Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Smokerbill]

Garden all watered and I picked a bundle each of tarragon, oregano and thyme. Hung them up on the back porch to dry in the heat.

I tried freezing fresh herbs last year but didn't like working with them. Decided to dry my herbs this season. Also picked a bit of basil.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I hang them in the laundry room then dry them till crumbly.
take any stems that did not crumble.
Most my herbs are perennial I have had them 12 years.

 

[ValerieJ]

Lots of drama in Chicken Land. Last night we decided to switch the roosters and put Cooper in the bachelor pad and Ralphie in with the girls, but in all the excitement, Cooper flew over the fence and spent the night in the forest again. And this after actually going in and taking him off the roost. Got him back in this morning, and into the bachelor pad. He's not happy. The hens weren't happy. Ralphie was ecstatic. It has calmed down this afternoon.

Had to make this decision because my last broody came off the nest today with no chicks. DH will check the eggs this afternoon when he gets home, but I suspect there will be no partially formed chicks or any signs of chicks. After more than a year with Cooper, and at least 6 broodies, we have no chicks to show for it, only one partially formed chick one time. It's time to give Ralphie a chance. (He's totally into the idea.) I figure we will have one more broody this year and I'd like her to be successful this time. That usually happens here in about September, so that gives Ralphie plenty of time to fertilize eggs. (Did I mention he's totally into the idea?) The hens, not so much.

 

[ValerieJ]

I should add, the hope is that when Ralphie gets big enough to stand his ground with Cooper, that we will be able to reintegrate them together. I don't know if it will ever work, but I want to give it a try. I won't allow two roosters to fight to the death, however. It will be closely supervised when the time comes.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Going to put the last two pullets in the main coop tonight from banty land. These are from my last hatch should be green eggs layers.
There is too may birds in the little coop so do not want to add more there.

 

[ValerieJ]

DH bought some taller fence posts. He'll (we'll?) be adding a couple feet to our fence to keep deer out and chickens in. It might look a little funky, but the area is quite large and we don't want to refence the whole thing. With taller poles and a 2' high chicken wire extension on top, we should be able to accomplish both objectives. Project starts tomorrow.

 

[Smokerbill]

DH bought some taller fence posts. He'll (we'll?) be adding a couple feet to our fence to keep deer out and chickens in. It might look a little funky, but the area is quite large and we don't want to refence the whole thing. With taller poles and a 2' high chicken wire extension on top, we should be able to accomplish both objectives. Project starts tomorrow.

I can relate to your deer problem. I ended up wiring t-posts to the existing posts to increase their height then strung up the rope. Total height now is between 9 and 10 feet, and no deer have jumped over... so far. Looks don't matter to me as long as it stops the deer.

 

[ValerieJ]

I can relate to your deer problem. I ended up wiring t-posts to the existing posts to increase their height then strung up the rope. Total height now is between 9 and 10 feet, and no deer have jumped over... so far. Looks don't matter to me as long as it stops the deer.

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Good job. Our fence is 5' tall I think, with ropes a foot above that. So now they will be 8' tall. I hope that will be tall enough. The chickens free range in our orchard and berry run, which has been attacked recently by a very resourceful and athletic deer. Hopefully fixed tomorrow. ALSO, I don't want Cooper escaping again. I hate to think of him alone out there in the forest!!!

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have 9 ft fences around here had 5 ft field wire when we moved here.
Chicken wire to the field wire did it till snow cleared it.
So hardware cloth 4 ft all around the top.
Deer use come in the chicken yard eat the apple that fell for the old tree in there. After the field wire went up deer do not come in now.

 

[Smokerbill]

@ValerieJ , too bad Cooper seems to be shooting blanks. I was really counting on him producing offspring for you that laid nice dark brown eggs.