Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[RainMom]

Do any of you have suggestions, outside of SSS. to keep cats out of my raised garden beds? I have replanted my strawberry's twice and the shallots 3 times!

. I have had these beds 3 yrs now and this is the first time she has bothered it.

yes, yes! I have a solution!!! go to my profile and look at pics of the raised beds I posted while back- there was one with a wooden/wire "frame" that kept our crows, robins, and cats- no pooping or eating my seeds when the frame was over the top. worked great- used green bean cans to elevate above the bed.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Here's more pics of my VelvettFog chicken run (someone asked about a roof; no it's not under a porch, it stands alone next to my house):
Roofing is green metal panels from Home Depot...cuhrazy expensive but worth it.

Supp. lighting: Christmas lights!

The door on the end, you can clearly see the wire fencing and hardware cloth:

VF building it with my son:

Structure, sans roof:

 

[lilfarmmomma]

Here's more pics of my VelvettFog chicken run (someone asked about a roof; no it's not under a porch, it stands alone next to my house):
Roofing is green metal panels from Home Depot...cuhrazy expensive but worth it.

Supp. lighting: Christmas lights!

The door on the end, you can clearly see the wire fencing and hardware cloth:

VF building it with my son:

Structure, sans roof:

That is awesome!!

 

[VelvettFog]

Here's the pic of the hardware cloth bottom and you can barely see the apron now, it's covered in dirt and tiny bits of spring grass. There's 2"x4" fencing on the top part.

thank you very much for taking this and posting it so others can see

 

[FirewifeJess]

This feisty girl won't stop peeping crazy loud! Finally took her out to hold and she is all relaxed...any more relaxed and shed be dead!

 

[BGMatt]

Have you long time poultry people found your breed and variety tastes have changed with time? I really want to focus on a handful of breeds but I'm not sure if I should use my old memories on what I want to raise or if I should go through the selection process again, try a couple breeds here and there for a year or two and see what sticks? I know two things for sure, one of those breeds will be Langshans (seeing some old photos of my Langshans is what really has made me decide i wanted chickens again) and everything will be large fowl.

Just general discussion and this seemed like a good place for it.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Have you long time poultry people found your breed and variety tastes have changed with time? I really want to focus on a handful of breeds but I'm not sure if I should use my old memories on what I want to raise or if I should go through the selection process again, try a couple breeds here and there for a year or two and see what sticks?

Just general discussion and this seemed like a good place for it.

I've not been at it long, but I'll weigh in anyway. Take it or leave it When I started out last year, I knew I would want a lot of different breeds; I wanted a variety of breeds to pretty up my yard, and I also wanted a lot of pretty colored eggs. During the course of the year my tastes have changed a little. I love all our girls and we do have a variety, but in the last several months I've begun to rethink things; we NEED eggs. My family eats about 4 dozen a week! Because of that, I began looking into chickens that are more feed efficient, and better foragers. I started out with some heftier girls and decided that any future chickens are going to be better layers, not just pretty birds. I started out with:
1 RIR (efficient!)
2 Buff Orps (they're hefty, and while good layers, they eat a lot)
1 Australorp (same as Buffs)
6 EEs! (All different kinds and colors of EEs, very pretty birds and good layers their first fall/winter, but now they're declining while my brown egg layers are still going strong)
1 Welsummer (beautiful dark copper eggs but not as many as I'd like)
1 Marans (beautiful dark chocolate eggs but not as many as I'd like)

Now, my babies are:
1 Barred Rock (friendly, small, efficient egg layers)
2 California Whites (LOTS of large white eggs, smaller birds)
1 RIR (egg laying machine)
1 Red Sex Link (egg laying machine)
1 Cuckoo Marans (dark eggs)
2 Speckled Sussex (friendly and prolific winter layers)

So I was able to add in some breeds I've been eyeing, but I tried to add birds I knew would be the best layers. Totally don't care about what they look like now.

 

[BGMatt]

Oh totally a variety of breeds guy if I was just gonna have some for eggs, but since the plan is multiple breeding programs (which will also supply eggs and meat) it's different I think.

But man I look back and see some things and I'm like "why did I ever do that?" Mostly Colombian anything, just not an appealing color pattern anymore for some reason, maybe it was fighting with it so much back in the day. Any variety of OEGB'S, I know that was just younger me wanting to be in the most competitive class in the showroom. Not that there's anything wrong with them or the mentioned Colombian variety, just tastes in birds have changed as I've aged and was curious if others have noticed that too.

Edit: Of course plan B is winning the lottery, retiring, building a bunch of big barns and running a standard bred hatchery with a bunch of breeds/variety.

 

[CarolynF]

Oh totally a variety of breeds guy if I was just gonna have some for eggs, but since the plan is multiple breeding programs (which will also supply eggs and meat) it's different I think.

But man I look back and see some things and I'm like "why did I ever do that?" Mostly Colombian anything, just not an appealing color pattern anymore for some reason, maybe it was fighting with it so much back in the day. Any variety of OEGB'S, I know that was just younger me wanting to be in the most competitive class in the showroom. Not that there's anything wrong with them or the mentioned Colombian variety, just tastes in birds have changed as I've aged and was curious if others have noticed that too.

Edit: Of course plan B is winning the lottery, retiring, building a bunch of big barns and running a standard bred hatchery with a bunch of breeds/variety.

I especially like Plan B!!!
But in the mean time, I think it's your personality that will lead you to the answer. I am notorious for changing my mind over time, analyzing then re-analyzing trying to find the BEST. For me it would therefore be best to try 2 breeds, then go to several shows and read lots of BYC threads, then add another couple breeds. Repeat 'till happy!

When I rush I'm always sorry.

 

[CarolynF]

This feisty girl won't stop peeping crazy loud! Finally took her out to hold and she is all relaxed...any more relaxed and shed be dead!

Ohhhhh... I'm glad that happened to someone else! I had one doing that a couple of days ago, what a racket! Amazing that they act like a screaming baby.