Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[TacomaFarms]

Had one of my 8 month brahma pullets acting sluggish yesterday afternoon. I managed to get her to eat some and drink before bed. This morning she wasn't interested in anything and not wanting to move. I brought her in and I couldn't feel anything odd but gave her a warm bath to sit in that she relaxed in. She spent all day on some towels in the bathtub. By this evening she couldn't stand and was having a hard time keeping her head up. When I went to check on her last, and moved her to a move comfortable position and petted her, her comb turned purple and she spasmed and passed. On inspection she was laying internally. It was a mess.

So DH helped me dig a hole out in the garden in the dark. Dang it! She was a very friendly, nosy bird.

I'm so sorry for your loss. That sounds terrible but she was well taken care of in her final moments.

 

[HoneysuckleHills]

Build a durable planting bed cover

By Charles Sanders
When I decided to build a planting bed cover, I had a few things in mind. First, it needed to be durable. That is, I wanted it to last for many growing seasons. Second, I wanted it to be portable, to be able to be moved as needed. Third, I wanted it to be easy to build. Ultimately, I wanted it to be useful for getting seeds going early and for keeping growing plants bearing and useful late into the season. The cover I came up with filled the bill on all of those counts. Below is a description of the cover and how I built it.
First, decide the size of your frame. I used the full length of an 8-foot 2x6 for the long side of the frame. I could have cut the remaining 2x6 into two pieces making the bed four feet wide; however, I decided that was a little wide to easily reach across once the plants got going. So, I made the bed three feet wide instead.
I used 3-inch deck screws to put the frame together, putting three to a corner. In addition, I added some simple flat right-angle braces to the corners, top, and bottom. I used a carpenter's square to true the corners and added the flat braces. This was done to provide extra reinforcement against warping and the pulling apart of the corners as they weather. Although the screws hold things together pretty well, the braces added strength and rigidity.

Above: The completed and covered frame.
Below: Detail of plastic folded around a lath strip and nailed onto the wood frame.​

I roughly calculated the length of the PVC pipe that would be needed to go corner to corner in a bow-shaped fashion. From a standard 10-foot joint of pipe, that left a couple of feet of pipe — perfect for the short legs needed for the corners. Look at the attached illustrations and you can see how those short legs were attached to the inside corners of the wooden frame. I simply drilled two pairs of holes and screwed the piece to the frame, so that two went into the end piece and two went into the side piece at a right angle to the first two. Each leg was left protruding about an inch and a half or so above the wooden frame. That allowed for the next attachment. On each leg, I dry-fitted one of the PVC angle fittings. They projected at nearly the perfect angle to accommodate the long PVC hoops that were next.
The long pieces of PVC pipe were dry-fitted into the angle fittings. First, the end of one piece was placed into one of the fittings. I then ran it over to the opposite far corner and made a pencil mark at the point where it would be in the opposite fitting. A quick cut with the hacksaw and I put the piece in place. The second was done in a minute and the frame was ready to cover. None of the PVC joints were glued, rather simply dry-fitted in place.
The plastic covering I chose to use was some strong, woven greenhouse covering I had left over from re-covering our greenhouse a few years ago. It is very strong woven poly and has a UV-resistant coating that helps make it very durable. I have written about this material before and can't brag on it enough. It is available from Northern Greenhouse Sales at www.northerngreenhouse.com. You can also use lighter plastic sheeting available at nearly any good hardware store. For a small job like this one, some heavy Visqueen clear plastic film will perhaps be more readily available.

Above: The short PVC piece is attached to the corner with the 45-degree fitting pressed into place.
Below: The metal corner bracket that reinforces the corner joint.​

I measured off a length of the covering, leaving plenty to reach down past each end and allow for tucking under the frame. Cut the piece wide enough to reach all the way to the floor on either side. We will be doing some tucking and folding later with the excess. Remember it's always easier to trim a bit extra off than try to come up with some extra if you cut the piece too small!
Attached the plastic to the side of the frame by lining up an 8-foot lath strip (or furring strip) along the edge of the plastic, equidistant from each end. Next, roll the plastic once or twice around the strip. Position the strip at the upper edge of the frame's side and secure it with aluminum roofing nails spaced every foot or so. Now, turn the frame up so that the side with the plastic attached is on the floor. Stretch the plastic a bit to where it gives the arched frame a good shape. Repeat the rolling of the lath strip and secure it as you did on the other side. Don't secure the ends yet.
After we nailed the plastic covering in place along the sides of the frame, my son and I carried it to the garden and put it in place over a prepared seed bed of lettuce and spinach. I scuffed a bit of soil up around the bottom of the frame to help close it from drafts.

The completed frame, before being covered by plastic.​

I deliberately chose not to secure the ends of the plastic cover at the ends of the frame. I reckoned that once it really started to warm up, I would need to be able to open the cover to allow heat to escape. At first, I simply tucked the plastic under the ends of the frame. However, that would require moving the frame to raise the plastic and check the progress of the seeds, then again when re-tucking the plastic. So I changed tactics and simply laid the plastic on the ground and placed a concrete block atop the loose end on the ground. That seems to work better and helps to anchor the cover against the wind.
A plant bed cover like this is simple to build. It's a good way to spend an afternoon in the workshop. As with other projects I have described in other writings, use what you have or can get easily. Make your place your own.
With this bed cover, we now have a jump start on the season and plan to soon be enjoying some early lettuce and spinach, even though snow is on the ground as I write.

Thanks for posting this Greg. I think this would work well for me. I don't have a drill. What brand would you suggest I buy for this type of project?

 

[HoneysuckleHills]

So yesterday, out of the blue, DW says, "When is the 2013 coop-a-thon?"

So -- who needs stuff built?

I could really use a little help and I'd love to meet you and your DW!
I need help to repair (replace) a couple pieces of damaged wood in my existing coop.
I live pretty close to dawng and slinglings and I love to cook!
For me, it has to be after tax season.
You are one in a million, you really are!

 

[Nikki99]

Travis, did your work hours change? I noticed you're here more at night than you used to be.

hahaha. No, I am on vacation in Hawaii and have been sneaking on here in down time. Funny that you noticed me around.

Oh!!! We are going to Hawaii in 19 days!!.... I'm not counting down the days or anything though. Lol. What part of Hawaii are you in?[/quote]We are in Honolulu for the Pro Bowl. My DW won the trip through a raffle at her nieces cheer group.[/quote]

That's really neat, you guys scored!! Enjoy!

Am I really the only one with a very smelly chicken problem?? You guys are always full of ideas for every issue and question... please help a fellow BYCer out!!

You are gonna hate me but my husband built our 8 x 10 coop. When he builds something it is built to last at least 200 years. The coop: cement floors, insulated walls, slider window, vent holes near ceiling, roosts, extra large nest boxes, 12 x 12 yard with fencing buried about 2 feet down and attached to treated lumbar with a tin roof.

For the poop board - we use crappy (pun intended ) scrap plywood or whatever is laying around. I spread out a layer of diatomaceous earth on the poop board with the back of a rake. Then I put down a thick 2 - 3 inch layer of pine chips. I change it out every week. I got a tool at Wilco called a "sidewalk scraper". Imagine a hoe completely flattened. Best thing I ever bought. It scrapes that poop right off the poop board, floor, whatever. Putting DE and chips on the board makes it easy to scrape as it there is very little moisture on the board. Once it is completely scraped and clean, I add DE to any damp spots then cover back up with pine chips.

I have two chickens who cannot roost - my Cochin rooster and a Cuckoo Marans hen with a bad foot. The rooster sleeps in a hutch under the poop board. Here is a picture of him sleeping with the ducks:

For the hutch I pick out the poop and wet spots a couple times a week and change out the pine chips as needed. Like the poop board, I coat it with a thin layer of DE and mix some DE into the pine chips. I do the hutch every week or two.could be a week or two between changes. The nest boxes are usually very clean. I just remove any bits of poop or feathers each time I check for eggs. I add pine chips as needed. About once a month I "freshen" up the nest boxes with DE. There is about a 3ft overhang in the front of the coop. I keep a deep layer of chips with DE mixed in the doorway of the coop for the chickens dust baths.

This all sounds like a lot of work but it is actually quite easy. It takes 5 - 10 minutes every other day to clean because it is so dry. All the chickens wander in and out while I am cleaning, some offering advice.

We also have that slick gooey mud here. We have found that gravel works the best for our horses and the coop yard area. Our property is quite steep so my husband puts in lots of drainage pipes to funnel water away from the building foundation.

So my advice is to do the cleaning several times a week and keep things as dry as possible. Then you will have happy chickens who talk your ear off while yu clean.

Vickie et al
Kelso, WA

Thanks for this! I think that may be what I'm gonna have to do in these rainy months, clean more often. We don't have smell issues in the summer or fall, just lately since its been so wet outside. We do have some mods to do on the coop and pen this summer, the mud has got to go!
I see that you're in Kelso, we're in Castle Rock, not far at all! We should meet up sometime, I would love to find some critter lovin friends nearby!!

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

Had one of my 8 month brahma pullets acting sluggish yesterday afternoon. I managed to get her to eat some and drink before bed. This morning she wasn't interested in anything and not wanting to move. I brought her in and I couldn't feel anything odd but gave her a warm bath to sit in that she relaxed in. She spent all day on some towels in the bathtub. By this evening she couldn't stand and was having a hard time keeping her head up. When I went to check on her last, and moved her to a move comfortable position and petted her, her comb turned purple and she spasmed and passed. On inspection she was laying internally. It was a mess. 

So DH helped me dig a hole out in the garden in the dark. Dang it! She was a very friendly, nosy bird. 

So sorry for your loss. I know how it feels.


I have a question about the electrolytes. Hope is showing significant improvement, but she's not totally better yet. She doesn't sleep, and huddle under the lamp anymore, but I'm worried that if I take her off the electrolytes she'll get sick, for lack of a better term, again. She's been hanging with the other chicks, and is totally fine, except that she's feathering in way slower than the others. Today will be the 3rd day they've been on electrolytes. So, would it be best to leave her on them or take her off?

 

[Slinglings]

Thanks for posting this Greg. I think this would work well for me. I don't have a drill. What brand would you suggest I buy for this type of project?

Ruth ~ I would get a cordless lithium battery powered one. I just got a makita that I love. I have had many black and deckers over the years and they just don't last (that's why I've had to buy so many! at least four)

I would offer to let you use mine, but I really think you should have your own, every girl should have a power screwdriver! I use mine all the time (you can borrow it, but you should still get your own )

 

[VelvettFog]

Quote:
Say when

 

[Stumpfarmer]

So yesterday, out of the blue, DW says, "When is the 2013 coop-a-thon?"

So -- who needs stuff built?

I am in need of all sorts of help but suspect my design principles and yours would be at odds.

I was supposed to have a hired hand today, but she called out sick, and so I am stuck with a list of pissant chores which involve leaning over/having hands that don't stop working at random/ holding up both ends of the board while nailing the middle, et'c.

Stupid reality.

 

[WhiskiRanch]

Just wanted to share some pictures of my chickens that I took today




Breakfast time!!!


Here is Whiski, our papa rooster. He is papa to all my babies, cockerals and pullets If you look really close, Angel and Babe, my laying pullets are behind the board. They are red. My third laying pullet, Blondi, is more apricot



Whiski's son, Rum. He is for sale sadly



Another one of Whiski's sons, Evil. Another one for sale



And Whiski's last son for sale, Royal. I love his colors but he isnt veru nice to my girls



More Whiski babies. Two of the mammas are on the right



three of my favorite Whiski babies. I think all three are pullets. Only time will tell ;-)



A bunch of babies with two of the mammas. The one in the background hasnt weaned her batch yet and she even welcomes the older babies

I cant believe I didnt get any of the other mammas or of my three laying pullets...lol. Ill try and again around dinner time.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Meh. January.

I lost a (very old) cow last night, the worst way possible: she started going downhill when we weaned, didn't get better with extra feed, vitamin and mineral treatment, and antibiotics. She should have been hauled somewhere with cover and fed for the withdrawal period and then slaughtered but we've been having equipment problems left and right and couldn't get her off the place. Then she went down on a point in the field visible from basically everywhere except inside my kitchen window. She was trying the whole time to get up, and we were upping her caloric intake to see if we could get her past the low (which happens; sometimes all it takes is a 45F day, or a change in position) but it was crazy-making have to do it with the whole subdivision looking on.

And one of the neighbors got drunk yesterday and decided to verbally abuse my sister while she was out feeding , medicating, and watering the downed cow, and then came into the field and tried to start a physical fight so that my sister had to call 911 to deal with the trespass and other illegal behavior.

The emergency response GPS ended up with the deputy showing up on my doorstep, which was sort of not what I needed yesterday when I was puking sick and having trouble keeping my BG up. I had NO idea what he was talking about, and when I went in to get another coat he and his ride-along (mysteriously dressed in full Mariner's warm-up gear) flat out disappeared. All in all too much agricultural soap-opera for me; I was having sufficient trouble trying to keep the EE's pen clean, since I can't move it alone and have no hope for help with it until March at the earliest.

This is the same woman who once called me a dozen times in a week when she first moved here to try to nag me into rebuilding the fence so that it would keep her dogs in her yard. That would be the fence that keeps coming down because her late teenage son climbs it to get into our woods to drink, and which, OH YEAH, was also built by the previous owner on the outside of an illegal retaining wall that impinges ten feet onto our property. Most of my neighbors are fine people but not all of them are very bright or at all understanding about the day-to-day pressure of cattle farming, and none of them understand that state law requires a 50-50 split on materials and labor on line fences.

OH: for those of you who haven't been here, the neighbors on my north and west property lines are in a 1970's vintage half-acre lot development with covenants against renters, and are largely professional people of one sort or another, and well-off retirees. Not the slums, but human beings of all incomes are capable of violationg the golden rule in spectacular fashion.