Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[TurtlePowerTrav]

So need to know what ya'll use in your pens to stop the digging!!! I have digger chickens, and im tired of filling in holes. Sand? Gravel? I'd love to hear pros and cons of both.

You do know they naturally dig for grubs and such. If you must curb the digging then lay down some hardware cloth under the shavings so they can't dig into the dirt.

 

[KMHunter]

So need to know what ya'll use in your pens to stop the digging!!! I have digger chickens, and im tired of filling in holes. Sand? Gravel? I'd love to hear pros and cons of both.

No stopping the digging. Sorry. I have filled some of the bad holes with larger rocks then put dirt over that and it slowed it down in the worst places, but they just found others and eventually dig around the bigger rocks until they come out. You could put a chicken wire apron under the sand or dirt around the inside of your run to keep them from digging under the fencing. But scratching is what chickens do naturally and they will find a way and a place to scratch and dig,

Edit to add- If you take away their natural entertainment, they will start to pick on each other. Just something to think about.

 

[SadieSue]

So need to know what ya'll use in your pens to stop the digging!!! I have digger chickens, and im tired of filling in holes. Sand? Gravel? I'd love to hear pros and cons of both.

Sorry - my chickens dig where ever they are free ranging during the day Last year we had the entire back yard finished with brick patio and gravel paths. Not only do the chickens dig holes in all the gravel paths, but they dig next to our brick paths and toss decorative rocks, dirt and gravel all over the walkways. They dig holes at the bottom of our new wooden fence.

They do have dirt beds all around the perimeter of the yard, but apparently that's just not enough for them. My husband gripes about all the holes to me, then he fills them up. I think the girls watch which holes he's filling then dig them out again when he's not looking.

Now in the pen where they go home every evening we have a dirt floor covered in bark chips. That hasn't stopped the digging either, but at least we have hardward cloth buried outside the pen so they're aren't compromising the integrity of the run.

I'm sorry - guess I don't have a solution for you. But I have empathy.

 

[RainMom]

Hey,

Q: did anyone notice the partridge (?) colored silkie at the show? It was a gorgeous mix of reds, browns, gray, & black. It was absolutely stunning to look at. Does anyone know who the breeder ? Who's chicken was that ? My DH really loved that color.

We've been putting fence panels together today tfor the new pen so we can move the chickens from the south side of the yard to the north side. We made progress, thanks to my son being somewhat cooperative, but still need to get the hen house fixed.

My DH messed up his shoulder Friday night, so our chicken house nest box/roost project is on hold - which is a looming disaster, since we really NEED to move all our chickens around. The babies need their brooder to go outside with heat, the LF need to get out of the temporary houses, and the silkies need to go in the tractor. Yikes- we are over-run with chickens, as predicted- and our labor force just dissolved! argh! I'd hire some laborers if I knew any that were qualified to build stuff. (I keep saying we just need to adopt some family!! )

I think my break is over, so back to work outside while there's still daylight. Sure wish we could get this darned hen house project finished- I'm anxious to move the darned chickens off my garden spot so I can start planting my vegetables!

 

[KMHunter]

Hey,

Q: did anyone notice the partridge (?) colored silkie at the show? It was a gorgeous mix of reds, browns, gray, & black. It was absolutely stunning to look at. Does anyone know who the breeder ? Who's chicken was that ? My DH really loved that color.

We've been putting fence panels together today tfor the new pen so we can move the chickens from the south side of the yard to the north side. We made progress, thanks to my son being somewhat cooperative, but still need to get the hen house fixed.

My DH messed up his shoulder Friday night, so our chicken house nest box/roost project is on hold - which is a looming disaster, since we really NEED to move all our chickens around. The babies need their brooder to go outside with heat, the LF need to get out of the temporary houses, and the silkies need to go in the tractor. Yikes- we are over-run with chickens, as predicted- and our labor force just dissolved! argh! I'd hire some laborers if I knew any that were qualified to build stuff. (I keep saying we just need to adopt some family!! )

I think my break is over, so back to work outside while there's still daylight. Sure wish we could get this darned hen house project finished- I'm anxious to move the darned chickens off my garden spot so I can start planting my vegetables!

If you had a exhibitor number I could tell you, but I didn't look to see whose it was. It may not have been a breeder, just a person showing them. They were pretty.

 

[RainMom]

If you had a exhibitor number I could tell you, but I didn't look to see whose it was. It may not have been a breeder, just a person showing them. They were pretty.

I think there was only 1 that color there. There MIGHT have been 2 of them, but think there was just the one? You know the color I am talking about?

Yikes- getting sucked in to the forum again!

MUST. WORK. ON. COOP. NOW!!

 

[VelvettFog]

Quote:
That's cuz I saw you first

that's nice..so you were intentionally avoiding me?

Umm, no? err.. wait, Nah I'm not even sure I saw you. We left around lunch time.

So need to know what ya'll use in your pens to stop the digging!!! I have digger chickens, and im tired of filling in holes. Sand? Gravel? I'd love to hear pros and cons of both.

Can't stop them from digging

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Busy day, and productive one. I finally got the wire dog kennel clad in greenhouse plastic so it wasn't too breezy and put Miss Deary outside for the day:

Rob dropped by with his lovely DD, met the outside animals ( I suppose the dogs will sulk for not being included in the party, but I'd cleared the yard of dog bombs and was not interested in another round before company came). He's going to help me with the stalled-out Hamburg Extension, and possibly with the Superfluous Rooster Problem.

Oh, and I finally managed to get to church again. Now let's see if we can make it two Sundays in a row!

Now if I could only find where I've hidden my feed bucket lid from myself...

 

[Stumpfarmer]

I was telling folks about Heidi and her yelling. I adore her and don't think this is common for Spitz's - just my Heidi.

 Here is an audio sample of Heidi yelling last night, she was inside the coop and I was outside the coop recording.

That is so cute!  It sounds like she is yodeling(spell)!

Deary makes that kind of call, too, although an octave higher.

 

[Hinotori]

I was telling folks about Heidi and her yelling. I adore her and don't think this is common for Spitz's - just my Heidi.

 Here is an audio sample of Heidi yelling last night, she was inside the coop and I was outside the coop recording.

That is so cute!  It sounds like she is yodeling(spell)!

Deary makes that kind of call, too, although an octave higher.

All of my EEs do that, as does one of the silkies. Don't think the rocks, bramas, or ameraucanas I have do it.