Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[CarolynF]

I need to edit where the ameraucana pullet came from that is now laying for me. She came from poularde along with the cockerel. She's such a snugglebug and likes to ride around on my shoulder while I do chores.

I didn't realize poularde had enough to sell them, I must have missed something. Thanks for the update.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

Hey all, long time no see....or rather read. My hubby is pretty interested in those Runners. He also wanted to know if you can eat them when they are done producing. He likes the idea of ducks over chickens it seems. -_-;

Firewifejess! Good luck with your brooder!

one of the best breeds for eating is muscovies (yummy meat i hear). the runners don't look like they have much meat on them. I read they get to only about 4 lbs.

 

[Hinotori]

Quote:
I got the two from her last June. I'm very happy with the two of them still. Friendliest chickens I have. Duke will come up and tug on my leg if I'm sitting outside then talk to me begging to be picked up. He spins around in little circles and acts like a goofball begging for treats. He's also one of the few birds who come to their name. Angel just likes to snuggle and be pet. She'll take petting over food.

I'm not sure if she just took pity on me in my search for wheaten ameraucana. I wasn't have much luck last year.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Lentils cook up fast, and I've found that most things are eaten better when cooked- except rolled oats and BOS. I can't feed sunflowers, though, I'm envious of all you who can!

why can't you feed black sunflower seeds?

Because I'm seriously allergic to sunflowers, especially the live plants, dust and shells. I'm trying to stay away from exposure as much as possible to see if the sensitization goes away (which, since it's a recent thing, it might).

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

Because I'm seriously allergic to sunflowers, especially the live plants, dust and shells. I'm trying to stay away from exposure as much as possible to see if the sensitization goes away (which, since it's a recent thing, it might).

oh that sucks. well stay away from my house then, The dust from it has probably been tracked all over and possibly is even on my dogs

 

[beausonge]

Every since my two roosters fought last week, my flock seems to be falling apart. My Cochin roo, Mystery was the loser. Now all the girls hang with Rocky except my Welsummer hen. Rocky is literally tearing out the feathers on the girls backs he is so rough with them. Mystery was a wonderful rooster. He would stand where he could see the sky and the area where the flock was. He warned them with a sharp "pip" sound and everybody would dive under the nearest cover. Now that Rocky is in charge the flock is all over the place. Rocky is totally clueless about dangers now that he is the lead rooster. Mystery no longer watches the flock or gives warnings. I lost two this last weekend - my New Hampshire hen from my original group and one of my Araucana cockerel. Poof! not a feather anywhere.I have put the remaining Araucana cockerel and pullet in our coop yard. No more free ranging for them until I get some sort of chicken tractor for them.

If i get rid of Rocky, will Mystery resume his protection of the flock? Will the girls stick together like before?

Thanks for any advice...

Vickie with less et al
Kelso, Wa.

 

[Ogress]

Hi all:

I've been busy and out of the loop on everything lately, but I was just glancing through my new issue of Mother Earth News (Feb/March2013) and came across an article that needs sharing. It is about herbicides that pass through livestock and into compost making "Killer Compost". I can't link to the latest article, so I searched and found this one from a few years ago:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/killer-compost-zmgz11zrog.aspx

I had never heard of "Killer Compost", but it sure explains why all my raspberry plants died within 2 years of sticking them in the ground, and why I can hardly grow any vegetables in my original garden beds, but the new beds are fine. Blackberries grow wild and plentiful in my yard, so I felt the raspberries should do equally well. To give them an advantage over the established blackberries, I gave them plenty of compost that I had purchased and delivered by the truckloads. My property is all glacial till with no topsoil, so all of my garden beds are built up using this compost: 24 fruit trees, 40 blueberry bushes 1 dozen raspberry plants and 6 large vegetable beds (each aout 16'X4') were filled with this stuff. The blueberries are not affected by it, but all my raspberry plants got curled leaves, most died within a year, the rest died year 2. 1/3 of my fruit got curl and trees died, within 2 years, all but 2 of the others still have stunted growth, and in the garden beds I could not grow beans, spinach, peas, lettuce, asparagus, peppers, carrots ... all stuff that grows well in the new beds. AFter 4 years of frustration with the old garden beds, DH and I built new ones. My new beds I filled with a mix of organic compost from the local nusery that I buy by the bag and compost made from kitchen scraps and chicken poo. The organic soil is quite a bit more expensive than the "North West Garden Best" that I had truck delivered, but in the long run it is saving me because plants will grow in the new stuff. These new (well, new 5 years ago) beds are still not very deep, but every year I add a dozen new bags and a lot more compost.

 

[drumstick diva]

In my humble opinion Rocky has to GO

 

[drumstick diva]

Stumpfarmer, I am no cook so I am asking earnestly 'do onions really get fatigued in butter?'

 

[Nikki99]

Vickie et al

Kelso, WA

I see that you're in Kelso, we're in Castle Rock, not far at all! We should meet up sometime, I would love to find some critter lovin friends nearby!!

I have posted this and will do again lets do a south meet up in the Longview / Kelso area. Anybody have a location orwilling to host??? Lets show them northerners we can do this!!!!

I'm interested!! I'll let you know by Wednesday if DH and I can make it. *Crossing fingers!!*

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

I've heard that ducks stink real bad.  Maybe you can blame it on them. 

Made it through the wild and crazy Saturday.  Glad the chickens made it through, too - 'cause, man I messed up BAD! 

I was sitting at one of the two basketball games when it dawned on me that I left my girls out free-ranging in the back yard.  Couldn't even concentrate on the game because I was so freaked out thinking about the girls being out with no one home.  My daughter made 4 baskets and I didn't see any of them!  Granted, she's the shortest on the team, and when she makes a basket it just looks like a ball flying out from a small crowd of girls, so it is easy to miss her baskets.

Managed to get home and put the big girls away, but didn't take Blackie and Latte out of the PVC chicken tractor and put them in the coop because I knew I didn't have time spend the next half hour chasing them around the yard.  DH was gone setting up the track for the Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby, so he couldn't help me wrangle Blackie and Latte.  I figured we'd have time to put them away between the Derby and the Pageant.  Nope.  Didn't even make it back home.

Fast forward - finished getting DD ready for the pageant, finished getting the supplies and decorations together for her "big sister's" (contestant's) award table, and left to the Derby.  Missed the Derby.  My boys won 1st and 2nd place and I didn't see it.  Bummer.

Left both DS's with one of the Cub Scout leaders to be babysat.  DH, DD and I took off to the pageant.  Got home VERY late (about 11:30 p.m.)  This morning DH wakes up, goes out to the living room and then comes and asks me "When did you get up to put Blackie and Latte out in the chicken tractor?"  OMG!  They spent the night in a lightweight PVC chicken tractor!  A racoon could easily lift that thing up.  I feel like I dodged a bullet BIG TIME!  Whew!

So glad the Derby is over.  So glad the pageant is over.  So glad my life will revolve around basketball and scouts only now for the next couple of months.  That's enough.  It is still probably too much, but b-ball keeps the kids active when it is too cold to play outside.

And so VERY glad none of my chickens were injured on a day that completely overwhelmed me!

Itsren, It definitely could be our ducks, they are a bit stinky. Not sure I would say really stinky, just a different kind of stinky. They are definitely messier that's for sure!!
Your story made me laugh!! I'm very glad all your chickies are ok, but boy did I laugh!!