found several options for builders to build me what I need that he won't and he's just now starting to get the second coop done and keeps threatening to stop all construction because he wants me to sell 1/2 my flock and downsize.

He refuses to finish my bantam bins which will house my bantams during the winter. This means I have to sell most of them (to him). To me, it means I have to hire someone else to do the cages. I pay for all of the chickens, chicks, eggs, vaccines, medications, sand, shavings, feed, etc, etc myself through hatching egg sales. Not a dime comes out of our "regular" budget...

He's only b*tching about it because he'll have to actually help out around here with feeding/watering while I'm recovering from the c-section....now that he knows how many birds I have

and he doesn't listen to me as far as the quickest/most time-efficient ways to feed/water--he's griping because it takes him 1/2 hour and it's "disorganized."

In actuality, it is not....but in his OCD brain, it is. He wants everything absolutely perfect and uniform and weird. They are living things!

He has already made me get rid of four of my horses. I told him it's him or the remaining horses--so he backed off. The hatching egg sales pay for my 3 horses' hay (and HIS one horse's hay) every year. I used to raise/breed reptiles before I got into the poultry...he made me stop that because he said the lizards were gross, their heat lamps were a fire hazard and the crickets I had to feed them were "smelly & noisy." Now that I have chickens--it's all he gripes about. He brings it up several times a day/night. Tonight, he said it was really bothering him and that my chicken hobby is "weird & gross."

 

[PitterPatterPalace]

CR,
I've been thinking about your piggy bank. I think I would prefer a oiled sheen vs color paint but everyone has their own preferences. If it were to be sold by, let's say Sky Nursery, or other home & garden store in the city it would likely be priced about $179. Depending on where you sell it, I could see you pulling in anywhere from $75 - $200

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
I'm not asking him to build a coop or anything, so what is it to him?

Very true. DH only talks anything about the quantity of the chickens when he's cleaning the coop.

Mr H doesn't clean coops. I do.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Are these hatchery quality? If so, you could get any breed available as most of their breed 'traits' are bred out of them. Our favs in our backyard flock are LF Dark Brahma, LF Silver-Laced Wyandotte, & Bantam Araucana.

Also, if hatchery, the size of all birds are about 4-5# you will not have a 10# brahma.

My first hatchery birds were Brahmas from McMurray. They were 12lb roosters and 9-10lb hens. Massive.

Awesome birds. I only got rid of them because I got Golden Laced Cochins and then Sumatras....the Brahmas laid well, were very friendly, very cold hardy, ranged well and everything...they ate A LOT and needed a lot of space, though.

One of my LB roos:

LB cockerel with GLC cockerels:

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Very true. DH only talks anything about the quantity of the chickens when he's cleaning the coop.

Mr H doesn't clean coops. I do.

Yeah...and mine hasn't ever in the 5 years I've owned chickens...he has fed/watered on occasion--if I'm out of town but never is involved, otherwise. Since I'm 33 weeks pregnant, he's finally taking some pity on me after watching me empty out the waterfowl tubs, drag hoses & pack feed. If I wasn't pregnant, he still would have nothing to do with the chickens/ducks/geese and would remain blissfully ignorant of the number of poultry I have.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
I would say Orps or Brahmas. I've owned both and they are both large, lay well, friendly and hardy. Wyandottes are good too but not as good of layers.

The Doms--I've wanted to add to my flock but haven't...they have a rose comb, rather than a single comb, like the Barred Rocks. This makes them more cold hardy (less prone to frostbite). Both lay a brown egg and have similar patterns. The Doms are much more rare and in need of preservation & development. I have Light Sussex & Coronation Sussex...they are great layers (brown eggs), friendly and pretty hardy. I have had some frostbite issues with their combs & pink legs but I'm much colder over here than you are on the wet westside.

A downside to them is they require a LOT of space and eat a lot of food). Same with Brahmas.

As far as the Speckleds go--I haven't really seen any that are fantastic layers or anything spectacular.

My MIL had white rocks for years and loved them. They laid well, occasionally went broody, they ranged well and didn't need much.

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
Very true. DH only talks anything about the quantity of the chickens when he's cleaning the coop.

Yeah...but I have been bugging mine to FINISH my large coop since 2009...I gave up on that and got something that I thought could be easily converted into a second coop...that was also about 2 years ago...and then I found several options for builders to build me what I need that he won't and he's just now starting to get the second coop done and keeps threatening to stop all construction because he wants me to sell 1/2 my flock and downsize.

He refuses to finish my bantam bins which will house my bantams during the winter. This means I have to sell most of them (to him). To me, it means I have to hire someone else to do the cages. I pay for all of the chickens, chicks, eggs, vaccines, medications, sand, shavings, feed, etc, etc myself through hatching egg sales. Not a dime comes out of our "regular" budget...

He's only b*tching about it because he'll have to actually help out around here with feeding/watering while I'm recovering from the c-section....now that he knows how many birds I have

and he doesn't listen to me as far as the quickest/most time-efficient ways to feed/water--he's griping because it takes him 1/2 hour and it's "disorganized."

In actuality, it is not....but in his OCD brain, it is. He wants everything absolutely perfect and uniform and weird. They are living things!

He has already made me get rid of four of my horses. I told him it's him or the remaining horses--so he backed off. The hatching egg sales pay for my 3 horses' hay (and HIS one horse's hay) every year. I used to raise/breed reptiles before I got into the poultry...he made me stop that because he said the lizards were gross, their heat lamps were a fire hazard and the crickets I had to feed them were "smelly & noisy." Now that I have chickens--it's all he gripes about. He brings it up several times a day/night. Tonight, he said it was really bothering him and that my chicken hobby is "weird & gross."

Oh, dear. Does he have any idea how messy babies are? He's in for a shock.

Here's a t-shirt for him. http://www.cafepress.com/+i_have_cdo_dark_tshirt,437328017