Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[RedReiner]

hey all, I am collecting my big english orp eggs for a test hatch, going to fill my bator to the brim., will also be putting up some auctions for import orp eggs. my old friends on here know where my birds came from, and what they look like. I also inherited risingstars flock of import orpingtons and have a beautiful rooster over 9 big fat fluffy blue and black hens. after hatching I will have chicks to sell as I do not keep to many, let me know if anyone is interested in chicks or eggs. email if you like, [email protected]

 

[RustyHen]

I don't know exactly what they mean as keeping them for a food source, I mean I understand that chickens lay eggs,

I think that they mean raising chickens and rabbits for butcher.

 

[RainMom]

Hello all, new to this forum - and new to raising chickens. I've got six 2-1/2 month olds. All different breeds. Anyone else in the Maple Valley area? I've got an almost 2 yr old daughter that I'm always looking for playmates for!

Hey there fellow Maple Valley chicken mom!!

Welcome to the group! I was 30 pages behind- and only missed a couple days reading. Good grief!

I don't have a toddler in the house, but Firewifejess has a couple and she's in Covington area.
My rug rat is a teenager with a hollow leg - and I've got the grocery bill to prove it!

Ya know- It's cheaper at this age to take them to all-you-can-eat buffets!
My son loves the going to Red Robin since they have Gluten free burgers and "bottomless" fries. His personal best record for Red Robin fry consumption was 7 baskets full.

He can eat 2 full plates of all-you-can-eat stir fry at Iron Grill, and I think if we sat there for a few minutess to let things settle in, he could probably get a 3rd plate down.

I'm out by Hobart. Where did you buy your chicks? I think I see barred rock, "americauna" (easter egger), white rock or white leghorn, australoprp (??) and red/gold sex link? What's the black & white mottled one ?

Lots of nice folks on here-- and a couple of cranky ones too- watch out for the cranky ones!!!!!

 

[RainMom]

Whew. Just caught up with all the posts since I last got online.

I got the roof done on my pen this weekend. Check out the bikerchicky family link to see pictures.

Next is the house for them, and figuring out how to attach a roost in the pen with the plywood sides preventing access to the chain links for support. I also plan to put a roost in the house along with the next boxes for the chilly nights they want to stay warmer.

Let me know your thoughts on the pen, please.

nice job on the roof construction!

You can make a free standing roost- all they need is something that looks like a saw horse.

Are you going to privide any cover for them so they can be outside under shelter when it rains? I was thinking if 1/2 of that wire pen was roofed with a tarp that would help them stay dry and get fresh air?

 

[RustyHen]

Whew. Just caught up with all the posts since I last got online.

I got the roof done on my pen this weekend. Check out the bikerchicky family link to see pictures.

Next is the house for them, and figuring out how to attach a roost in the pen with the plywood sides preventing access to the chain links for support. I also plan to put a roost in the house along with the next boxes for the chilly nights they want to stay warmer.

Let me know your thoughts on the pen, please.

For the roost you could use a sawhorse type roost so you did not have to attach to sides, or drive a 2x4 into the ground on each side near plywood add a slanted 2x4 to the one in the ground on each side of pen, then attach your roosts across the width.
Your pen looks really good. You do need to work on the door(gate) though, it needs to be much more predator proof and snug fitting. I have mine open to the inside so I can push the chickens back when I want to go inside( I get mobbed)

Your doing great!

 

[Hinotori]

Whew. Just caught up with all the posts since I last got online.

I got the roof done on my pen this weekend. Check out the bikerchicky family link to see pictures.

Next is the house for them, and figuring out how to attach a roost in the pen with the plywood sides preventing access to the chain links for support. I also plan to put a roost in the house along with the next boxes for the chilly nights they want to stay warmer.

Let me know your thoughts on the pen, please.

Screw joist hangers to the plywood and put the 2x2 or 2x4 on that. I did that in the first coop we made.

I'm using two old sawhorses with 2x4s screwed to them for roosts in my 10x16 coop. The birds seem to really like that. I have some plywood on one end across both 2x4s making a little shelf for the birds that prefer to lay down. The young ones use that a lot until they are comfortable not snuggling in a pile.

 

[bikerchicky]

nice job on the roof construction!

You can make a free standing roost- all they need is something that looks like a saw horse.

Are you going to privide any cover for them so they can be outside under shelter when it rains? I was thinking if 1/2 of that wire pen was roofed with a tarp that would help them stay dry and get fresh air?

I have put a roof over the entire pen for now. I want to try to dry the dirt out a bit so I can remove about 2" and put in DE and mason sand instead of dirt for a floor. Since the pen is in the lowest part of the yard I expect it will stay damp most of the winter, so I plan to have a pallet in there to allow the girls to get up off the sand when it gets soggy back there. The tarp is big enough to cover the back side the with plywood below the level of plywood to help keep wind reduced and help keep water out. There is the small door that you see. It is secured with wire and will be netted to help reduce predator opportunities. The large door, you can barely see it in the second picture, is the main access, and has fewer gaps around it. The front is open for air circulation and viewing from the house. The side with the door is also uncovered, and will only have plywood for 1/2 the side. I will get pictures of the tarped pen tomorrow, weather permitting.

I will also get some pics of the house that I will be converting from a goat house to a hen house. I am going to put 2 nest boxes inside along with a roosting bar from side to side. This will give the girls a way to be out of the weather and be warm in the winter.

I'm so ready for these two at my house to be outside. They are getting so big and love being in their tramp-o-tractor eating grass and getting in a good dirt bath. They spent about 2 hours outside Monday while my GF and I fenced in the roof. It was so cute watching them get rolling in the dirt.

Oh, and I will try to get a picture of Matilda. She is definitely an EEer not an Araucona. I'm going to talk to the store where I bought her and explain they need to change their signage to say EE not the other since it is not accurate. And, Matilda is quite the cuddler. She likes to sit in my lap, get feather scritches on her neck and under her wings, and is so relaxed she also falls asleep, but the dogs at my GF's keep her alert.

 

[bikerchicky]

Screw joist hangers to the plywood and put the 2x2 or 2x4 on that. I did that in the first coop we made.

I'm using two old sawhorses with 2x4s screwed to them for roosts in my 10x16 coop. The birds seem to really like that. I have some plywood on one end across both 2x4s making a little shelf for the birds that prefer to lay down. The young ones use that a lot until they are comfortable not snuggling in a pile.

What a great idea. I will look into how I can use supplies already around the house to create something like that. I'd rather repurpose (like the tramp-o-tractor) then buy something.

 

[Hinotori]

 

[melissaG]

awww just the smile I needed before crashing for the night, thank you

Duckies are sooo cute!!