Washingtonians

[KristaChickenWhisperer]

It is very competitive, but since I am a poultry person, I stand out a lot. The Dean of the vet school told me that there is a high demand for Poultry vets.

So when I graduate you all can take your sick chickies to me! No more hunting for a chicken savvy vet!

 

[daraae921]

Anyone else here in skagit county?
I don't have chickens yet. ...Doing the proper research and such first. We have seven ducks (looking for a couple Silver Appleyards if anyone has any info) and just decided this morning that we needed chickens.
This seems like the perfect place for me to learn everything I need to know!
Dara

 

[Selena]

I was just sitting here listening to my roo crow his heart out and thinking.... "Last year I had my first small flock of 5 juvenile birds. Now look at me. 5 hens, one roo, 12 chicks here, 8 on their way, and 3 guinea keets. Heck, I didn't even know what a guinea WAS last year, and now I have 3 of them!"

I went from 5, to none (predator attacks and escaped chickens), to 4...7...21.... 29

OMG, I'll have 29 birds soon.

Well, plus side, half of the chicks I have should be roos, eh?

 

[Selena]

Quote:
Hey Helaine!
Yeah, all for eggs. And, of course for the fun of watching them.

YAY!!!! As I was typing, they arrived!!!!

 

[kristenm1975]

I'm in lovely Clinton on the south end of Whidbey Island. We've only been here two weeks or less, but we're in love. We have a nice big coop that I'm slowly working on filling up with friendly cluckers.

I've just begun today building my second chicken tractor out of materials left behind when the house was built. It's a simple one, but I think it'll do the trick. The plan is to slowly build up a flock of purebred breeders so I can offer fertile eggs and chicks.

I was thinking I would put one roo in with two or three hens in small breeder pens, and after a week or two, however long it takes to make sure the eggs are fertile, put the roo back into the big coop and let the girls do their thing, which hopefully will mean sit on some eggs for me, as I would like to have the eggs naturally hatched. I don't have an incubator and as fascinating as it sounds to have one, it also sounds really tricky and expensive. Correct me if I'm wrong!

 

[JennsPeeps]

Hi Kristen!

You're now to WA or just too Whidbey?

I'm jealous of your opp to hatch eggs naturally. I'd love to have more chicks around!

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QUESTION ABOUT EGG LAYING

Our girls should start laying in the next month or so. With winter coming we know that we won't get eggs on a regular (read: daily) basis. We don't want to do lights for a couple of reasons, including that our houses are close together and that we don't want to "wear out" the girls any faster than is natural.

What have been your experiences with egg laying over the winter? I'd be sooo bummed to have gotten chickens and to have to wait until next spring to get eggs in any quantity.

 

[silkiechicken]

Welcome to all the new faces in washington!

Egg laying for me just keeps on going. Our winters aren't that bad and even though it can get dark, the birds don't get so much natural light, they like to moult and so on, I'd still expect a few eggs a week from each girl when not actively replacing feathers. New layers might take an extra few weeks to lay vs spring chicks, but that's better for them over all anyways since it gives their bodies more time to mature.

My scrawny leghorns laid right though last winter!

 

[JennsPeeps]

Hi all!

How cool that you live on Francis Rd. Hope you do the saint proud.

Went to the Puyallup Fair yesterday, dying to see chickens. Instead all I saw was bunnies. Bunnies, bunnies, BUNNIES!! And then MORE BUNNIES.

I missed the chicken show! Apparently it's the first and last weekends of The Fair. What a bummer. I'm not going to pay $10 to go back just to see chickens.

On the bright side, I did get to see a silkie sitting on 2 cochin and 3 serama chicks.

 

[TerrasCritters]

Quote:
Yeppers, alot of people came to see bunnies and the barn was full of chickens lol
I went with KorfusKluckers when she took her Orps to the show at the puyallup fair, lots of nice birds. She placed really well too!
The first weekend was the open show, the next poultry show is for the 4-H groups I believe.
Hopefully you can make it next year, there are also a couple more here in WA before the year is over, check back at the Washington State Shows thread.

 

[kristenm1975]

Hey Washingtonians!

I have three naked neck chickens, two are two months old, one is a young layer under a year old, and I would like to trade for one standard hen under a year old, preferably laying already or at POL. Open to lots of breeds, just make an offer!

I'm on Whidbey Island, southern end, and could meet you in Mukilteo for the trade.

Thanks!