Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[gimmie birdies]

I have 16 I hatched out, below is in 2 boxes, but I have taken out the wire, and they are combined now.

I also have regular chickens, but I have a girl friend who is going to adopt some, so I will not claim how many I have. Of these, I will keep the silver-gray ones.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Great hatch. have to let my new cockerel grow up before I can hatch again.
He is blue copper marans.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Afternoon all little cooler here this here today.
High 50's so far.

 

[Smokerbill]

Low 60s here, partly cloudy and windy. Need long pants and a sweatshirt today.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Long pants at the start had to add the hoodie to be outside 59 is our temperature
at 4 pm took a break from fencing the new stop to the chicken yard.
We have just a breeze here not wind.

 

[OtherClucker]

Do you have a picture of your coop? I just finished building a coop and run under the roof behind my shop. I'm glad the job is done... mostly done. Still have to add on the nest boxes to the coop, but mine won't start laying for a couple months yet. Here's my setup.

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That looks great! Even a proper door! It's so much more work than I expected when I first started but here's a before and after.. assuming I can figure out how to post pictures in a reply lol. What are you using for substrate?

 

[OtherClucker]

I just wrap my run in plastic in the winter and take it down for the summer. Otherwise snow will be inside the run.

Welcome to the thread @OtherClucker. Mine get to free range every day in a 4,000 ft small orchard. I have netting over the top to keep the eagles out and 5 ft fencing with a hot wire all around it. Haven't had a problem since I put up the netting, but before that I had an eagle attack. Like I mentioned above, within this free range area I have an enclosed run to keep them in at night. It's only 10x12 and my chickens like to roam. The coop itself is an additional 8x10, so they do have a sizeable enclosure, but it is so rewarding to watch them just be chickens out in the open.

Thank you! We definitely have birds of prey roaming the area. How did you put up your netting? I have a 6' chain link fence around the backyard surrounded by trees, but not much cover on the actual property

 

[OtherClucker]

Hey welcome to the state thread. What type of cover is there in the half acre.
We have 3/4 an acre 1/4 is chicken yard.
Old apple tree and hazel nut even out of season deters aerial attacks.
clip one wing each bird so they stay in their yard.View attachment 3511170

Not much by way of cover. I'm thinking about making bamboo teepees and growing runner beans up them for shelters until I get around to making something more lasting. Thanks for the tip on the wing clipping! Could they fly over a six foot fence?

 

[Smokerbill]

That looks great! Even a proper door! It's so much more work than I expected when I first started but here's a before and after.. assuming I can figure out how to post pictures in a reply lol. What are you using for substrate?View attachment 3514117View attachment 3514122View attachment 3514128

That's a beautiful coop! I'd live in it!

In the coop I used fir shavings. In the run I'm doing deep bedding, using partially composted arborist's wood chips that I had dumped in my yard last winter. It's more or less one foot deep, and after a full week with with chickens in it, there's no chicken smell at all. Seems to work pretty well. I stir the chips with a pitchfork a couple times a week, and I think that helps.

 

[Saris]

Hey all, just checking in ^_^ Been hatching and gardening a bunch lately. My beds are almost all weeded, and I've got leeks planted, I'll get my strawberries in tomorrow I believe.

I'm over run with chicks now lol, I have a bunch of chocolate/mauve/blue/black Easter Eggers from my chocolate wheaten Ameraucana project. They sure are cute ^_^ There's a couple Bielefelder/Ameraucana mixes as well