Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[lilfarmmomma]

So -- here's my version of the willow arbor:

Standing on my patio looking up at the shop, and beyond that the Henitenitary.



About half way between house and "The Yard". The raised garden boxes are new this year. Made from recycled pallets and other lumber.



This shot is taken from the same point of view in my garden, as the point of view in the example I posted. I'm standing "in" the garden, facing the shop/house.



Second View - more house, less shop. From this view you can see the small deck off the master suite. I've posted photos that were taken from that balcony.



The Arbor - one day's "shiny object" (don't ask)



My version of the egg color wheel



And finally -- two days worth




OH -- click the pictures for a close up

The arbor turned out beautiful!! You have a great set up! I love that you call your coop the Henitentiary. Raised beds will have to wait until next year for me, as I have my hands full with getting my flock going. I do plan to build one so that growing peas will be a little easier, but aside from that, the rest will wait. I can't wait until my girls start laying!!! I am so jealous!

 

[CarolynF]

@CarolynF
Chicken wire, burried, will deter diggers. They dont like the way the wire snags their claws, so they stop. I have used chicken wire as a way to stop diggers from getting in/out. But chicken wire as a 'cage', will keep feathers on one side, and .. well .. feathers on the other Fur -- goes where it wants to through chicken wire.

Yep.... my experience exactly!
Just as an fyi, my pen/cage has 36" half-inch hardware cloth from the ground up. When we did our initial build we were told a racoon could lure a chicken to the fence so the hw cloth needs to be taller than the chickens head, therefore 36".

Then there's 2 x 4 welded wire from there on up. It overlaps the hw cloth and is wired together every few inches. The apron is also 2 x 4 welded wire, bent 90 deg. at the first cross wire. That gives me enough to bring it up the hw cloth a bit and wire together every few inches. It extends 18"-24" out from the base, underground a bit so I don't trip on it. No grass to grow over it, it's just sand, dirt, rock, etc.

In place of wire for wiring all this together I use J-shaped clips that are used for constructing wire cages. So much faster and easier than twisting heavy wire and dealing with the sharp ends that stick out.

 

[VelvettFog]

The arbor turned out beautiful!! You have a great set up! I love that you call your coop the Henitentiary. Raised beds will have to wait until next year for me, as I have my hands full with getting my flock going. I do plan to build one so that growing peas will be a little easier, but aside from that, the rest will wait. I can't wait until my girls start laying!!! I am so jealous!

I'm not done with the arbor. I have some more bracing to put in, and I have yet to start on the benches.

 

[CarolynF]

So -- here's my version of the willow arbor:



The Arbor - one day's "shiny object" (don't ask)





And finally -- two days worth




OH -- click the pictures for a close up

Dave.... Very Nice "shiny object". I should dangle a few well chosen shiny objects in front of you and see what happens!

I have this knife block that just needs..... Oh to have a table saw and router!

That's a great looking garden, too. With all that wonderful sunshine on your side of the Rocks, you should have a wonderful crop. Plant LOTS of asparagus!!!

Love those eggs too! Wow, 4 dozen or more per day, that would make a heck of a lot of potato salad or quiche! We're jumping for joy if we get 3 eggs! It would be like easter every day at your house!

 

[FirewifeJess]

Dave - GREAT pictures! Thanks for sharing. Quite a setup you've got...I'm jealous! How many layers do you have now?

 

[LaughingFeather]

I was getting ready to order an incubator on line when I saw this. For when the power goes off.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Battery-cli...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item35c108c675

I'm back, sad I lost two of my cream legbar chicks due to my now x handyman who has lived with us for the last 3 yrs. I am heartbroken. My 12 silkies are OK.

It is going to take me a bit to get caught up and to sort things here at home. I'm getting an incubator so I can try again with some eggs from Miss Molly.

Keep well friends, have to deal with real life.
Kathy

 

[VelvettFog]

Dave - GREAT pictures! Thanks for sharing. Quite a setup you've got...I'm jealous! How many layers do you have now?

I think I'm at 64 layers. 4 Roosters - one needs to go, he's going to be tasty

 

[FirewifeJess]

Here's the pic of the hardware cloth bottom and you can barely see the apron now, it's covered in dirt and tiny bits of spring grass. There's 2"x4" fencing on the top part.

 

[lilfarmmomma]

I was getting ready to order an incubator on line when I saw this. For when the power goes off.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Battery-cli...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item35c108c675

I'm back, sad I lost two of my cream legbar chicks due to my now x handyman who has lived with us for the last 3 yrs. I am heartbroken. My 12 silkies are OK.

It is going to take me a bit to get caught up and to sort things here at home. I'm getting an incubator so I can try again with some eggs from Miss Molly.

Keep well friends, have to deal with real life.
Kathy

Sorry about your chicks

 

[VelvettFog]

I took the rest of the week off -- for my own "coop tour' .. LOL

I have a load of spring time projects - many of which have been on my list for a while - and none of them start with Willow Arbor - but "fence the garden" is there - so this is really just stage 1 of that

One thing I want to do is build a 'stack brooder'. Top "shelf" is eye level, and that's where the babies are. Next shelf down, holds your 3-4 wk olds, bottom shelf will house the 5-9's. Then they can go outside. The entire unit is on wheels, so I can roll it around the shop. Food and water are filled from the 'outside'. Maybe I'll go to Lowes tomorrow and buy some lumber, 4 heavy duty casters and slap something together.

Or .... I have permission from DW - to build another coop ... I really want a "Woods style open air" coop. 10'x16'.

Or a duck pond, with a small duck shelter.

Or a turkey house.

I know I need to order more poultry netting so I can expand their free-range area.

I could shop for a silo, grain mill, auger

I could make a tractor for some meat birds.

I could get meat birds.

Saturday I'm going to a small chicken show in Benton City.

I think I can plant some of the garden - peas and lettuce.

I want to make cold frames for the raised beds - even if I use them next year or in the fall.

All three coops need a little maintainence.

I want a feeder station out in the pasture so the birds have a place to hide from hawks.

I'd like to try using a nipple-watering system.

I need to set up the drip irragation for the garden

I have a big pile of compost to sift

I'm sure I could think of more.