Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Nikki99]

So, I have a question for everyone. We have a very stinky situation!! O M G!
We change our litter regularly, we fluff it weekly so any wet areas are able to dry, we have good ventilation and their water is kept outside to help keep things dry inside. The "Critter Castle" is 12'x16', but divided in two parts, one side for birds (which is a tad more then half the house) and the other for our 2 Nigerian Dwarf goats. I'm wondering if our problem is over crowding, maybe to many birds and not enough space, how many birds can this size handle? Our critter yard even smells bad and the yard is plenty big, it took 300' of fencing to do. Is it just that these types of animals + rain are just always gonna = a stinky situation? It didn't smell until the rainy season set in. We even have to change our clothes after being down there or we smell all day long, I can smell it on the eggs too, ugh, it's awful!
Does anyone know why this is happening and what we can do, if anything to make it better? We bought some Sweet PDZ for the inside and some gardening lime for the outside and spread them all around yesterday, I read that they help with the smell.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

So, I have a question for everyone. We have a very stinky situation!! O M G!
We change our litter regularly, we fluff it weekly so any wet areas are able to dry, we have good ventilation and their water is kept outside to help keep things dry inside. The "Critter Castle" is 12'x16', but divided in two parts, one side for birds (which is a tad more then half the house) and the other for our 2 Nigerian Dwarf goats. I'm wondering if our problem is over crowding, maybe to many birds and not enough space, how many birds can this size handle? Our critter yard even smells bad and the yard is plenty big, it took 300' of fencing to do. Is it just that these types of animals + rain are just always gonna = a stinky situation? It didn't smell until the rainy season set in. We even have to change our clothes after being down there or we smell all day long, I can smell it on the eggs too, ugh, it's awful!
Does anyone know why this is happening and what we can do, if anything to make it better? We bought some Sweet PDZ for the inside and some gardening lime for the outside and spread them all around yesterday, I read that they help with the smell.

Guessin the chicken side is approx. 96sq ft, you can have up to 24 LF birds(@ 4sq ft per bird). But humidity plays into the smell here in the NW.

 

[WhiskiRanch]

What type pullets and where are you?

Sorry,i missed this yesterday... I have what i guess you could call muts but my educated guess is that they are Splash Red Laced Wyandotte crossed with Black Sex Links. Most of my pullets are almost all white with a few black spots here and there. My rooster is what we think a Splash Laced Red Wyandotte and my momma hens are all Black Sex Links... Im located in the Tri-Cities area in SE Wa

 

[Nikki99]

So, I have a question for everyone. We have a very stinky situation!! O M G!

We change our litter regularly, we fluff it weekly so any wet areas are able to dry, we have good ventilation and their water is kept outside to help keep things dry inside. The "Critter Castle" is 12'x16', but divided in two parts, one side for birds (which is a tad more then half the house) and the other for our 2 Nigerian Dwarf goats. I'm wondering if our problem is over crowding, maybe to many birds and not enough space, how many birds can this size handle? Our critter yard even smells bad and the yard is plenty big, it took 300' of fencing to do. Is it just that these types of animals + rain are just always gonna = a stinky situation? It didn't smell until the rainy season set in. We even have to change our clothes after being down there or we smell all day long, I can smell it on the eggs too, ugh, it's awful!

Does anyone know why this is happening and what we can do, if anything to make it better? We bought some Sweet PDZ for the inside and some gardening lime for the outside and spread them all around yesterday, I read that they help with the smell.

Guessin the chicken side is approx. 96sq ft, you can have up to 24 LF birds(@ 4sq ft per bird). But humidity plays into the smell here in the NW.

Well I'm glad to hear that, we have 20 birds, 4 are bantams, 3 ducks, the rest LF. Thanks for easing that concern!

 

[JennS]

Woohoo, the blue silkie squatted for me today! Jerk is also getting a very red face, but she hasn't squatted yet. Maybe I'll get some eggs soon.

Of course, the coop still isn't done. Lamont started putting the roof together today. I have a lot of painting to do, but it's been in the 30s - 40s in the garage so painting is out of the question. Even with two space heaters, it all just rises and goes out the roof vent. It's warmer than outside, but not by a whole lot. I'm glad it'll warm up a bit when it rains again! And next week I'll be able to hire another friend to help with painting. Sadly, it's because he's being cut from his job.

I won't be able to keep him in work for long, but the pay, work conditions, and commute will all be better than his last job. But with more chicken poop on the floor.... lol

Jennifer

 

[Greg Richardson]

Saw this else ware.
Guess it's been going around.
If true or even close to it says it all.

http://www.recycledminds.com/2012/04/implications-of-decline-in-seed.html


Implications of the Decline in Seed Varieties

​

by douglas reeser on April 30, 2012
You may have caught this graphic making the rounds on social networks - or maybe it's just the friends we keep that brought it to our attention. What you're looking at is the change over time in the diversity of a selection of food crops available to growers. The upper part of the graphic portrays the surprising number of varieties available for a number of foods: 408 types of tomato seeds, 285 different cucumber varieties, 288 different types of beets, 307 types of sweet corn, and 341 varieties of squash are just some examples. Compare that to what was available 80 years later in 1983: 79 types of tomatoes, 16 types of cucumbers, 17 varieties of beets, 12 kinds of sweet corn and 40 types of squash.

These differences are quite astounding, and it's important to remember that the decline in seed varieties doesn't just mean less of a selection at your local supermarket. Most of the food plants we have today are a direct result of that huge diversity that we created in the past. That diversity allowed humans to expand our settled territory, feed growing populations, and become who we are today. By reducing the diversity of food plants that we grow, we are putting our very own livelihood at great risk. A less diverse food system, such as we have created today, is much more vulnerable to drought, floods, pests, fungi, and anything else that might affect growing crops. As extreme weather events appear to be on the rise around the globe, this could become a serious problem.

Some farmers around the world continue to cultivate a wide variety of food crops. These farmers are often indigenous peoples who carry on traditional forms of agriculture passed down through the generations. If you're a regular reader here, you know that traditional lifeways are threatened all over the globe. Here is yet another reason to support efforts that seek to revitalize and maintain traditions wherever they may be practiced. Maintaining diversity in all of its forms is necessary in a time when the challenges we are facing are just as diverse. The more options we have to turn to in times of stress and distress, the more likely we are to succeed in overcoming those challenges.

For more on this issue, visit the Rural Advancement Foundation International >>>

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Labels: consumerism, food, green issues, plants

2 comments:

1. 
   tender b.6:52 AM
   The good thing is that the internet has made it a little easier for heirloom varieties of foods to get into the hands of the people who want it. Still, it is very scary that we have allowed companies to dictate what type of each food we will eat and in turn have missed out or lost a whole slew of others. J-Fur always spoke about the 200 varieties of potatoes she saw in Peru compared to like 5 that I see at grocery stores around here.
   Reply
   
   
2. 
   lana8:32 AM
   I came across the D. Landreth Seed Company from Philadelphia -- purveyors of seeds since the 1700s! -- and was sad to learn they are in danger of going under. Last I read, they were looking for investors from China to help keep them afloat. I hope they make it, with their varieties intact! http://www.landrethseeds.com/history.html

 

[beausonge]

OK so to clear the whole Faverolles thing here is the OFFICIAL logo. And Guess what?? YES That is my Rooster Fudge ! ! ! !

GORGEOUS!!! FAVEROLLES!!!

 

[drumstick diva]

CR we all know that is Fudge, he is one special rooster.

 

[drumstick diva]

JennS I think Jerk is so red faced because she is embarassed by her name. Maybe if you change it to sweetie pie, she will start laying. Wouldn't hurt to try, you could always go back to 'Jerk' later if it works.

 

[FirewifeJess]

JennS I think Jerk is so red faced because she is embarassed by her name. Maybe if you change it to sweetie pie, she will start laying. Wouldn't hurt to try, you could always go back to 'Jerk' later if it works.

That's both a hilarious and somewhat true suggestion! I think she needs a new name too! She's not going to be eaten since she's a she (no more jerk chicken), so let's name her "Big Mama" in hopes she gets the clue!