Washingtonians

[itsren]

As far as school, you would think that the kids are already out of school enough through out the year with all the half days, no school days and so forth. But I guess not sense now they will be out 75 min early every Friday! I think it is stupid, but I am not a teacher so what do I know!

I agree. Our school district has late start Mondays, which are actually pretty cool. It helps ease the kids into the week, and if they accidentally stay up late on Sunday evening, no big deal. The thing that bugs me is all the state waiver days they throw in, in addition to the late start Mondays. From what I have been told, our school district does not meet the state required number of hours, but they have managed to get away with it by proving to the state our district is a low income district and teachers need more time to prep for low income students. I don't know how true that is, but the concept always bugged me... low income kids falling behind so let's give them fewer classroom hours.

Edited to add: Oh, they threw the winter break back in this year, too! Two week Christmas break, followed by a 1 week winter break, and then a 1 week spring break. Go figure.

 

[HoneysuckleHills]

FlyRobinFly can tell you where to get them. I was wondering if people here on BYC wanted to pool together to buy a bulk order. Anyone?

As for the eggs... so far my girls are being faithful in laying. I'm usually getting 3 eggs a day, and some days I get 2. Rarely I get 1. I'm allergic to eggs, so I don't tend to cook with eggs. My kids will occasionally get scrambled eggs before school, and on the weekends I make up a huge batch of scrambled eggs for DH and the kids to eat. I usually scramble 12-14 eggs and whatever they don't eat, the chickens finish off. Even though I gave 6 away, I'm guessing I'll have close to a dozen to feed the family on our weekend scrambled egg day.

Count me in. I like the 6ers. I also like the old fashioned 3x4s. (Ogress has some of those if I remember correctly.)

 

[KMHunter]

Long icky day today. Up at 5 - out the door by 5:15. Blow by my office to pick up a few things, and then a road trip to Bellevue. Work there all day, fighting with the database guys in Dallas. On the road again to come home at 5 -- just got past the blast zone before the pass was closed for an hour while they set of charges.


Dang I'm tired.

HEY!! I work in Bellevue!
Where were you working? How often do you get here?

 

[CarolynF]

Oh sure, I see how it is... Now that I'm back on the wrong side of the mountains, you all decide to have a meet-up.

Oh, Oh, Colville.... Can you see me wavin' really hard from way over here???

I have family near there. My cousin used to teach math at Colville Highschool. But he retired a few years ago. It's so pretty over there, but I hardly ever get to visit. Darn.
Enjoy the dry side and being able to see the ground under the trees, not just salal and ferns.

 

[Nikki99]

I don't know if anyone remembers but, awhile back I asked for help b/c my girls would not lay in our nesting boxes. Well many of you offered your advice, ideas and expertise on the issue. We totally re-did our boxes, took the old out and did a completely new idea and went with a wooden frame with holes cut out and then put big 5 gal buckets (laying down) in the holes to use as the nests and added roosts in front of the buckets so they could check them out w/out having to get in. Ya, that flopped too. They don't like them at all. I saw that idea somewhere on here and loved it, DH loved it even more but the girls...they didn't love it.
This is getting so frustrating, we were getting 2-3 eggs a day and now, I *might* get 2 a day out of 5 hens. Today though, I didn't find any at all. I can lock them in but then they just lay on the floor and bury the eggs w/the shavings and that is so super awesome!!

I thought someone said that they aren't picky...that someone obviously hasn't met my chickens.

Any ideas? Is this normal, to have this difficult of a time to get them to lay in the box? Do we just keep trying new ideas or are my girls a lost cause?

 

[KMHunter]

I don't know if anyone remembers but, awhile back I asked for help b/c my girls would not lay in our nesting boxes. Well many of you offered your advice, ideas and expertise on the issue. We totally re-did our boxes, took the old out and did a completely new idea and went with a wooden frame with holes cut out and then put big 5 gal buckets (laying down) in the holes to use as the nests and added roosts in front of the buckets so they could check them out w/out having to get in. Ya, that flopped too. They don't like them at all. I saw that idea somewhere on here and loved it, DH loved it even more but the girls...they didn't love it.
This is getting so frustrating, we were getting 2-3 eggs a day and now, I *might* get 2 a day out of 5 hens. Today though, I didn't find any at all. I can lock them in but then they just lay on the floor and bury the eggs w/the shavings and that is so super awesome!!

I thought someone said that they aren't picky...that someone obviously hasn't met my chickens.

Any ideas? Is this normal, to have this difficult of a time to get them to lay in the box? Do we just keep trying new ideas or are my girls a lost cause?

I know this isn't wht you want to hear, but can you find or buy a couple of those covered cat littr boxes? Mine loved those at first, now they will lay in almost anything. Just place them on the floor. Just an idea.

I am sorry you are having this problem.

 

[Greg Richardson]

Quote: Mine now just lay on the floor making nests with the straw. One flock I had used the nest boxes but when next one didn't I got tired of trying to change training when I got the straw I figured NP as they make a round nest so easy to grab eggs right on top of straw.

If you can't change their habit might consider straw as mine made nests with eggs on top.

 

[AWalker3]

Oh, Oh, Colville.... Can you see me wavin' really hard from way over here???

I have family near there. My cousin used to teach math at Colville Highschool. But he retired a few years ago. It's so pretty over there, but I hardly ever get to visit. Darn.
Enjoy the dry side and being able to see the ground under the trees, not just salal and ferns.

Hi there, nice to meet you

I graduated from Colville HS 30+ years ago

, was your cousin teaching here that long ago?

 

[itsren]

Today though, I didn't find any at all. I can lock them in but then they just lay on the floor and bury the eggs w/the shavings and that is so super awesome!!

Just a thought based on what I've seen from my girls... are they laying beneath the roost bars? If so, could they be laying early before the sun comes up and dropping them where they might fall into the shavings?

Both Drama and Caunnie have laid before it was light out. Drama's back to sleeping on the floor again, so her laying in the middle of the coop was no big deal. Caunnie laid one from the roost, and it either got smashed when she jumped down, or it broke when it fell.

 

[TheReidHomestead]

OK, I finally took some pic's today.

Here are the most current BLRW photo's, now granted, they are molting! Luckily no naked chickens, but lots of feathers everywhere!!!!



This is my new favorite pullet, but she was NOT happy with me because I booted her out of the nest box to get her picture!



Same pullet as above, plus a younger one to the left. I think the pullet on the right is light blue, the pullet on the lefter is a tad darker blue.



My new favorite blue cockerel Winston, with amazing leg color, bright yellow. This is still a major issue I'm working on in my birds. I have this pair's first eggs in the incubator and can't wait until they hatch!!!



The sun washed out his legs in the photo.



This is my older blue cock, he has a hollow comb and legs are a bit too white. He's in the same pen as Wyatt, the patriarch dude of my wyandottes.



My two matriarchs, Willow and Wynona. You can see here how much the color varies. Ideally you want the darker mahogany like the bird on the left.



My main man Wyatt, as usual taking excellent care of his ladies!

OK, now these are older pics, some of my favorites.



This is William, he is a black cockerel that I bought from Cowgirlgrace as a chick, and now she has him back in her flock.



Wyatt and Willow (Willow has a purple saddle on her back here)



Wyatt taking care of his ladies. Wyatt and 3 of these girls are all splash, Willow with the purple saddle and her daughter behind her and to the left, are all light blue.



Wynona, with Willow behind her.


OK, now onto Serama's for Rainwolf's Mama who is so patiently waiting!!!

OK, the above two guys are our older guys. The one in the top picture I hatched from RedReinder a year and a half ago, and the bottom one I hatched two and a half years ago from Jbear. And I don't know what is up with the 2nd ones wispy wind blown hackle feathers!!! They've always been like that!!! I would consider these two both pet quality, willow green legs, tail set is not great.



OK, this one and the next one are both 8 wks old and hatched together.





The possible mom's are two tri-colored Laura/Castle Delight Serama's or a wheatonish looking hen hatched from crossing JBear & Redreiners stock. Possible dad's are a frizzle buff Castle Delight dad or another Jbear/Redreiner cross who is a gorgeous gold laced looking fella. These both have excellent yellow legs...still too small to tell about length of back/tail set, but I would predict better than the two older birds above. Let me know which one's she wants! She can have any she wants for free, cause I gotta move them outta here!!!