Washingtonians

[Greg Richardson]

Jessica. Some flocks I've had once they started laying they'd continue. Others were just like you described. One or two eggs then nothing for one or two weeks. You just never know.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Jessica. Some flocks I've had once they started laying they'd continue. Others were just like you described. One or two eggs then nothing for one or two weeks. You just never know.

OK that's good to know! Thanks Greg

I really want a couple of these: http://blog.mypetchicken.com/2012/08/17/favaucanas/

I seriously can't wait until someone goes broody. I'll give her a bunch of dummy eggs to sit on a while and order myself some chicks!!!! I can't believe how addicted to chickens I am....

 

[Sudsy Chick]

I was quite shocked this morning when I responded to what I thought was a chicken-chicken scuffle but actually was a hawk/chicken scuffle! It was one of my little Belgians and one of those blasted Cooper's hawks. She was giving it hell! The hawk gave up and left when my roo charged it (I was trying to keep up!). Dawn's Brabanter really is a charming fellow and I'm glad that I could give him a home. Luckily, my Belgian only suffered from a few scratches and punctures and lots of missing feathers. Poor thing probably has PTSD...but at least she's in one piece!

Oh good boy! I'm so glad that he is protecting your girls well =) and hope your little girl is ok and not too stressed out!

One of the young cockerels here started crowing just a couple days after Patches left...must have thought something was missing!

 

[Sudsy Chick]

Quote:
I have another broody - Miss Blackberry has decided she wants more chicks already. Nope. Put her in the cage this morning - she's not very happy to not be able to get into a nest!

I'd offer her to you - but she is not a good broody. Mean and didn't stay with her first set of chicks for nearly long enough.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
Wanted you to know Ricky is happy and safe at a farm in Enumclaw. They don't eat their birds and last I heard he was quite happily roosting in a tree over a bunch more Appenzellar pullets

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
I have another broody - Miss Blackberry has decided she wants more chicks already. Nope. Put her in the cage this morning - she's not very happy to not be able to get into a nest!

I'd offer her to you - but she is not a good broody. Mean and didn't stay with her first set of chicks for nearly long enough.

Aww, poor girl. Sorry she's not a good mother. What did you do when she left her chicks? Did you have to take care of them?

 

[FirewifeJess]

I would love to get someone's opinions on my coop and run. Gonna post pics and dimensions soon, but basically what I'm wondering is what to do if someone goes broody? I know it'll happen eventually, I do have a dozen girls. Someone's biological clock is bound to start ticking someday So I have one nest box in the run, inside a rabbit hutch. That's the only one they lay in so far; I have a feeling it'll be the favorite of everyone, including broodies

Then what? Will everyone else just have to suck it up and go lay in the coop nest boxes? Will they even do that? Or will they just stomp all over a broody to lay their eggs with her anyway? Also, if someone goes broody, where's the best place to keep her and chicks?

 

[FirewifeJess]

OK here's the setup! And today's eggs so far...2 and counting! Woohoo!
Inside the coop, nest boxes at back, roosts up high over the poop shelf:

Outside view of nest boxes:

View of the chicken run from the door side; rabbit hutch on the left, where they lay eggs so far:

Their favorite nest in the hutch (one is a dummy egg):

"Where do you think you're taking my egg?!" - Ethel

John, happy we got 2 this time!

Scarlett's egg today was a Lg/XL egg on the scale! See it next to some Smith Brother's Farms Lg eggs in the carton?? Awesome! Probably double yolker, her other large one was:

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Friend just e-mailed he limited out yesterday on the Willapa for Kings.........he got a 16, a 23 and a 21 pounder !!!!!!!!!!

ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wanna go fishing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It really is hard to live across the street from the river....it CALLS you !
And to hear the boats trolling, trolling, trolling.....................................................

But we have to keep building..................

If it would help you out and make ya feel better...... I would be willing to make time during my day to go fishing in place of ya. I would even be willing to tell ya how much fun it was and how many nice fish I caught on yer behalf ! ! !

 

[Chicken Rustler]

I'm getting frustrated. I'm still only getting one egg a day (a couple of times, 2 eggs; a couple of times, no eggs) and they've been laying for 9 days. Am I just being way too impatient? There's only 3 that have started so far and they're all (well, most of them) almost 21 weeks. I guess I thought that once someone started they'd all kinda fall in line and start laying right away. Probably got some bad info somewhere along the line on that huh?

Ever heard the old saying "a watched pot never boils" ? Well guess what?? watched hens never lay either.