Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[RainMom]

I just finished making a nipple waterer for the the chicks. I used a plastic icing bucket I got from the Walmart Bakery, I think it's about 2 gallons? It was a challenge hanging it inside the kennel but I'll be able to raise it as they grow. It only took the gold star (Miss Julep) about 20 seconds to figure it out. Smart little dickens those chickie dews! Now they'll have nice clean water all the time! Yippee!

The first nipple waterer we made, we used a bucket. Then I figured out that you can find water bottles and milk jugs that have the same size lid, so we made nipples on lids and that was the size of the water bottle can 'grow" and the lid is the same.( i.e. vitamin water, gatorade bottles). We now also have the "saddle" type water nipples on a length of pipe that's fed by a bucket with a hose attached, which works great for a waterting "station".

 

[Farmin Momma]

Quote:
I'm going to stick my neck out & say that no one here does think that -- if you read thru Chickielady's full story (not the newspaper article) I think you'd see that she didn't either.

I believe when confronted by sudden, IDK, catastrophies, for lack of a better term. -- we all just react - without thinking. There's no way to really know what you would do in a given situation. It's pretty harsh to judge someone on that. Someone made a comment earlier about fight or flight -- think that's pretty true.

the fact that CL was carrying, gave her some confidence that those of us who don't, don't have or understand. But I KNOW when I'm with my German shephard - I KNOW, I don't fear strangers, or goofballs. Not that he's mean - he's not - but I KNOW he would do anything to protect me. I did confront some wackos in our very rural neighborhood some years ago - they were scared s*** less - when they saw my dog. They asked if he was 'a killer' Told them "if you don't threaten me, he won't threaten you." They'd been casing out some neighbor's houses & left shortly after. I never would have confronted them if I'd been out walking alone.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is we shouldn't judge, we weren't there.
Because of the fact that there are some people that do not agree with the situation and how it was handled, I just want to make sure that no HARSH comments go to the wrong person. This was a situation that happened to me and my 5 kids (well only four of them were with me) not Chickielady. Again, I just don't want any of the negativity to be directed to the wrong person.

 

[chickiemomy]

Quote:
I am all for protecting self, family, friends, and property. If I owned a gun, and my car was driving away from my house I'd be sure to take out at least one tire, while I was calling 911. And if anyone EVER tried to take/hurt my daughter, they better be praying while they do it, my motherly protection instincts are astounding and uncontrollable. No, my daughter will not date until I'm dead, she knows & understands this already.

I might have missed something, but aside from one almost being run over, it didn't sound as though the children were in immediate danger, at least, not anymore than she was.

Chickiemomy - where did you get your GSD from? I am looking for one that isn't $5,000. I plan to train it for personal protection and schutzhund competitive, but holy moly they are expensive even as puppies.

got him from the German Shephard Rescue folks. He'd been neglected & abused. Was an adult, so don't know how old he really is. He'd been taken from somewhere that had left him chained to a tree. His teeth were all cracked, some had to be removed, prob because of chewing on the chain. His ears had been chewed up by flies. He won't play ball, he flinches when anything is thrown at his direction -- we worked forever - he'll finally catch a soft plush toy tossed from a foot or two away - but that's all. He was very anxious, nervous when we first got him, but quickly settled in. Went from 75 to 95 pounds in no time. He's not fat now - just a healthy weight for him

Our previous dog had to be put down at age 17 years - a golden retriever - she thru a clot, or something - the same day I got notice I had breast cancer. The next spring, we got Yaeger - (German for Hunter) - while I was driving 2 hours a day, every day, for radiation treatment. He rode with me, waited in the car & rode back. So he was my 'therapy' dog. Gave me a good reason to go on walks.

Long story short - that was 6 years ago, he's now got many old dog issues - arthritis in his spine - so sad to see the decline. He can't get into the car so well, so his joy-riding days are pretty much over. That's sad, as he still anticipates when he knows I'm leaving - but he just can't jump in - & refused the ramp (to get in - he will use it to get out - go figure).

He was always good to our cats - a requirement for us - and he's been super with the chickens. People say Yaeger won the lotto when he found us -- but we feel we did too. German Shephards are very good dogs -- they are very smart- sometimes to a fault - as in they occasionally need to be reminded that 'mom or dad knows best'. no special training - some basic obedience is a requirement for these big guys - which is actually as much or more for the person to be trained to be consistent..

o - & no further cancer scares - treatment works - key is to find it EARLY - for all you out there procrastinating on your screening tests!!

& thanks for asking - always like to talk about my pets!

 

[RainMom]

here are the eggs from my Black Copper Marans. Next to a Leghorn



The hens, taken with my iphone, late at night so excuse the fuzz....I finally got the hen and rooster that meet the standard......one lady had over 200 plus chicks and kept the best from them (Thom Dean lines) from over four plus years of breeding....wide bodies, nice vents, dark eggs, feather legs, stout, no white, hen don't have color below neck....tons of info I learned when I was at her place...most of my lines are from Thom Dean or Bev Davis/Wade Jean (close up, not many generations ago!)



I am enjoying this journey....these hens are so calm and docile.

Diane Pagel
Carnation, WA

what good looking chickens and eggs! I'm still wanting to get some wheaten marans. Those are in my short list of 2 breeds I want to hone in on for my personal hobby. (but your BCM's are tempting!) Other chickens are just chickens for fun-and for my son to sell eggs

 

[Farmin Momma]

Here is what my response was just in case SOMEONE missed it. A bit more into what had happened. Again, I do not mind that people disagree with how I handled the situation. This is life that will happen, I am just surprised that it keeps getting brought up for more disagreement. But oh well what can ya do?!
Everyone have a happy day. Must clean and pack and clean some more. I will pop in every little bit though.


Quote:
It's strictly a matter of chance that the kids were fine. It was more important to get her children out of there than get the intruders out of there.

If she'd called 911 with a license plate, the thieves might actually been CAUGHT. Instead, they got away. What has she got to brag about? Nothing!
While I do applaud you for finally speaking up (as you said, you have wanted to say it from the first time I posted it), this seems more like a bit of a snappy attack. Just the way it is coming across to me, but again the "written" word can be deceiving. But I take no offence.
I will tell you that until you are in such a situation you have no idea how you will react.
First off all of this happened in a total of about 8 minutes, from the time I told the woman in the truck to leave to when they finally got to the light and took off out of sight. I in no way knew that there was a threat until I had kicked open the door and the men were there with their "weapons" raised to me (which they dropped and lowered as soon as they saw my gun). I yelled to the kids to run to the house and lock the doors at the same time as I WAS DIALING 911! That is why Maxx was walking in front of the truck, to go home. By that time dispatch was transferring my call to the right dispatch for my area after I told her what was going on along with my address and at that point the men had already ran into the truck to take off. They were only about 1/3rd of the way down the street when the correct dispatch picked up and I had to say my address TWO more times before they would even let me tell them the truck plate number. By then so many numbers had come out of my mouth and my adrenelin pumping like never before I could no longer remember the plate number other than the first two and last two, which I gave them.
In NO WAY did I put my property before my children and I can tell you right now if Maxx or any of my other children had been hit or even a toe ran over I would have unloaded my clip into the tires as they drove away. The only thing I wish I had done different is to use my phone camera and take a pic of the plate number before calling 911.
My children are my life and I will never defend anything else over my children ever. I am proud of what I did and have no reason not to be.
But thanks for your input anyway. I do know that every one has an opinion and while I may not agree with every ones, I do not dwell on it, I only take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Chickielady]

I'm going to stick my neck out & say that no one here does think that -- if you read thru Chickielady's full story (not the newspaper article) I think you'd see that she didn't either.

I believe when confronted by sudden, IDK, catastrophies, for lack of a better term. -- we all just react - without thinking. There's no way to really know what you would do in a given situation. It's pretty harsh to judge someone on that. Someone made a comment earlier about fight or flight -- think that's pretty true.

the fact that CL was carrying, gave her some confidence that those of us who don't, don't have or understand. But I KNOW when I'm with my German shephard - I KNOW, I don't fear strangers, or goofballs. Not that he's mean - he's not - but I KNOW he would do anything to protect me. I did confront some wackos in our very rural neighborhood some years ago - they were scared s*** less - when they saw my dog. They asked if he was 'a killer' Told them "if you don't threaten me, he won't threaten you." They'd been casing out some neighbor's houses & left shortly after. I never would have confronted them if I'd been out walking alone.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is we shouldn't judge, we weren't there.

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeze ! It wasn't me ! My booger noses is 30 years old !

 

[Chickielady]

Because of the fact that there are some people that do not agree with the situation and how it was handled, I just want to make sure that no HARSH comments go to the wrong person. This was a situation that happened to me and my 5 kids (well only four of them were with me) not Chickielady. Again, I just don't want any of the negativity to be directed to the wrong person.

Thanks !

not that anyone here wouldn't believe it was me !

 

[chickiemomy]

Quote:
I'm going to stick my neck out & say that no one here does think that -- if you read thru Chickielady's full story (not the newspaper article) I think you'd see that she didn't either.

I believe when confronted by sudden, IDK, catastrophies, for lack of a better term. -- we all just react - without thinking. There's no way to really know what you would do in a given situation. It's pretty harsh to judge someone on that. Someone made a comment earlier about fight or flight -- think that's pretty true.

the fact that CL was carrying, gave her some confidence that those of us who don't, don't have or understand. But I KNOW when I'm with my German shephard - I KNOW, I don't fear strangers, or goofballs. Not that he's mean - he's not - but I KNOW he would do anything to protect me. I did confront some wackos in our very rural neighborhood some years ago - they were scared s*** less - when they saw my dog. They asked if he was 'a killer' Told them "if you don't threaten me, he won't threaten you." They'd been casing out some neighbor's houses & left shortly after. I never would have confronted them if I'd been out walking alone.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is we shouldn't judge, we weren't there.
Because of the fact that there are some people that do not agree with the situation and how it was handled, I just want to make sure that no HARSH comments go to the wrong person. This was a situation that happened to me and my 5 kids (well only four of them were with me) not Chickielady. Again, I just don't want any of the negativity to be directed to the wrong person.

my apologies - so many responses - I lost track of who was whom - point was only that we should not be judging / harsh comments /negativity to you or anyone else who finds themselves in such a situation.

 

[ChickAudie]

Wholy mackerel! I've been trying to catch up with you guys all day! Spent this morning up in Woodinville - that's not snow! The rain just has dandruff!

OK so something just dawned on me and I thought I would share.

Last yer at Monroe Kim was talking about how cute Silkies are and she might like to get some. Well I directed her to a couple good breeders. Now IF my memory serves me correctly By the time Kim was ready to leave she had bought Silkies.

Now this year Kim was SHOWING her silkies and guess what REVENGE !?!?!? I ended up coming home with 4 Silkies from Kim.

Hehe!

Quote: Big hugs

Had a silkie egg goin on day 28 everyone else hatched. Finally did an eggtopsy... It didnt have Feet!!! Ever see this? It wasnt alive either but had furry look? I think one of my girls had an alien.

I better start stomach strength training, Idk if I can handle some of these things y'all have been talking about. Sorry to hear about your foot-less alien chickie.

Depends entirely on the individual dog. Boxers weren't a hunting breed so possibly less prey drive? We had a boxer growing up that would lay down and let the chicks crawl all over her.

As far as the quarantine issue being discussed, I think it's something people fret about too much. So many ways for illness to find its way to our flock, as long as the new bird appears healthy I usually don't bother with it. Of course we also live in a time where people medicate their sick chickens instead if culling then immediately, or at the least isolate them and see if they recover on their own. All that attitude does (the medicating and vaccinating) is make the genetic stock weaker.

I live on a 7600sq ft lot, with (old holey) chain link fence protection, cats, coons, rats, and all sorts of other visitors. I just pray for a bubble of protection on my birds and 'bits. So far so good... It does force me to be objective when it comes to the potential demise of my pets. That and I think my pet-heart is broken from my first dog who had to be put down.

She was an amazing dog. Libby was a collie/sheltie mix.



Well it's time to go check on Chubby, she went into labor this morning. I spent the morning with her. She was having contractions, grinding her teeth, and pulling her hair out (FINALLY! I thought she almost wasn't going to bother with a nest). She had a HUGE wad of fur in her mouth, golf ball sized. I didn't realize their mouths were that big. Hopefully she's a good mama.

Here's hoping with ya!!!

We've added to our flock twice, once with birds from the chicken man in Orting, and a few months later with birds from a friend who lives in Rochester. In both cases the birds were young adult hens and we just turned them loose in the backyard with our existing flock. No problems either fighting or illness, though they took a couple of days to figure out the coop and probably spent the night under the holly tree. One year later they are still all alive and healthy and laying eggs. So to me biosecurity means feeding a healthy GMO-free diet, unlimited time free range in an area that could easily accommodate far more birds than we want to take care of and appropriate shelter.

I guess if I were managing a commercial CAFO filled with immune compromised animals and tiny profit margins thanks to the Walmart economy, I might feel different about it.

Quote: Wow, thought this conversation was over, but since you insist - it wasn't her property, it was an abandoned home that was forclosed on. Hence - her neighborhood.
Thanks for being such a caring person (in your own way), but I am sure Farmin Momma has her children under control and does not need assistance.

HI, I am on the Border with WA in Astoria, OR ...just stopping by to say Hello...

Hello!!! Love Astoria!!!

If anything had happened to Sarah's children, it would not have been her fault in the slightest. That's the LIE people tell themselves to take the blame off the true criminals who were looting and stealing from her. There were real, awful criminals there stealing and committing a crime, and if they had run over her child it would have been nothing but THEIR FAULT, not hers. She did what was right in defending herself and her property, and telling her children to go in the house.

That's an excellent post Jess. Don't blame the victim for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Quote:
So was I (38 hours, natural home birth)

HOLY CROW AND A HALF!!!! I'm not even going to mention mine, because y'all would find me and stone me for how short it was. And you had more than one!?! Good Lord Almighty woman!!!

X2!!! NO KIDDING!!!! I took the drugs after my natural child birth! LOL!

#1: 36+ hours, naturally in the hospital
#2: 14 hours, naturally at home
#3: (You can imagine why I would have stayed home again after the amazingly short and wonderful birth of #2...oops) 38+ hours naturally at home

I GOT FOUR EGGS TODAY!!! WOO WOO!!! And none of them were eaten or even cracked! Apparently my treat of scrambled eggs and BOSS must've pleased them all enough to get to work and leave the products of their labor for me.

AND...


We had 6 kits when I left mama rabbit a little while ago!

And so far so good, she's being a great mama!

Except she's totally stepping on that one. Poor little bun...

Awe! How sweet!!! Thanks for sharing :0)

I can't even imagine. I would've quit after #1, had mine been 36+ hours! Mine was less than a normal work day, natural, and people are still asking me why I don't want anymore. Well, there's the obvious reason... man?... duh!... And then the not so obvious, that then the pregnancy could be entirely different, what if its a boy (how would I teach him to pee), and then I'd have to start all over! I'm almost halfway to my empty nest of retirement, why on earth would I want to start that again!? Something about 40 and an empty nest is just exciting. My mom says I need to stop planning on being a cougar and try to find a nice man to settle down with.

LOL!!!

I'm going to stick my neck out & say that no one here does think that -- if you read thru Chickielady's full story (not the newspaper article) I think you'd see that she didn't either.

I believe when confronted by sudden, IDK, catastrophies, for lack of a better term. -- we all just react - without thinking. There's no way to really know what you would do in a given situation. It's pretty harsh to judge someone on that. Someone made a comment earlier about fight or flight -- think that's pretty true.

the fact that CL was carrying, gave her some confidence that those of us who don't, don't have or understand. But I KNOW when I'm with my German shephard - I KNOW, I don't fear strangers, or goofballs. Not that he's mean - he's not - but I KNOW he would do anything to protect me. I did confront some wackos in our very rural neighborhood some years ago - they were scared s*** less - when they saw my dog. They asked if he was 'a killer' Told them "if you don't threaten me, he won't threaten you." They'd been casing out some neighbor's houses & left shortly after. I never would have confronted them if I'd been out walking alone.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is we shouldn't judge, we weren't there.

Well said. Really, I just don't understand how this story can be so upsetting to someone who wasn't even there or isn't related to the children involved.

Quote:

I just thank you very much for helping me in providing contacts in WA - I will save them all for future. happily I was able to get a contact phone number of the BRADLEY FARM IN Tacoma - the farm I was waiting reply on the Facebook for a while. They are close to home and I heard a lot of good things about them. These going to be my
first chicks EVER!

So excited for you!!!

I just finished making a nipple waterer for the the chicks. I used a plastic icing bucket I got from the Walmart Bakery, I think it's about 2 gallons? It was a challenge hanging it inside the kennel but I'll be able to raise it as they grow. It only took the gold star (Miss Julep) about 20 seconds to figure it out. Smart little dickens those chickie dews! Now they'll have nice clean water all the time! Yippee!

Ha! You beat me to the nipple waterers too! I sound like such a procrastinator!!! I better get busy this weekend!

 

[mikeyb]

Quote: No of course not. Protecting children is always more important then protecting property, property can be replaced. That said, I would like to review what she did.
Sent the kids towards the house and while doing so, called 911. Better that she took a pic of the license plate but it is what it was. She called, they had to transfer her to the proper jurisdiction and failed to prompt her for a plate # etc and by the time they did she couldn't remember the entire #.
She put herself between the danger and her kids and she was armed.

Also, as I understand it, she did not know a burglary was in progress when she approached the vehicle, after all there was a woman and a teenage girl in the vehicle and could have been just attempting to turn around or been lost.
I think she made a Tactical mistake by confronting the burglars instead of retreating to a safer location, she did not make a mistake of escalating the situation.
It is also good to review actions after a day or so when one is calm. When you're pumpin' at 120+ and you have an adreniline rush one is not calm. That's the reason for repetitive training.
Betcha they will NOT come back into the neighborhood.