Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[RainMom]

OMGosh!! In figuring how to configure the swingsets, I decided to consolidate them into one unit. Doing that, I am left with 2 A-frames, as the climber and the slide base will hold the new swing beam. The 2 A-frames are going to be used for my new bantam coop and run!!! I am SO excited. I think I will start looking at plans today. I am pretty sure I have enough salvaged lumber around here to build it for the cost of a couple hinges. Plus the wire. Yay for recycling!

Also, I was walking in my garden, looking at all the weeds I have to get out, so that I can plant. I had some stuff that never got harvested at the end of the season, which I never cleaned up. I looked down and saw a funny little green sprout. Well, upon closer inspection, it is a squash. I have several of them coming up. Not sure which kind, either zucchini or spaghetti squash. Either way, that is a few less seeds that I will need to get. I also have one that I pulled out when we started tilling that looks suspiciously like cucumber. I moved it to a pot to see if it grows. I have never had that happen before. I am now wondering what else might randomly sprout up out there.

Hey LifefarminMomma- if the seeds you used last year were non-GMO, heritage type plants, those will produce a crop this year, however, from experience, if they were hybrids, not so sure. I thought I was going to get freebies one year and ended up fooling myself right out of squash- drat!

Here's a quick link you might wan tto skim over?

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/vegetables/seed.html


I have loved the idea of making a coop from an A-frame swing set can't wait to see what you end up with! My DH thought I was a horder for saving hinges from the old cabinets in a place we remodeled, but gee- suddenly he's calling me thrifty!

 

[BGMatt]

Aren't Call Ducks 26?

No. If you've got Call Ducks hatching that early your temp is off. Smaller eggs do seem more prone to early hatching due to too high a temp, although I noticed that mostly with OEGB, not really Calls.

 

[CarolynF]

I'm pretending not to count my chickens we hatched March 1st....I know I've got a few future show-quality roos destined for FREEZER CAMP. On the plus side, whichever one decides to be the friendliest one will be our new king of the coop. The black EE rooster's time is up!

Hi...

Did you happen to see that StumpFarmer is looking for a good EE roo?

 

[RainMom]

Hi...

Did you happen to see that StumpFarmer is looking for a good EE roo?

I thought she was looking for a americauna roo? Mine's black. I better go find that post. I'd give her this guy- and hope she has enough hens ot keep him busy!

 

[lilfarmmomma]

Quote:

I have loved the idea of making a coop from an A-frame swing set can't wait to see what you end up with! My DH thought I was a horder for saving hinges from the old cabinets in a place we remodeled, but gee- suddenly he's calling me thrifty!

Well, I guess I best not count my veggies before they bloom. I will wait and see. Some of the seed I bought last year were heritage, some were not. I have no clue which were which at this point. So, I guess I could get lucky. The other thing, is that I cannot remember where I planted what, so I have no idea which type of squash this would be. I only planted pickling cucumbers last year, so I do know what that will be, if it takes off. Good article, thank you!!

I can't wait to get started on my little coop. My DH also thinks I am nuts sometimes. I have found all kinds of "treasures" out by the barn, because apparently whoever was here before us, just bulldozed everything (fences, pieces of the old house that burned down, etc.). My dad and DS even found an old farm gate buried in the grass and blackberries. But, a lot of what I have found has been put to good use, or will be. Everytime it rains, new stuff surfaces. I can't wait to see what we find when we clear the blackberries behind the barn.

 

[mikeyb]

Quote: I think you have the right idea. Confine them until the afternoon. You should only have to do this for a week or so. Hopefully your run is large.
The book on chickens says most will lay by 10am. My gals never read that book and when I have pointed out this informative piece of literature they turn a deaf ear.
Mine are confined to the coop and run until about 2pm and even then I get a late layer.

 

[RainMom]

Hi Peeps,

Does anyone have an incubator they would loan me? I need something with automated egg turners.
My homemade one is tied up right now, working on turkey eggs for future Thanksiving dinners.

Send me a PM is you have one you would be willing to loan.
I didn't expect to be in need of an incubator, thought I had a nice big one coming, now am in need.

 

[RainMom]

I can't wait to get started on my little coop. My DH also thinks I am nuts sometimes. I have found all kinds of "treasures" out by the barn, because apparently whoever was here before us, just bulldozed everything (fences, pieces of the old house that burned down, etc.). My dad and DS even found an old farm gate buried in the grass and blackberries. But, a lot of what I have found has been put to good use, or will be. Everytime it rains, new stuff surfaces. I can't wait to see what we find when we clear the blackberries behind the barn.

these previously buried treasures are fondly called yardifacts here

There's an area where my hens are now free-ranging that was covered in undergrowth and they have unearthed a pile of slate, a big heavy round steel "thing" and all kinds of other interesting things. I'm going to decorate the orchard shed/hen house with the treasures.

 

[CarolynF]

Still dealing with issues on my BSL. I have her on antibiotics now so she's separated from her buddies all day so that she's the only one drinking the medicated water. They don't care for that very much, but it works. About 7:00 at night I remove that waterer and let her join the flock for the night. (nothing contagious).

I've been doing a lot of reading and I'm a little bit worried that she's "one of those hatchery birds" that hit 2 years old and start falling apart. Her reproductive system seems to be the issue which appears to be the common denominator with other hatchery birds. I got her third hand before POL and I don't know how well she was raised either. She has several strikes against her -- hatchery sex link, age, never gone broody, never molted before this, continues laying thru the winter. So her system has never been given the chance to rejuvenate.

I read an interesting paper that talked about the original chickens (jungle fowl) and heritage birds. They naturally go broody about once a year and When they do they naturally stop laying, reduce their food intake dramatically which causes considerable weight loss, and causes them to molt. During this time their reproductive system rejuvenates itself. The breeding that people have done has created birds that don't go broody, don't molt heavily, and lay throughout the year. Plus we add light during the winter to keep them laying. As a result we have hens whose bodies deteriorate, without a chance to rejurenate, and end up with things like internal laying, prolapses, and tumors. This in turn causes us to worry (or freak out), treat with antibiotics, and we're often faced with watching a poor animal get very sick and suffer so they have to be "culled". And generally by that time they are so sick or emaciated that they can't be used in the kitchen. A no win for anyone.

I think this is enough for me to make a new set choices as I go forward with my chickens.

In the mean time, I'm in the worrying stage and I really don't like it. I hope I'm wrong, hope she gets better, and hope she stays healthy.

 

[HereChikyChiky]

[COLOR=006400]Sorry that you lost another, but glad the little one is doing well. Alert and vocal definitely sounds like a good sign. [/COLOR]

So sorry for the little ones you lost, but glad the one is still doing well.