Eastern Washington

[rickerra]

Bump for WA East Siders!

How's everyone's Spring plans coming? Can you believe this April weather? This has been a colder-than-normal April, hasn't it? Overnight lows have yet to get out of the 30's.

I'm SO READY to get my chickens and their coops/pens out of my garage! Haha. The hens and their big barge of a coop is setting sail this weekend... ready or not!

My broilers are coming up on 4 wks old... and I am putting them out this weekend too! I *may* give them a heat lamp at night. We'll have to see what the lows are going to be.

Oh... and I now have rabbits too! Picked up a trio (2 does, 1 buck) of 2 year olds to breed and raise for fryers.

My loving wife asked me "what's next?". Haha! I told her we should be covered on the meat garden side. Now to get the veggie garden in full gear!

Hope you all are fairing well!

 

[mrsbos]

This April has broken several records. Spokane broke a record for having the latest day to first reach 60 degrees (April 24th). Previous record was April 22nd, 1917. We will also likely break the record for coldest April (or either come in 2nd to April of 1955). There were a couple of records broken for snowfall on a couple of days this month too. The remainder of spring will likely continue to be cooler than normal.

Well, we've decided that keeping chickens in our neighborhood is just not going to work out. After e-mailing county commissioners numerous times and hearing about the other efforts to get chickens legalized in the county, it looks like if it ever comes to fruition, it's going to be a slow process and could take years. Even if they were legal in the county, the sentiment in my subdivision, is that backyard chickens are not approriate. I'm sick of trying to change people's minds and I want more than the 3 chickens I have! I'm sick of being nervous everytime my girls start "bawking" and wondering if the mean neighbor has called the county on me. Time to move!

We're cleaning up the house and getting ready to put it on the market. This suburban girl is looking to go country! I figure if there is any time to buy property, now would be a good time. Hopefully we can find a newer house for our family of 5 that gives us enough room (5-10 acres) for all the chickens we want, and maybe goats and horses too. Most importantly....a house in an area with NO HOA!! We love the Spokane Valley area but aren't finding many properties that fit that description. We're looking at Newman Lake, Otis Orchards, Liberty Lake, Valleyford, and Spokane as well. My husband's found lot of great properties up north (Deer Park, Mead, Chattaroy, Colbert), but I just don't want to live in that part of the county. My mom is in Liberty Lake and I'd like to be relatively close by. It's pain in the butt getting anywhere on the North side of town. If anyone knows of a suitable chicken friendly property in the 400-450k price range, let me know! There is an AWESOME house on 10 acres just 3/4 mile south of ours...for 599k....darn....a bit more than we can afford. Maybe I should buy a megamillions ticket or something!

 

[WhySayWhat]

Make sure to look up county chicken laws too! I know that Deer Park has been in the news recently because they have an ordinace against chickens, making them illegal to own!

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
There should be lots of properties around here for that or less.

 

[mrsbos]

Quote:
Oh yeah....forgot about the Deer Park issue....scratch them off the list! I think it's likely that any place we find, if it's between 5-10 acres, will be zoned rural, so that at the very least, chickens are allowed (according to Spokane County zoning).

I was so ticked that we found the cutest house in Newman Lake, granted it only had 1.5 acres, but I thought surely that would be enough for chickens....only to find out that it was located in an HOA that expressly prohibited chickens! On 1 1/2 acres!! What the heck else do you do with that kind of land if you can't put animals on it?

 

[SeramaLife]

There is going to be a swap meet at the Brewster Cenex tomorrow. Anyone coming?

 

[rickerra]

mrsbos... glad to hear you are resolving your situation in what sounds like a good move (pun intended) for you and your family and your chickens. Good luck selling your place!

I've never shopped for homes in that price range... so good luck in your hunt. There's something about owning land... and having the right to do with it as you please.

Wish I had more... Anyone want to trade a newly, custom built lakefront home for a small farm? (I kid... we just moved in... or do I?)

Now... bring on the REAL Spring!

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Ondra's Seramas :

There is going to be a swap meet at the Brewster Cenex tomorrow. Anyone coming?

wish I could come, but gotta work.​

 

[rickerra]

Mid-May bump! How's everyone's Spring going?

My layers (plus short-term roos... one of which just found his "voice" this morning) got the whole retiring to the hen house and roost bar thing figured out. Pretty cool.
I've been moving their coop every 3 days or so. It's HEAVY... but I manage to drag it a coupe feet. Worth it to have them out of the garage! Haha

My meaties are really bulking up! At 5.5 weeks old, they are bigger than my 9week old layers. Boy are they poo machines. I have to move their tractor twice a day and even then, there's a lot of poo to rake. They seem to be doing well.

Only troubles so far are the neighbors annoying small Terrier dog. He's gotten past his invisible fence twice now and just circles and barks at my chickens. Can't get them but scares them pretty good. Just got my new BB gun...

Processed my first roo last week. 'llnmaw' from here needed to unload a crowing roo and I used it as practice. Went pretty well... learned a bunch. He was tasty too!

My rabbits are multiplying! One of my does kindled a litter (my first litter... as a rabbiteer) the other evening. It was pretty cool watching her build her nest in the nestbox... grunting and pulling fur. Got 6 or 8 (haven't removed them for exact count) wigglers in the nest. Very cool! My 2nd doe is due in another week too. I'll be up to my ears in bunnies!

And my garden is off to a good start. Got potatoes, onions, carrots, cucumbers, green beans all in the ground. Some onion sprouts showing too! Got more to plant in the next week or so too. Also looking to build a growing box to keep on our deck to put some tomatoes in.

Happy Spring!

 

[Kathryn4629]

Quote:
Go for the Colbert/Mt. Spokane area!!! I know it seems hard to get across town, but the North/South freeway is going in (slowly) and the Mead school district is GREAT and highly sought after. And taking argone (sp?) is very easy to get to the valley and freeway!! In your price range you should be able to get a very nice home with at LEAST 10 acres.

Good Luck on your house hunt!!