Washingtonians

[KMHunter]

Quote: This is only if you bring in started birds from someone/somewhere else. Baby chicks are pretty safe and are in a brooder for 6-8 weeks anyway and should be kept separate until they are somewhat the same size as the older ones, for the safety of the young ones at integration. Ones you hatch aren't going to pick up anything and carry it to your flock. So no worries there.
Quarantining is for the safety of your flock, and so you can treat the new birds before integrating if neccassary. I have heard if you bring in a grown roo it can stay by its self for a little while.

 

[SadieSue]

Lost my favorite EE girl today. She was perfectly fine this morning for scratch. Went out at noon and she was in the favorite dust bathing spot dead.

She was the only one who couldn't get enough cuddling, and would fly up on me to snuggle into my neck and tell me about her day.

I know it happens sometimes. Just sucks when it's the favorite.

That does suck. I'm so sorry...

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote: One house chicken coming up....meet Bumble (oh and the DD and one of the dogs):

 

[FirewifeJess]

I want to know what brand of food that people prefer. All opinion please. Love to hear the whys also.

I use Scratch and Peck feed. It's a Washington grown (in Bellingham), milled, packaged feed that is whole grain, soy free, and corn free. You can actually get it many feed stores like Reber Ranch, Mud Bay, etc. It's also non-GMO which is very important to our family. It isn't certified organic yet but I believe they are in process of becoming certified. HTH!

Here's the website: http://www.scratchandpeck.com/products/poultry

 

[SadieSue]

Look what hatched ..... my first serama



it was doing the last push out of egg when I shot this photo.

Love my Seramas - I can't believe how much they change in just 3 weeks though. They already look like teeny tiny chickens instead of chicks!

 

[KMHunter]

Quote: I have only heard about Silkies having a hard time seeing from the Silkie thread. I don't have any grown Silkies yet so I will wait and see how fluffy they are and if they need a haircut sometimes.

You have more experience than I and I would defer to you about them. I was just thinking of something that would be more of the same size as the rest of the flock.
Believe me, I love my Silkies! And I am raising them because of their cuteness AND as broodies.
I was just repeating what I had read from others. Should have clarified that.

 

[SadieSue]

For those with free-ranging chickens (in your large backyard)...I plan to keep feed and water in the run, and the chickens will free-range the backyard. Is it typical for pullets/chickens to go several hours in the backyard before returning to the run for "real" food? I'm worried mine won't grow enough or get enough healthy feed in them if they forage all day long, because today they were out of the coop/run from 9:30am-4:45pm! They never went back to get feed, just foraged through the yard near the creek bed all day. They also didn't actively seek out water until I finally brought the waterer out of the run at 2:30! Do I just need to give them less time to free-range and more time confined so they'll eat enough feed to grow healthily, or not worry about it?

My girls would spend all day out foraging and not be the least bit interested in food in the run until the end of the day when they saw me coming with BOSS to reward them for going back so I could tuck them in for the night. I did always leave a couple of trays or dishes of water outside in the yard so they would at least stop by for a good drink now and then. The water in the yard was always much more attractive to them than what was in their run.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

So I decided my girls needed a treat with all this nasty rainy weather and I went and got them some organic plain yogurt, Oh My Goodness! FLYING YOGURT!

They went insane for it! Calypso my RIR/Production cross was eatting it straight off of the spoon, soon she was on my arm eatting it off the spoon while the others ate from their dish. They were just talking away and eatting and when I went to check on them a bit later, they ran to the door. Normally they just do their own thing. I think they wanted more yogurt! Love it! lol

I forgot to ask....did you ever give them the mealworms? What did they think? Treats are a hoot.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote: thank you. I am limited on what I have available to me...also curious to know people's favorite brands. and why. I think this is all good information that other may be interested in knowing too.

 

[Breshcandra]

I have only heard about Silkies having a hard time seeing from the Silkie thread. I don't have any grown Silkies yet so I will wait and see how fluffy they are and if they need a haircut sometimes.

You have more experience than I and I would defer to you about them. I was just thinking of something that would be more of the same size as the rest of the flock.
Believe me, I love my Silkies! And I am raising them because of their cuteness AND as broodies.
I was just repeating what I had read from others. Should have clarified that.

My roo does not come from show stock.
My roo watching the boys on mothers day