Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Imp]

Quote: I wonder if they sell that at Lowes? Ya think?
Yeah, I get it at ACE, just cause they're closer to me and great about loading it for me. Lowes and HD both carry it.
I will say that I took the sand out, because I didn't like the way it always looked dirty in the coop. I like to do a complete cleanout a few times a year.

Russ

 

[Totalcolour]

My New Chickens!

So Himself got me 4 new chicken over the weekend. Not great photos - they are in quarantine in the basement right now. I got 3 blue EE's, (One has full winter face) and one nice splash. So I'm hoping to get some coloured eggs when they start laying. They look to be about 16 weeks, except for the splash. [ETA: no, maybe just POL]






How's everyone doing? It's cold here, no water, I think the pipes are frozen, so. . .


another use for a brooder lamp!

 

[LaughingFeather]

My New Chickens!

So Himself got me 4 new chicken over the weekend. Not great photos - they are in quarantine in the basement right now. I got 3 blue EE's, (One has full winter face) and one nice splash. So I'm hoping to get some coloured eggs when they start laying. They look to be about 16 weeks, except for the splash. [ETA: no, maybe just POL]

Envy. Jealous, addition spreading. How nice for you. Envy, Jealous, I want..... Nice girls.

 

[KMHunter]

So I know that some of you use sand in your runs, and I think I remember that some of you use sand in your coops also. I would like to switch to sand for many reasons, but don't know what kind to buy. Can anyone tell me what would be the best type of sand to use?

I get the utility sand from McLendons. 60# bags.

I wonder if they sell that at Lowes? Ya think?

Yeah, I get it at ACE, just cause they're closer to me and great about loading it for me. Lowes and HD both carry it.
I will say that I took the sand out, because I didn't like the way it always looked dirty in the coop. I like to do a complete cleanout a few times a year.

Russ

I only use it in the runs. I use shavings in the coop.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

How's everyone doing? It's cold here, no water, I think the pipes are frozen, so. . . another use for a brooder lamp!

Lovely, lovely, and I am also acquisitive!

This is a pullet who some days lives in my yard, one of the offspring of the SC Blue Ameraucana I traded Chickie Lady a rose for; he got swapped to another family chicken raiser in October, or I'd ask for him back. Her mama was probably one of the three black Australorps that came into the flock by inheritance. I think it's about as good a cross as one could want for a green egg layer. We never seem to have frozen pipes and electricity at the same time, at my house, so I try to keep a bag of good BBQ briquettes around.

 

[FlyRobinFly]

Enjoying all the pictures of folks' new chickens! It's making me want more too.

 

[Totalcolour]

Enjoying all the pictures of folks' new chickens! It's making me want more too.

Hmm, well I didn't really WANT more, but himself said we NEEDED more. Who enables who around here!

Actually, they are pretty nice looking, but on closer inspection, I think they may be Andalusion/Ameraucana crosses. The feathering is pretty close on two of them, and they are more slender and tall, more like an Andalusian than my other EE's. We'll have to wait and see what they lay - blue/green or not

The basement is also full of quail and pigeons; not long for this world. I think he wants some pies this weekend. Not happening if the pipes don't thaw.

 

[CarolynF]

So I know that some of you use sand in your runs, and I think I remember that some of you use sand in your coops also. I would like to switch to sand for many reasons, but don't know what kind to buy. Can anyone tell me what would be the best type of sand to use?

Get sand that is as coarse and clean as possible! (Clean meaning "washed") We buy it by the yard and haul it in our F-150, so it takes 2 trips to get a yard. I get something called C33. I had to call around to find it. They explained that it's used as the coarse portion of the sand used for commercial concrete. They mix it with finer sand to get the combination they need. A yard of this costs under $30. If you can't find that, ask for washed Mason's Sand (or is that supposed to be Masonry Sand?). It's the fine dirt and grit that gets washed out, and it's that fine dirt and grit that will make your sand cake together more when it gets damp/wet. Not a big deal inside a dry coop, but outside it's an issue. Coarse sand that is washed will also drain better if/when it gets wet. A mental picture that helps me is: pouring water thru a collander full of marbles, versus pouring it thru marbles mixed with sand.

I use it about 4" deep in the run and 1" in the coop. I have to add more in the coop as it gets kicked out or cleaned out when I scoop poop; I have extra in some 5 gallon buckets in the shed to stay dry.

ETA: I scoop poop every morning so my coop always looks clean, to my eye. Sand sticks to the poo and gets scooped out so that helps keep it clean. I just toss in more clean sand as needed to keep the floor well covered. Adding DE is always an option too since it dries things out well and kills bugs without chemicals.

 

[Totalcolour]

Lovely, lovely, and I am also acquisitive!



This is a pullet who some days lives in my yard, one of the offspring of the SC Blue Ameraucana I traded Chickie Lady a rose for; he got swapped to another family chicken raiser in October, or I'd ask for him back. Her mama was probably one of the three black Australorps that came into the flock by inheritance. I think it's about as good a cross as one could want for a green egg layer.

We never seem to have frozen pipes and electricity at the same time, at my house, so I try to keep a bag of good BBQ briquettes around.

And here I thought you were a purist acquisitionist type! I do like blue chickens though.

We have a gas BBQ, so no briquettes. It's the lack of water bothering me. While I can cook many things without water, I can't wash dishes and I hate dirty ones.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Lovely, lovely, and I am also acquisitive! This is a pullet who some days lives in my yard, one of the offspring of the SC Blue Ameraucana I traded Chickie Lady a rose for; he got swapped to another family chicken raiser in October, or I'd ask for him back. Her mama was probably one of the three black Australorps that came into the flock by inheritance. I think it's about as good a cross as one could want for a green egg layer. We never seem to have frozen pipes and electricity at the same time, at my house, so I try to keep a bag of good BBQ briquettes around.

And here I thought you were a purist acquisitionist type! I do like blue chickens though. We have a gas BBQ, so no briquettes. It's the lack of water bothering me. While I can cook many things without water, I can't wash dishes and I hate dirty ones.

Yeah, well: I'm trying to have blue, blue egg-laying, spangled chickens, which means I have a plan to funfill. Also I'd like enough eggs to do one day a week at the Market by the time my DH retires. ETS 1: And Malvina has convinced me that BAs are indubitably great chickens. ETA 2: the charcoal grill and briquettes are for unfreezing the pipes under the house; my cousin has the responisbility of the pressure tank, so he has that problem to solve. The fact that we're on a well with an electric pump is a whole other world of trouble.