Washingtonians

[spookychick]

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Wish I did. I buy my soy-free organic online, and the shipping is absolutely insane. I've found some suppliers of organic feed locally, but it isn't soy-free. If use of soy protein isn't a big deal to you, try the farm store in Battle Ground. They have organic layer available with soy. Maybe if there's enough of us, we could get a local mill to produce the grain mix we're after.

 

[spookychick]

Quote:
I haven't been raising chickens all that long myself. Just got started with my flock last fall. My laying flock is 7 Barred Rocks, 1 Black Astralorp, 1 White Leghorn, and a couple of barnyard mixed breeds I recently acquired. They're all laying daily, so we have plenty of eggs for the table.

In the last couple of weeks I've been busy growing my flock. I bought 40 (several different breeds) from MM, but they had a rough ship and I lost 10 right from the start.

I also picked up a trio of BC Marans.

Hatched three babies last weekend - my first! A red bantam, blue cochin, and one cute little feather-footed yellow breed as of yet to be determined.

My new Sportsman incubator arrived this week, too, so I have about 6 dozen eggs setting - Showgirls, Silkies, standard Salmon Faverolles, Bantam Salmon Faverolles, Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Marans, and Ameraucanas. Should be quite exciting around here very soon!

 

[lisahaschickens]

Yeah, I have been ordering my soy-free organic feed from countryside naturals in virginia and the shipping costs more than the feed

We should definitely try to band together to get a source of local, organic, soy-free.

Sounds like you're going to have your hands full! Pretty amazing that you just started last fall and are already going to have that many! That would TOTALLY be something I would do, but I think my fiance would do his best to put a stop to it

It would certainly be fun to see all those chickens' running around. Do you let them free range?

I'm a little nervous because I think I heard a sneeze or two from the chicks today, but I didn't see who it was and I have no idea what a chick sneeze sounds like so maybe it was something else entirely.

 

[spookychick]

Quote:
I think we should investigate the local mill options, and see if anything pans out. I'm not eager to pay the big bucks for shipping again anytime soon. Worse comes to worse I might make up my own mix. The girls like organic ground beef, bacon fat, and nut proteins in their morning mush, so I probably don't need the layer rations at all. Especially once their outdoor run gets finished. My husband is almost finished with that. Some of our birds are "free-ranging" in a very nice chicken tractor I purchased last month from MobileChickens.com . The builder is local and does a beautiful job on the pens.

Sorry to hear about the sneezes, but it might be nothing to worry over. My older girls sneeze from time to time when something tickles their noses. Just an occasional sneeze though. If it keeps up, I'd definitely be concerned. The little ones are so fragile.

 

[unbridledoaks]

Hello everyone!
My name is Annie and I just joined. We have quite the flock here at our farm. My mother and I raise and show Turkeys and Chickens. We have quite the flock here, but we are raising Silver Spangled Hamburgs and Black-tailed White Japanese Bantams. My mother is getting into the Heritage Turkeys this year, so that will be fun.

We do have other breeds that we have shown and have here as our pets

Here is my Rooster, Travis Barker. He is a Golden Laced Polish. He has shown and has done quite well. He was pinned Champion over All Champion Rooster and Reserve Over all Exhibit (Finishing Second to my Hamburg Hen)
http://www.wishbroke.com/images/travis_Barker_winter_09.jpg

This is Zee Zee, our Champion Hamburg Hen. She is such a fun hen, we love her so much! She was shown last year and was Grand Champion Hen and Over All Grand Champion Exhibit.
http://www.wishbroke.com/jpgs/zeezee08.jpg

This is my "I WANT HIM" buy. Napolean is my Mille Fleur d'uccles Rooster that runs with our Orpingtons. I wanted to raise these guys, but I found out that I liked the Black-tailed White Japanese Bantams more But, Napolean is my fun chicken! I plan to show him this year
http://www.wishbroke.com/jpgs/littleman08.jpg

And here is the rooster that got me into the Black-tailed White Japanese Bantams, Tommy. He had his comb frost damaged, so he won't be able to show, but he is such a fun little guy! I have ordered 20 of them for this year, so we will see what we get when the shipment arrives Tommy is such a fun rooster, soooooooooo bantie!!!! LOL!
http://www.wishbroke.com/images/IMG_1289.jpg


I hope to meet some new people here! We are looking to expand our flocks this year, so I am sure I will be asking a load of questions!

My first is: Who in Washington raises the Black-tailed White Japanese Bantams? I'm looking for hens and roosters.

Thanks for letting me share!
Best,
Annie

 

[lisahaschickens]

Hi UnbrideledOaks,

Are you planning to breed Napolean? He is the most stunning-looking chicken I have ever seen! I have to admit that I am new to chickens, but WOW! Anyway, I am down in Vancouver, WA and if you plan to have chicks out of him and might be interested in selling some chicks or hatching eggs in the future, I would be interested.

Welcome to the site!

 

[kristenm1975]

Beginning in March, I will be building and selling David Bissette's fabulous "Catawba Converticoops". For each one I sell, I'll be paypaling him $20, as he suggested on his website. Go check them out at catawbacoops.com.

The only modification I've made to his original design is to install 1/2 inch heavy gauge hardware cloth instead of garden fencing as shown on the site.

These good-looking chicken tractors hold at least 5 full-size hens and are perfectly suited for backyard hen-keepers.

You can check out my craigslist posting in the farm and garden section for Seattle, under the listing "A new home for your city hens".

Thanks all!

 

[LauraM]

Wow! We are building a chicken tractor very, very similar to that, also with hardware wire! I had never seen that site before- they are really nice looking tractors (our is built from scrap wood). Judging from the turnout (Standing room only) at the Everett library's Backyard chicken presentation you should have plenty of interest. I wish you the best in your construction and sales!

 

[4hchknmama]

Ok, I just had to share. I went out to get my little rescue Dutch Bantam hen this afternoon so I could bring her in to clip her nails. Anyway, she likes to reside in the pen with my silkies, and when I peeked in, I had two new eggs from my two new Buff Silkie hens in there! These gals just hatched at the beginning of October, so, these are the first eggs! I am so thrilled. I have a gorgeous Buff roo in with them, so, hopefully I will start getting some good fertilized eggs soon!

Like I said, i just had to share!

 

[GopherBoyFarms]

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Congrats!!!
Isnt that great when your babys start laying.
We have 5 "designer" chicks from our first flock that where hatched in Oct and just started laying also!!!! It's so cool!


~Tiff~
btw- my folks live by Monroe Wa someplace......not sure where, they sold house and live in a 5th wheel now, but I know they are always doing gun shows around that area.