Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Totalcolour]

Totalcolour, you have pictures of the new pup? I'm excited to see him!!

(have been lurking in the shadows

)

Not yet Lurker (nice to meet ya) - they won't let us bring him home until he's neutered and they couldn't schedule it til tomorrow. Pity - I hate thinking about him stuck in that cage, so sad looking. Silly restriction if you ask me. Oh well . . .

 

[Totalcolour]

Hello everyone! I'm new to the site and wanted to know if anyone has fertile chickens eggs for sale. I live in the Bellevue area so if there is anyone in the area, that would be great, but I am willing to drive farther for this. One of my hens became broody and I can't "unbroody" her. I figured I might as well make her happy and make my kids happy in the process too

Thanks!!

Welcome to you too! Sorry I don't have eggs, my girls are still too young.

 

[Totalcolour]

OMG! Something is trying to reduce my flock for me.

I've lost 4 ducks in one month.


I lost 2 last month in one day, a few hours apart in daylight.

then last monday I lost one, and yesterday I lost one while I was cooking dinner!

The ducks were spooked and ran. My meal was in the pan so I did not go out to look.

5mins later I saw my stressed out ducks huddled at the side of the deck and there were only 3. I had 4 before dinner.

I have a 4 foot high run. I'm thinking I should get chicken wire to cover the top. The run is 20 x10.

I also have 2 hotwire gizmos that I used to train my dogs. Maybe I should rig that too.

I think it was a bobcat. There were no puffs of feathers or anything. Not one feather! This is WAR! I'm going to keep the ducks in the tractor till I can improve the run.

We had the same thing with our geese. Sounds like a fox - they don't leave ANY sign they were there. The only way we could tell, was when he came back for more. Right now though our big issue is the fledgling hawks, taking stock of my yard. Good luck to you.

 

[BGMatt]

Hi All, New to chickens and new to this site. So I am getting ready to turn an old kids playhouse into a coop. Do I need to insulate it here in WA? I am need to get the chickens out of my office. They are about 5 weeks old are they ready to go out without a heat lamp? Thanks

Welcome. Unless you're way up in the mountains you won't need insulation or heat for the birds here in WA. 5 weeks most breeds should be ready to go outside without heat this time of year (keeping in mind, they're young so predator protection is paramount at that age)

 

[sfstewart]

I am in Yelm and will have a covered run. So thanks

 

[TerrorBird]

I am in Yelm and will have a covered run. So thanks

Of course, you'll want to make sure predators can't dig under your fencing. I'm sorry if I'm giving advice you've already followed, but it's important to cover all bases.

 

[sfstewart]

Quote:
Hey no worries. I am always open to advise. I haven't started my run yet but plan to bury hardware cloth about a foot deep around it.

 

[CarolynF]

Last week I made a tongue-in-cheek comment about feeding SPINACH to the chickens as a source of calcium. I was not serious, and since no one else commented on it, I want to make sure no one took me seriously. DO NOT feed large amounts of Spinach to chickens. Like rhubarb leaves, it contains high amounts of oxalic acid which binds iron and calcium. Some report that it leaches calcium from their bones. You can get more info. by doing an internet search.

Here is a quote regarding oxaltes in rhubarb, taken from a document on plant poisoning of livestock from the University of Vermont Extension:
"Some oxalates are insoluble and cause local irritation but the oxalates in rhubarb (and other
species, such as sorrel or dock, Rumex) are soluble, and cause systemic problems, especially
in the kidneys, or they can affect the electrolytes in the body, such as the balance of calcium
and magnesium. Poisoning can be acute, when large amounts of oxalates are consumed
quickly, or may be chronic, where smaller amounts are eaten over a longer period of time.
Low blood levels of calcium and kidney failure are commonly reported findings in soluble
oxalate toxicity. Affected animals will appear depressed, and may stagger and tremble and be
weak. Often, they will drink and urinate more as kidney function declines. Diarrhea may be
noted, and affected animals may die if the electrolyte balance is extremely deranged or if the
kidneys fail."

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:

You might want to consider taking that wire 18" - 24" horizontally out from the fence/pen walls rather than digging straight down. When they run into the wire that's at or near the surface and can't dig any deeper they are more likely to give up. I've seen reports of some predators that will dig more than a foot down.

Question for others: Will dogs, coons, etc. start digging more than 2 feet away from the pen/run?

 

[sfstewart]

Quote:
Hey what about brocoli Mine bolted and I was contemplating feeding it to the chx.