Washingtonians

[itsren]

How is your watermelon? I haven't cut mine open yet!

I've got to brag... my girls had a "first" today. They FINALLY ate watermelon! Drama was the first one to actually give it a try. They didn't run in fear of it (big chickens!). It only took them 20 weeks to face their fear and discover the goodness.

 

[JennS]

Are the chicks at Reber Ranch good ones? I see people post about the difference in quality between hatchery (production?) chicks and the ones from local breeders. I would like nice looking, well tempered birds, so should I skip places like Reber and the feed store in Monroe?

I apologize if this opens a can of worms!

I might actually have a coop in a couple of weeks, so I'm starting to look for chicks.

Jennifer

 

[lovinchickypoos]

No. No. Not at all! I agreed 100% with what you posted.

Yes, that was me. In fact, just today, I'm dealing with more neighbor issues. I've been out weeding with a vengeance today. I have a neighbor who sprayed another neighbor's yard with weed killer w/o their permission because they were upset about the weeds in their yard. I have 2 boys with Autism, and I insist my yard is chemical free because there are studies that link Autism to chemicals. My yard has been chemical-free for 4 years. I would be beside myself if someone came over and sprayed my weeds with chemicals. My retired neighbors have lots of time on their hands to keep their yards pristine. I'm a busy mom, and my kids get my time - and I have weeds - and weeds don't make for happy neighbors.

I live in a neighborhood of mostly retired people (yes, near the reservation where they let off fireworks), and my friend, and neighbor behind my cul-de-sac, got turned in because their dogs that were barking at the fireworks. The police warned her if they got another call about her dogs barking, animal control would remove her dogs. Our animal control is not a no-kill, and her 2 dogs are very expensive pure-bred terriers, so, of course, she was pretty upset about the thought of her dogs being removed and put down. She has two boys - and they would be devastated if animal control took their dogs away.

No - I accidentally stirred up a hornet's nest in this forum twice - the first time when I was just a few days on the site, and a very new chicken owner, I posted that I burned some chicken bedding to get rid of it. My compost bin, and 3 adjacent garbage cans were full, and I elected to get rid of the excess that way (legally - let's please not get that started again - I am legal to burn in a fire pit). As it is, my neighbors hate my compost bins and complain regularly about them. Even though my compost bins hold yard waste, and not food leftovers, they insist that my (plastic, enclosed, with lids) compost bins "cause" the rat population that live beneath another neighbor's shed. When my chicks were in the brooder in my garage, I was changing out their bedding every single week to keep their brooder clean. That bedding was pretty clean - it was mostly wood chips. I hadn't yet learned to just scoop out the poo with a cat scoop (which is what I do now). The 2nd hornet's nest I stirred up was when I posted that I had a glass-top range - and was then informed that glass-top ranges were for - I think the term was "users". I'll be honest, I never know what I'm going to accidentally post that might cause a ruckus in this thread. But, oh well, I'm a big girl. If I cause a ruckus, so be it. I can take it.

When one has 2 boys who get judged by their behavior on a regular basis, one grows a thick skin rather quickly. I can assure you, you have never made me feel criticized.

OH GOOD!!!! I hate making people feel bad. Though, I am not one who goes out of her way to avoid it (i.e., politically correct terminology is not always used).
My goodness gracious, your neighbors need to find a hobby and get a life not absorbed with interfering with other's!!!!!!!!! It's despicable that your boys are judged like that.
There is always gonna be someone who disagrees heavily with just about anything we say so I guess as long as WE know we are doing what we believe is right then so be it! I'm smack in the middle of my 30s and am still struggling to thicken my skin. My Scottish/Irish blood boils too easily!!!
I do remember the glass-top range issue, hahaha! I have one also

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Are the chicks at Reber Ranch good ones? I see people post about the difference in quality between hatchery (production?) chicks and the ones from local breeders. I would like nice looking, well tempered birds, so should I skip places like Reber and the feed store in Monroe?

I apologize if this opens a can of worms!

I might actually have a coop in a couple of weeks, so I'm starting to look for chicks.

Jennifer

OK first I think it is indisputable that so much depends on what you want from your birds.
IF one wants birds that "resemble" the breed then hatchery birds may be for them.
IF one wants "true to breed" SQ birds then one should find a REPUTABLE breeder.
Here is a good example For my layers they are all hatchery mutts. My B Fav and B Am are SQ birds from Cloverleaf Farm. The ( IMO and many others) indisputable QUEEN of Fav's!!!!!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:

 

[Greg Richardson]

Quote: Never been to Reber so don't know.

Over the years I have bought private and from Monroe Farm & Feed.
Never have I had a problem with thier chicks.
Monroe has an excellent selection of chicks.
Been to a lot of feed stores and never seen the amount they have.

 

[SadieSue]

The Partridge - he has chipped his beak.  I'm going to taper it a bit with an emery board tomorrow (thank you PNWgirl for the tip!) and I understand it should grow back fine.

You don't even need to bother putting him through the stress of fixing that.  That's a tiny chip!  Drama broke a huge chunk of her beak of and now it is perfectly fine.  Caunnie recently did the same thing - and now it is growing back.

He will sharpen his beak on his own.  If he doesn't have access to concrete, just put a concrete block or paver in his coop or run.  He'll fix that thing.  I wouldn't be surprised if his beak was good as new within 1 week! 

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind! The silkies do all have access to concrete as I have concrete block steps leading to their ramp.

 

[lovinchickypoos]

I'm not so sure about that, I am a blonde on drugs...............

Sheila

I can laugh because (up until 3yrs ago) I, too, am a blonde. You just can't see it under the burgundy!

 

[JennS]

OK first I think it is indisputable that so much depends on what you want from your birds.
IF one wants birds that "resemble" the breed then hatchery birds may be for them.
IF one wants "true to breed" SQ birds then one should find a REPUTABLE breeder.
Here is a good example For my layers they are all hatchery mutts. My B Fav and B Am are SQ birds from Cloverleaf Farm. The ( IMO and many others) indisputable QUEEN of Fav's!!!!!

Thank you, that cleared it up! I think I would prefer to buy from good breeders. I would love a Cloverleaf salmon Faverolles. I looked through her website a while back and the birds are gorgeous (and I like that they lay bigger eggs). I don't think I will do any showing, but I have learned from the other pets that I keep that when space is limited, I should hold out for what I want. I just hope that I actually know what I want, lol.

If anyone has suggestions for local breeders of Silkies, Barnevelders, Orpingtons, Polish, and Wyandottes I would love to hear them! (And I will write them down so I don't forget.) Is there any recommended reading for how to put together a mixed flock that would get along? Have I chosen any breeds that are bullies?

Jennifer

 

[justbugged]

Quote: I wouldn't breed the 2nd one. The first one has some potential...they are quite young, I assume? The 1st one has a much better crest than the 2nd one, nice turquoise earlobes...his neck is a little long, and he could be rounder in general, but he's not bad...paired with some nice girls, he could give you some nice babies...

The cockerels were hatched on Christmas day. In person there it looks like they have some white in their feathering. The eggs were Blue, and Splash. I would be willing to take them back if Shyla can't find another home for them.