Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[DuckyDestiny]

Hey guys! Just joined and got my first personal flock. Been helping others for 3 years though. Anyone know a place in kitsap that has cheap, damaged, or recycled wood?

Also, been getting a "your account does not have permission to access this page" message when trying to add a breed to a list, any ideas?

 

[fosterson]

Hey guys! Just joined and got my first personal flock. Been helping others for 3 years though. Anyone know a place in kitsap that has cheap, damaged, or recycled wood?

Also, been getting a "your account does not have permission to access this page" message when trying to add a breed to a list, any ideas?

Don't know a place in Kitsap for sure, but you might start inquiring at local businesses about wooden pallets - they come apart easy and they're a pretty standard size, so make for great building materials. I suggest looking around on CL and see if you can find a used dog house...they make great 'starter' coops. Also, produce bins (the wooden ones, not the cardboard or particle board ones) -- also great, cheap beginner coops.

 

[Lutefisk]

Well, I train dogs and I have tons of chickens. everyone trains differently. I watched this clip and what I did not like was hitting the dog in the head.

watch it again, he didn't "hit" the dog. It was a firm touch not a blow. It wasn't on the head either but on the neck behind the jaw, same place you would put pressure on the dog with a correctly fitted training collar. The dog is initially surprised and jerks around toward Cesar (not away), shifting his focus from the chicken to Cesar. Then relaxes and looks away. He doesn't cringe or try to get away or act scared of the hand.

What happens if the dog bites back, or in some cases gets head shy due to that.

Yep, the dog might bite back, and Cesar has been bitten. But generally by dogs which have a history of aggression or fear biting. That's definitely the "don't try this at home kids" stuff. Hand shy? He's not using pain, but the power of surprise and good timing. When he corrects a dog, the dog focuses on his face not hands.

If you watch his training, you will see he reaches with his foot and kicks the dog in the stomach (using the foot as he walks he swing his foot to the left or right, kick the dog and foot is behind him)

... For some value of "kick". Again, it's a tap to redirect the dog's attention, not a blow to punish the dog. The dog jerks not from the force of the contact but because of the surprise. You can try this for yourself if interested, stand next to a chair like its a dog in heeling position, and try to kick it by swinging your right leg behind and across the left. It's awkward and you can't generate much force like that even if you want to. I have tried this with my GSD and if my timing is right it only takes a light tap when he starts thinking about forging to get him back in position or get his attention back on me from a dog or other distraction. Less dangerous and forceful than collar correction for sure and does not produce the oppositional reaction. I do have to mix it up with shoulder taps and verbal corrections to keep the element of surprise, AND time it right, or he will ignore the correction. That's how light it is.

Also, Cesar does use reward but it tends to be subtle since he is usually trying to calm a dog, not build drive with a lot of excited (and obvious) praise, treats and toys. The DW series doesn't do a good job of breaking the techniques down IMO (or there'd be a lot less confusion) but it is motivating to watch him turn extreme fearful and aggressive dogs destined for euthanasia into confident well socialized pets, and to see the light go on in the owners eyes when they understand how they have contributed to the problem.

 

[DuckyDestiny]

I have nice coop set up, it just needs some work. The chickens were given to me by my neighbor so the birds don't have to move at all. But it's pretty much a house frame with chicken wire. They have what could be considered an indoor nesting section but I've yet to see them use it.

So I want to adjust it to make it cozier. I just bought them feeders and waterers and they seem much happier from just that. Before I'm pretty sure they were thrown a handful of feed a day, always seemed hungry but not since my feeders

But anyways, basically I have a well framed coop that needs expanding, so walls and flooring.

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

watch it again, he didn't "hit" the dog. It was a firm touch not a blow. It wasn't on the head either but on the neck behind the jaw, same place you would put pressure on the dog with a correctly fitted training collar. The dog is initially surprised and jerks around toward Cesar (not away), shifting his focus from the chicken to Cesar. Then relaxes and looks away. He doesn't cringe or try to get away or act scared of the hand.
Yep, the dog might bite back, and Cesar has been bitten. But generally by dogs which have a history of aggression or fear biting. That's definitely the "don't try this at home kids" stuff. Hand shy? He's not using pain, but the power of surprise and good timing. When he corrects a dog, the dog focuses on his face not hands.
... For some value of "kick". Again, it's a tap to redirect the dog's attention, not a blow to punish the dog. The dog jerks not from the force of the contact but because of the surprise. You can try this for yourself if interested, stand next to a chair like its a dog in heeling position, and try to kick it by swinging your right leg behind and across the left. It's awkward and you can't generate much force like that even if you want to. I have tried this with my GSD and if my timing is right it only takes a light tap when he starts thinking about forging to get him back in position or get his attention back on me from a dog or other distraction. Less dangerous and forceful than collar correction for sure and does not produce the oppositional reaction. I do have to mix it up with shoulder taps and verbal corrections to keep the element of surprise, AND time it right, or he will ignore the correction. That's how light it is.

Also, Cesar does use reward but it tends to be subtle since he is usually trying to calm a dog, not build drive with a lot of excited (and obvious) praise, treats and toys. The DW series doesn't do a good job of breaking the techniques down IMO (or there'd be a lot less confusion) but it is motivating to watch him turn extreme fearful and aggressive dogs destined for euthanasia into confident well socialized pets, and to see the light go on in the owners eyes when they understand how they have contributed to the problem.

I am not going to get into an argument on him...we obviously have different opinions. Some of these "taps" are a bit much (dog legs go in the air) and no way I would use them on my dogs. As well as alpha rolls and leash choking. type in "millan kicking dogs" and you will see some videos that are not my cup of tea.

We are going to agree to disagree on this subject.

 

[ducklingsweety]

Hey guys! Just joined and got my first personal flock. Been helping others for 3 years though. Anyone know a place in kitsap that has cheap, damaged, or recycled wood?

Also, been getting a "your account does not have permission to access this page" message when trying to add a breed to a list, any ideas?

 

[Chickielady]

I usually order my Mareks vaccine from Jeffers. It is currently 19.00. I order it along with my horse vaccines, wormers and what ever else I need at the time so the shipping gets shared. I have some vaccine sitting in my outside fridge right now waiting in case I decide to hatch some chicks. I know it may not be 100% but it may significantly reduce my chances of an outbreak. I keep my babies quarantined from my older flock till they are nearly POL so they have a chance to develop natural immunity also. I don't always vaccinate at 1 day old, sometimes it takes a couple of weeks to get to it. But they don't go outside to my grower coop until 10 days after they get the vaccine.

I haven't always been such a nutcase about it but personal experience with some shipped chicks that cost way more than $20 bucks made me consider protecting my flock.

Exactly.
You do not have to vaccinate day old poultry, but it is easier...the older they get, the harder it is to catch & hold them, for 1 example.
I have purchased adult birds, as old as 2-3 years old, that were never vaccinated, and I did vaccinate them along with current chicks.
The idea is, everyday you do not vaccinate a bird, they are more apt to be exposed to the virus.
The virus can take months to show symptoms, and by then, your entire flocks will have been exposed.
The vaccine we buy (at Jeffers or otherwise) are not 100% proof positive of stoping the virus, but they do stimulate the immunal system to build up against the virus, so if it does come along, the birds have a chance of surviving.
IF you have a small flock of birds and wish to vaccinate, get in touch with someone else who has more birds and does vaccinate.
We have done this quite a few times on BYC and call them vaccine parties.
During these "parties" your birds stay crated in your vechicle and the vaccinating "party" comes to them.
Cindy, a local veteranarian has several vaccine parties a year, and so do I, although I am far south.
Cindy is in the Tacoma area I think.
Just ask around !
But when you sit down & think about it, a bottle of 1000 doses does not cost even 1 third of a tank of gas nowadays !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chickielady]

thanks! our neibor had pigeons and accidentally caught a great horned owl in a live racoon trap!

How on earth !!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chickielady]

Hi All! Long time and have missed you all...been super busy but finally got a chance to pop back on. Was worried my account would be gone, but it's still here.

Long time no see !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chickielady]

One of my Border collie that I got two years ago, thought it was a good idea to check out the geese. After she managed to removed her nose from the beak of the gander, she gives them a very wide berth. She shrieked when he grabbed her nose. The geese think nothing of grabbing a horse, sheep, Livestock Guardian dogs (LGD) and yanking some fur out. They ignore people unless you have food, then you are their best friends. I have seen them chase both LGD at full speed across the pasture when they wandered to close to their goslings. Maid, the Border Collie watches them with a wary eye.....she is the most bird driven dog and will herd them but if the geese are around, she will run behind me for protection.

IDK if it is a good thing to "train" dogs WITH geese around, or if having geese around will just tick the dogs off and make them more revengful on smaller fowl ?
Funny story though !